Mediterranean Diet
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Terrific New eBook On How To Broil Delicious Foods The Mediterranean diet is a diet based on eating the foods people who live in the Mediterranean basin eat. The Mediterranean basin is an area that surrounds the Mediterranean Sea and has mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. This area includes areas of France, the Iberian Peninsula, the Italian peninsula, and the Balkan Peninsula. It also includes areas of the Sahara desert, and Africa. Walter Willett, a professor, created the most widely known form of the Mediterranean diet. In addition to physical activity the diet proposes eating a lot of dairy, fish, and meats along with a healthy dose of olive oil and plant food. Not much fat is taken in – only about 8% of total calories are from fat. For this reason it’s categorized as a low fat, high fiber diet. The first version of the diet was published in 1945, but the Mediterranean diet didn’t become well known until the late 20th century. One of the main features of the Mediterranean diet is its use of olive oil instead of the animal fats used typically in American diets. Olive oil has many benefits such as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. Studies have shown that olive oil helps reduce the risk of many types of cancer as well as of ulcers. Red wine also adds to the mix in that it contains elements with antioxidant properties. Versions of the Mediterranean diet are recommended by the American Heart Association. The one part of the Mediterranean diet that the American Heart Association doesn’t like is a high percentage of calories from fat. The heart association points to the growing problem of obesity in countries around the Mediterranean basin, which is a serious health concern. However, the American Heart Association does like the fact that most of the fat in the Mediterranean diet comes from olive oil, mono saturated fat, that doesn’t raise cholesterol. Researchers aren’t sure whether better health in the Mediterranean basin is due to diet or the fact they get a lot of exercise, mostly from walking. A Google search is a great source of information on the Mediterranean diet.
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