Mediterranean Diet Helpful to Resist Heart Diseases

Lately, there has been much talk in nutrition circles about the Mediterranean diet.
There is something to be learned from the way people ate in the first half of the century in Greece, Italy, southern France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Their diets and lifestyles were definitely heart-healthy.

Unfortunately, even the people in these countries don't enjoy the health they once did. Diets have changed and their lifestyles, like ours, are less active now that television and labor-saving devices are common.

Keeping that in mind, here are some heart-healthy features of the Mediterranean diet that we can learn from:

• It was based primarily on foods prepared from locally grown crops, including grain-based foods (such as rice, pasta), legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.

• Lots of whole-grain bread was eaten plain, without butter or margarine.

• Olive oil was used liberally and almost exclusively as the source of dietary fat.
Since olive oil is low in saturated fat, the total diet was low in saturated fat. We now know that oils such as olive and canola oil, which are high in monounsaturated fat, help, raise the good HDL blood cholesterol while keeping the bad LDL cholesterol low. These oils also contain vitamin E, an antioxidant thought to promote heart health. However, we can't use olive oil as liberally as they did because we aren't as physically active. If you want to incorporate more olive oil into your diet, substitute it for other oils and fats in your diet. Keep in mind, though, that the main objective is to use less fat over-all.

• The Mediterranean people ate very little meat, fish, poultry and eggs, which helped to keep their saturated fat intake low. When you include these foods in your diet, choose lean cuts of meat, use smaller amounts, and avoid battering and frying chicken and fish.

• They ate small amounts of dairy foods, mostly cheese and yogurt. This also helped to keep their saturated fat intake low. Today, we can eat these foods a little more liberally because lower-fat dairy products are available.

• They drank wine in moderation with meals. However, be aware that while red wine may have some small benefit for heart health, alcohol is known to raise blood pressure.

• They used lots of garlic and herbs, which are thought to have some effect on heart health. As little as one clove of garlic a day has been known to lower cholesterol. (What it does for your love life is another matter.)

• They worked at physically demanding jobs and didn't have the cars and modern conveniences we have. We can't turn the clock back, but the message for us is to be as physically active as possible every day.

• Very important and likely to be ignored today is the fact that eating was a pleasurable social event often followed by a siesta. These habits may have played a role in relieving stress. While siestas are probably out for most of us, we can learn to relax and to enjoy food and eating more.


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