The Mediterranean Diet, Science, and Practice!

The Mediterranean Diet, Science, and Practice:

A Mediterranean diet incorporates the traditional healthy living habits of people from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including France, Greece, Italy, and Spain.

The Mediterranean diet varies by country and region, so it has a range of definitions. But in general, it’s high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, beans, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oil. It usually includes a low intake of meat and dairy foods.

The Mediterranean diet has been linked with good health, including a healthier heart.

You know the Mediterranean Diet is good for you. But why? Here we unpack the science of the Mediterranean Diet. Look for summaries of the latest health studies and educational materials about the research about and health beneﬁts of the Mediterranean Diet.

Heart Disease and the Mediterranean Diet:

A PREDIMED Study made headlines for its spectacular results. This was a large study with around 7447 at-risk patients suffering from heart disease and continued for a period of 5 years. They were three groups:

Mediterranean diet with added extra virgin oil.
Mediterranean diet with added nuts.
A low-fat diet.

There was no reduction in calories and no increase in exercise. The result? Both Mediterranean diet groups reduced the risk of stroke, heart attacks, and death from cardiovascular diseases. While the olive oil group saw a 30% drop, the nuts group wasn‘t that far behind with a 28%. What of the control low-fat diet group? It saw little to no change in risk of heart issues.

This extensive study has been a solid base for the adoption of this lifestyle for heart disease patients. After all, the results are very encouraging for patients and their families.

Diabetes and the Mediterranean Diet:

As with the others, there‘s been significant research when it comes to diabetes and this diet. We do have an encouraging Ann Intern Med study to support the incorporation of a Mediterranean style diet for diabetes patients.

That said, in another PREDIMED study,

418 patients who were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Only 10% of the Mediterranean diet group developed diabetes, whereas 18% of the low-fat group got diabetes.
To put matters in perspectives, the Mediterranean diet helped avoid type 2 diabetes by 52%.

Cancer and The Mediterranean Diet:

PREDIMED, in their effort to ensure valid research, has even studied the effects of Mediterranean nutrition and cancer. This is a disease where causalities are normally given, especially since diagnosis isn‘t always prompt. To ensure validity, around 7216 cancer patients were studied.

After the allotted 5 year period, 323 individuals had died; with 81 from heart-related disease, while the rest died from cancer. The group consuming nuts showed the most significant change with around 16-63% lowered death risks through this study‘s period.

Alzheimer’s Disease, and The Mediterranean:

As with protecting and helping the heart to function properly, this diet helps to provide rich nutrients which improve brain function. Those at risk of Alzheimer‘s can see a pretty significant difference in their risks than those who don‘t follow the Mediterranean diet.

However, not all functions can be improved. Alzheimer‘s cannot be reversed, but JAMA4 has concluded Mediterranean foods can help slow cognitive decline for older adults and reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment. It even has shown good signs of reducing progression so those affected by Alzheimer‘s have more time.

Making healthy choices always pays off, and you can‘t really go wrong with this diet. It‘s easy to follow and maintain something we‘re going to explore in the coming chapters. Making the right choice means starting to pick healthier alternatives. Let‘s explore how you can take advantage of all these benefits.

Weight Loss, and The Mediterranean Diet:

For many, and perhaps even you, one of the biggest motivators for a dietary lifestyle change is having a weight loss goal. Exercise helps, but you can only tone your muscles with it. Real weight loss happens in the kitchen, or on your plate to be more precise. What you feed yourself does make a huge difference and the Mediterranean diet is here to help. But let‘s put some research to our cause!

Three studies have really highlighted the Mediterranean lifestyle through their extensive research process during their examination period. All three studied the adoption of the Mediterranean diet for various types of people.

Study 1:

Conducted by JAMA, studied the relationship between this lifestyle and metabolic rate. The results showed a rather significant difference in performance, especially when compared to a low-fat control group.

Study 2:

Conducted by Ann Intern Med looked at improved between the Mediterranean diet and diabetic patients who were overweight. This study was conducted for 4 years straight and showed positive results for Mediterranean style diets.

Study 3:

Was conducted by The New England Journal of Medicine. This was a battle between three diets:

The Mediterranean.
Low-fat.
and restricted calorie diet.

The result matched those of the previous two; whereby the former diet proved much more effective than the latter. It‘s fairly clear that a Mediterranean-style diet does provide a much better environment for nurturing health and weight loss.

Maintaining Your Diet:

Maintaining a diet is vastly different from starting one, but there are a few things you should do beforehand. Namely:

I. Set a Realistic, Practical & Measurable Goal:

That‘s the only way you‘ll see change and still be able to carry out your small time objectives. Have some daily goals and some weekly goals. That said, don‘t reward yourself with ̳a day off‘. It‘s one of the easiest lies we tell ourselves and it‘ll be counterproductive for your health. That said, we‘re going to look at how you can counter any cravings you might have and not cheat on your diet later on in this chapter.

II. Don’t Diet, Change The Way You Live:

Many of us look at diets as short-term periods we just need to sit through. That‘s not a proper lens to look at the Mediterranean diet from. After all, this is a lifestyle change and you‘re likely to fail before you start if you keep looking at things that way.

III. Make Time to Get Excited About Your Lifestyle Change:

We‘re all busy but keeping your excitement up is important. So take some time out to research Mediterranean diets and how you can incorporate them. This will keep you interested and give you new ways to handle your ongoing diet till you adjust to it.

IV. Small Changes Matter:

Every bite you take matters. Remember that. Every good meal makes a difference so never just give up. Have small goals and try to take them one at a time.

Now you might be wondering ―Easier said than done!‖ And that‘s true if you don‘t use the following techniques.

How to Suppress Your Appetite:

I. Get some fiber into your system, every day:

It‘s no secret how fibers help keep you fuller for longer. Fiber is found in high quantities in vegetables so load them on your plate whenever you get the chance.

II. Control your hormones:

Our appetite is controlled by our hormones which trigger our feelings of hunger or fullness. Having your hormones in control and in balance helps to keep you feeling as you should after any meal. To do this, you‘d normally need to intake low glycemic foods and kick-start your fullness.

III. Avoid blood sugar spikes:

You‘re bound to feel more hungry if you allow your blood sugar to go haywire so here‘s what you do:

Don‘t skip out on any meals or wait longer than 5 hours to eat.
Fill your plates with proteins and some healthy fats, and eat high fiber foods.
This should keep everything balanced and in check.

IV. To stay in check, don‘t skip out on a homemade meal:

Every time you opt for a restaurant meal, you‘re unable to control what you‘re putting in your food and body.

So avoid restaurant meals as much as possible.
Instead try and prepare your food ahead of time a night before, if possible.
You want to be always ready instead of providing yourself a reason to fail.

So be a little proactive. A few days of effort can give you a lifetime of health. These are all the tips you need in order to start yourself on the Mediterranean diet. Easy, right? No restrictions, no strict rules and a whole lot of yummy food. Now you might be wondering what meals can you exactly make? Flip on after the Conclusion to find 21 ready-made recipes for you to try out today!

If you find this article useful, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family, as you might help someone in need. Thanks.

Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment of any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”

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