A MEDITERRANEAN CRAVING

See how the Mediterranean’s are keeping to a heart-healthy diet.

The Mediterranean Diet has been commonly used for many years in southern Italy, Greece, and Spain promoting long life and good health. It is mainly based on the dietary traditions from the 1960s, when the rate of chronic disease were the lowest and life expectancy was among the highest in the world. The Mayo Clinic describes it as:
  

 “incorporates the basics of healthy eating – plus a slash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine.”

Although the vital elements of this unique diet are a high consumption of plant based foods (like fruit, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, and seeds), including fish and poultry while limiting red meats, and incorporating herbs and spices. Other important elements to this positive diet include daily exercise, and just appreciating the pleasures of eating delicious and healthy foods with others.

This style of cooking has been common for many years over the Mediterranean Sea, and has been deemed as a heart-healthy diet, reducing the risk of hearth disease in over 1.5 million adults who have tried it.  So even though you may not be looking for a new diet, try incorporating some of these key elements to your own lifestyle:

1. Eating primarily plant based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
2. Incorporating healthy fats such as olive oil instead of butter
3. Using herbs and spices instead of salt
4. Including fish and poultry in meals at least twice a week, and limiting the amount of red meats to only several times a month
5. Being physically active based around a healthy lifestyle

OLDWAYS: Health Through Heritage, Mediterranean Diet Pyramid