| The Mediterranean Diet is now recognized
| |
| | many other of the more common fruits and
|
| as one of the healthiest in the world
| |
| | vegetables. These provide large amounts
|
| consisting as it does of large amounts of
| |
| | of vitamins, minerals and fibre along
|
| fresh fruit and vegetables,
| |
| | with a wide variety of antioxidants and
|
| salads,nuts,seeds, omega-3 rich oily
| |
| | phytochemicals, the importance of which
|
| fish, olives and olive oil and being
| |
| | scientists are only now beginning to
|
| comparitively low in dairy products and
| |
| | recognize as they discover more and more
|
| red meats. The people of the
| |
| | healthful benefits of including these
|
| Mediterranean region, particuarly Greece
| |
| | elements in our diet. Historically alot
|
| and Spain, are very fortunate to live in
| |
| | of the milk was produced from goats and
|
| an area where naturally healthy food is
| |
| | cheese made from goats and ewes milk.
|
| readily and cheaply available. The
| |
| | Very little red meat is eaten and a large
|
| incidence of heart disease and cancer
| |
| | majority of the protein is supplied by
|
| are lower here than anywhere else in the
| |
| | oily fish such as sardines, mackerel,
|
| western world and experts now believe
| |
| | tuna, sword fish, boquerones and
|
| this is due in great part to what has
| |
| | anchovies. The main oil used is olive,
|
| become known as the Mediterranean diet.
| |
| | traditionally cold pressed virgin, and
|
| Modern farming techniques and world wide
| |
| | this is used not only for cooking and in
|
| transport has changed most peoples diets
| |
| | salads but also for putting on bread in
|
| dramatically in the past centuary and it
| |
| | place of butter. All these foods provide
|
| is now widely believed that such changes
| |
| | a wide variety of nutriments which have
|
| have had an exteremely detrimental effect
| |
| | an astonishing array of claims for
|
| on our health. Fortunately the impact of
| |
| | improving our health such as lowering
|
| these developments has not had such a
| |
| | cholesterol, improving our immune system
|
| catastrophic effect in Mediterranean
| |
| | which thus not only fights infections
|
| regions where to a large extent
| |
| | but also helps to prevent cancer,
|
| traditional diets are still followed. Of
| |
| | increasing our metabolism, improving
|
| course with the advent of Globalization
| |
| | insulin sensitivity and thus lessening
|
| and MacDonald's! this is sadly changing.
| |
| | the risk of diabetes. It really has
|
| However we can all learn alot form what
| |
| | never been so true that you are what you
|
| has become known as the Mediterranean
| |
| | eat. Certainly since moving to Andalucia
|
| diet and by adopting it,vastly improve
| |
| | and adopting the Mediteranean diet
|
| our health and longevity. The foods that
| |
| | myself I have never been so healthy or
|
| grow natuarlly and abundantly in that
| |
| | managed to maintain my ideal weight so
|
| region and have always formed a part of
| |
| | easily. Of coures in addition to all the
|
| the local diet are as follows:- Olives,
| |
| | healthy components of this diet there is
|
| avocados, oranges, lemons, garlic, wild
| |
| | the added fact that honey is often used
|
| asparagus, walnuts, almonds,tomatoes,
| |
| | in place of sugar and little refined
|
| artichokes, figs, pomegranates, cherries,
| |
| | carbohydrates are eaten. All in all most
|
| strawberries, grapes, plums,
| |
| | experts now agree that the Mediterranean
|
| spinach,broad beans,peppers along with
| |
| | diet is the optimum diet.
|
