Mediterranean diet

Mediterranean diet is a diet or convalescence. It is a lifestyle collection of eating habits, practiced for centuries by the peoples of the Mediterranean - Greece, Spain, Italy, France. To such a lifestyle conducive natural resources of these countries - the abundance of fruits and vegetables, the proximity of the sea.


To date, using the Mediterranean diet has long exceeded the limits of the Mediterranean, which is evidence of widespread dissemination of Italian, Greek and French cuisine in Northern Europe, America and even in Japan.

What is the Mediterranean diet?

The main features of the classic Mediterranean diet are:

1. High consumption of olives and olive oil Cold-pressed.
2. High consumption of vegetables, fruits and legumes.
3. Moderate consumption of sugars nerefenirani - mostly pasta, bread and cereals (portions must be tailored to physical activity).
4. Consumption of oily fish three or more times a week.
5. Consumption of milk and dairy products.
6. Three or four eggs a week
7. Moderate consumption of meat and saturated fat.
8. One or two glasses of wine a day. Preferably, the wine is red and drink during meals. White wine and beer are alternatives.
9. Nuts instead of chips or snacks.
10. And last but not least - moderate physical activity.

What won our health?
Many studies have found that this diet leads to better health than diet, practiced in many other parts of the world. This applies most strongly to the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, atherosclerosis, diabetes and cancer. In addition, fans of the Mediterranean diet enjoyed a longer and better life. This is a proven 10 year major study published in the Journal of American Medicine, which concluded the following facts: Mediterranean diet and healthy lifestyle is associated with reductions in premature deaths of more than 50% 1.

This phenomenon has inspired researchers from Europe and America to make a number of studies. Many of them came to the conclusion that patients who had a heart attack and then subjected to a Mediterranean diet, there is a long-term effect of removing the level of LDL cholesterol kravta2, 3 than in patients who comply with European or American diet. The number of patients from the first group had a second heart attack is much smaller than the number of patients in the second group. It is believed that this is due to the large amount of essential fatty acids Omega 3 group contained in the olive oil especially in oily fish.

It was found that cardiovascular risk per person is reduced significantly if he eat fish 2-3 times a week. Fruits and vegetables are powerful antioxidants that eliminate free radicals in the body and contribute to better his condition. In addition to these Mediterranean nations food and drink a little wine - a glass at lunch and dinner.

A study published in Archives of General Psychiatry (Archives of General Psychiatry), shows that supporters of the Mediterranean diet are less prone to the development of depresiya4.

In simplified form we can point out that the Mediterranean diet is suitable for:

• reduce LDL cholesterol
• slimming
• prophylaxis against depression and osteoporosis
• prevention so. "Diseases of civilization" - obesity, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, diabetes

Although most studies show the benefits of Mediterranean diet held in 2006 prouchvane5 shows the opposite: The Mediterranean diet has no effect on markers of inflammation and metabolic risk in patients with coronary heart disease.

What to partake of the Mediterranean diet?
For various reasons, hardly able to fully implement this way of eating at home. But we can draw useful conclusions. Here are some of them.

• In preparing the salads entirely replace oil with olive oil.
• Eat salads of leafy vegetables, seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice - in the worst case limontozu.
• Instead of the usual salty pickles, make winter salads of fresh cabbage, carrots and turnips.
• Eat oily fish at least 2-3 times a week.
• If you do not drink alcohol, drink wine instead of a glass of grape juice - it has magical properties, but unfortunately no one paid attention.
• Include in your diet honey, walnuts, peanuts and other nuts.
• Enjoy life with quiet joy and faith in the future. This is also a powerful tool against heart and brain diseases. Sometimes even more strongly from the diet.