Home
>
Weight Loss
>
The Mediterranean Diet - Oh So Tasty

The Mediterranean Diet - Oh So Tasty

Yes, there is more to the Mediterranean than sun, beach and wine... there is the Mediterranean Diet...

For many years now the inhabitants of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea - (such as southern Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Lebanon and Israel) have been considered to be among the healthiest in the world enjoying both high life expectancy plus showing health benefits like low incidence of chronic diseases and in recent years many studies have been made to discover why and if it has to do with more than just the sunshine!

Traditionally, their diet has been based on the livestock, fishing and agriculture of their land and reliance on foods from a rich diversity of plant sources including fruits, whole grains, nuts, beans and seeds. In Northern Africa for example, couscous, vegetables and legumes form the centre of the diet, in the Eastern Mediterranean, bulgar and rice along with vegetables and legumes and in Southern Europe, the basis is formed by rice, polenta, pasta with plenty of vegetables and legumes and everywhere bread is eaten at most meals (but without butter!).

Nutritional research has shown the advantages of a diet HIGH in vegetables, fruits, grains, monounsaturated fats and various complex carbohydrates but LOW in cholesterol and certain forms of saturated fat and led to greater public awareness.

It is true that these foods, like those foods consumed by the rest of Europe and the United States are rich in fat, BUT... of a different type!

Let me explain this: There are three types of dietary fats:

? Saturated fats, (from animals)
? Polyunsaturated fats (from plants, seeds, nuts and vegetables)
? mono saturated fats (olive oil). Olive oil isn't only delicious (and somewhat expensive) but it's also rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D, E and K as well as iron.

The health and therapeutic benefits of olive oil are vast: namely?

? it does not have the same cholesterol raising effects as the saturated fats found in animal fats
? it contains anti-oxidants that discourage clogging of the arteries and chronic diseases including cancer
? and it also has lubricating properties in so far as it acts as a laxative, aids digestion and protects the intestine from ulcers.

Now, this "Mediterranean diet" - (though not exactly a diet in the ?slimmers? sense of the word), has led to a style of eating that is a move away from relying on manufactured food stuffs to recipes consisting of natural and healthy ingredients eaten raw or minimally processed.

So WHAT typically comprises "The Mediterranean Diet?"

When, in 1993, The Harvard University School of Public Health and Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust (a Boston based educational organisation) held a conference on the Mediterranean diet and its influence on public health, reviewing data concerned with the dietary traditions of those countries bordering the Mediterranean, the committee developed the "Mediterranean Food Guide Pyramid", the main points of which are summarised as follows:

? plenty of food from plant sources, including fruit, vegetables, breads and grains, beans, nuts and seeds
? use of Olive Oil replacing other fats and oils
? fresh fruit daily
? Seasonally fresh and locally grown foods in preference to processed foods
? Saturated fat should constitute less than 20 per cent of total calories
? small amounts of cheese and yoghurt (containing live cultures which may contribute to good health)
? daily moderate amounts of fish and poultry weekly and only a few eggs
? very little red meat
? a glass of wine (especially red) with meals as it contains anti-oxidants and has cholesterol reducing properties (although optional as there are contraindications for women related to breast cancer)

Natalia Kim is a journalist for http://www.beginning-exercise-and-weight-loss-help.com

express cleaning service Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

The Mediterranean Diet - Oh So Tasty

Weight Loss