The
Mediterranean Diet (MD) is commonly quoted or talked about. I am interested
in:
What exactly
is it?
Is it
healthy?
What
diseases does it prevent or help manage?
The
following information is taken from the Royal Australian College of General
Practitioners. They would be happy to share this information. Their aim is to
make people healthy. To educate the public. They would be happy if you read the
following.
One study
looked at patients with a high risk of cardiovascular disease who were given a
low fat diet or a Mediterranean Diet. After 5 years the patients on Mediterranean
Diet had a 30% reduced risk of a cardiovascular event.
It has also
been postulated that a MD helps:
·
lower the risk or mitigate the severity of type
2 diabetes
·
reduce the risk of colorectal, breast and other
cancers
·
manage weight (despite high fat content).
According to
the RACGP the MD comprises:
·
high monounsaturated (eg olive oil) to saturated
(eg fatty red meat) ratio – at least 2:1
·
high intake of legumes
·
high intake of fruits and vegetables
·
high intake of grains and cereals
·
moderate quantities of fish, white meat and
low-fat dairy
·
low to moderate consumption of red wine
·
low intake of red meat, processed meat and eggs
·
low intake of sweets, sweet desserts and sweet
drinks.
To implement
MD try doing the following things:
·
using olive oil instead of other oils/ fats for
cooking and dressing salads and cooked vegetables
·
consuming vegetables with every meal (including
leafy greens and tomatoes)
·
consuming 2–3 serves of fresh fruit per day
·
consuming legumes (cooked dried beans) 3 times
per week (in salads, soups, casseroles, veggie burgers, falafel)
·
having 2–3 serves of fish or seafood per week
(at least one oily fish such as salmon or sardines)
·
eating at least 3 serves of nuts per week
(include walnuts and almonds)
·
choosing white meat (poultry without skin or
rabbit) instead of fatty processed meats (sausages, burgers) and keep red meat
portions small and lean
·
choosing natural (unsweetened) yoghurt as snack
on most days
·
cooking regularly (at least twice a week) with
tomato, garlic and onion, and aromatic/culinary herbs as a base for pasta
sauces, casseroles and baked dishes.
To implement
MD try decreasing consumption of:
·
cream, butter, margarine
·
processed meats (sausages, salami), fatty meats
and poultry skin, deep-fried battered foods
·
carbonated and/or sugared beverages
·
pastries, cakes, sweet biscuits and lollies
·
processed savoury snacks (potato chips, savoury
biscuits).
The MD is
not a strict set of rules or a list of banned and forbidden foods.
A lot of
people live around the Mediterranean but the diet called the MD is a diet
loosely based on the traditional diet of Greeks and Italians.
It does seem
to work. A lot of other studies have shown it leads to healthier people.
I would say that
a healthy diet is preferable. The difficulty with saying that is that some
people need a guide, a name, something to follow. To just say eat a healthy
diet is too vague for too many people.
If you tell
people to use olive oil instead of saturated fat then people have something
they can do. They have something they can be proud of doing. Something that
makes them healthier and makes them feel better. They feel good because they
have followed the rules.
