THE HEALTHY MEDITERRANEAN DIET

Probably many of you have heard about the famous Mediterranean Diet, and one of the most interesting facts about this diet is that the incidence of heart disease and cancer in the Mediterranean is lower than in the USA.

In fact, people bound to Mediterranean Diet have a 70% more of expectancy of life and a 80% of better quality life (supposing they don’t smoke too). And following this diet is also the best way to prevent many diseases, as “brain ictus”, high blood pressure, unbalanced levels of cholesterol,lung diseases, many allergies, Parkinson, Alzheimer or stroke (leaving apart, the heart disease, as I told above).

But what is this diet really about? In the first place, the Mediterranean Diet is more than a simple diet, in fact, is nearly a lifelong living style. It should be learnt as soon as possible and parents should learn how to manage their children food habits.

In fact, I even read in somewhere that the UNESCO could declared it soon as Immaterial Human Heritage.

Spain is one of more than a dozen countries on the Mediterranean Sea, and although each Mediterranean country has its own cuisine and unique dietary customs, there are general characteristics that are the same throughout the Mediterranean as:

- High intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, that have to be eaten daily.

- High consumption of virgin olive oil as the primary source of fat, as a monounsaturated fat (the “good fats”).

- Fish to be eaten several times a week to reduce the risk of heart disease.

- Meat and poultry, are to be eaten in smaller quantities.

- Consumption of milk and derivates, cheese and yogurt.

- One or two small glasses of wine a day, preferably red and at the main meals. Other alternatives are white wine and beer.

- Three or four eggs per week.

- Nuts as snacks.

And well…….., it would be no harm if we all would follow healthy habits, after all, our body and brain surely will thank us for it! Don’t you think?