What Exactly is the Mediterranean Diet? by:Ray Darken
By its name alone, the Mediterranean diet attracts a lot of current and would be dieters due to its exotic name
. But what is it exactly? One concern of the Mediterranean diet is that it allows 40% fat consumption compared to the 30% of the American Heart Association. Let's go into more detail as it seems a waste to just let it go without giving it a fair reading.
The Mediterranean diet evolved from the respective diets of countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin. Among the countries surrounding the basin are the south of France, southern Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. Originally introduced by American doctor Ancel Keys, the diet failed to gain popular recognition until the 1990's. Based on scientific data, people around the Mediterranean basin had lower rates of cardiovascular disease compared to Americans who, for all intents and purposes, consumed the same relative amount of fat. One possible explanation is the presence of olive oil and red wine. Olive oil lowers cholesterol levels in the blood while red wine contains flavonoids. Flavonoids are anti-oxidants that also help the body when dealing with allergenic material, viruses and cancer causing agents.
Another contributing factor to a European's better health could be the fact that they tend to walk more than Americans do. Questions have also been raised as to whether the Mediterranean diet contributes enough iron and calcium to the diet. Green vegetables and goat cheese have been found to contribute these nutrients respectively.
The thing about the Mediterranean diet is that its foods are often rich and tasty thanks to olive oil. Normally, margarine and hydrogenated oils lack the flavor that olive oil gives out. Another part of the diet is regular but moderate consumption of red wine. Saturated fat consumption is low as opposed to high amounts of monounsaturated fat and dietary fiber. This is due to the fact that the diet includes big servings of fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, olive oil and fish.
In comparing the food pyramid of the United States against the Mediterranean diet, people of the Mediterranean consumed fruits, vegetables and grain just as Americans do. The main difference lies in the fact that Americans consume more red meat. Consumption of cold water fish is also prominent in the Mediterranean diet. This results in reduced risks of heart disease, cancer and improved immune system functions. Compared to the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) pyramid, the Mediterranean diet contains little saturated and trans fat that raise cholesterol in the blood. The USDA's pyramid does not differentiate from healthy and unhealthy fats.
Characteristically speaking, the Mediterranean diet has high consumption of olive oil. Breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables likewise have a high rate of consumption in the diet. Fish and poultry as well as wine are moderately consumed while eggs and red meat are rated as very low in consumption.
The problem with most diets is that they tend to be extreme. Some diets, like the vegetarian diet, limit a person to just eating fruits, tofu, yogurt and vegetables. Other diets would require high protein intake while severely limiting intake of the other food groups. Like a user friendly computer, the Mediterranean diet does not go to extremes to achieve a desired result. The diet allows for consumption of tasty foods. This allows the dieter to actually enjoy the gastronomic delights normally prohibited by other diets. A solid testament to this fact rests on the presence of wine in the diet.
The most surprising aspect of the Mediterranean diet is that fat is regarded as a healthy dietary component. Keep in mind that it is the fat that gives food most of its flavor. Two substances, omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, are considered to be healthy and are not restricted in the diet. Olive oil, canola oil and nuts are good sources of monounsaturated fat while fish, vegetables and nuts contain the healthy omega-3 acids. Saturated fats and trans fat, on the other hand are considered to be unhealthy as they contribute to heart disease. Red meat, butter cheese and milk are sources of saturated fat while processed foods contain hydrogenated oils from which trans fat comes from.
From what has been written so far, and from all the sources and references where this article was taken from, the Mediterranean diet comes highly recommended by health professionals. The Mediterranean diet maintains a healthy but tasty, smorgasbord of delicious foods with which you can maintain a healthy diet without the need to sacrifice flavor and variety. While we appreciate the people who struggle and strive to come up with healthy diets, good food carries more weight in our stomachs.
About the author
Ray Darken often writes for and works closely with The Mediterranean Diet. If you'd like more news and broader access to diet and nutrition information try Diet Reviews & Tips. If this link isn't working, you can paste this one into your browser
http://diet-reviews-and-tips.com/
The Best Alternative Arthritis Pain Reliever For You by:Dean Iggo Zone Diet Meals "How To Choose A Plan That's Right For You" by:Karen Gates Xango Mangosteen Health Beverage by:Lukas L Rethke Try Acuvue 2 Contact Lenses for Exceptional Comfort by:Larry Scott Benefit Of Infusion by:Dr Frank Where To Find The Best Zit Remedies by:Dean Iggo How To Lose The Pooch Belly- Removing the Belly Bulge by:Gary Cheung The Best Way to Breathe by:Marc David What Every Man Needs To Know About Prostatitis - Inflammation Of The Prostate by:James Witman Blood Pressure and Medications by:Ray Kelly Do You Experience Sleeping Problems by:Kadence Buchanan Hereditary Hemochromatosis-It can be Treated by:Peter Whittington 10 Essential Steps to a Natural Diet by:Frederic Patenaude