Mediterranean Diet: The Best?

Mediterranean diet: UNESCO heritage since 2010. We have all heard at least once that the Mediterranean diet is the best diet we can follow; rich in healthy and nutritious foods, mainly of vegetable origin, fresh, and above all seasonal, are really very good for our health.

However, to be truly precise, talking about diet is improper, since is not a real food program, but rather a style inspired by Mediterranean traditions.

Mediterranean diet

In any case, this eating style was taken into consideration as an example by the whole world since it was thought to prevent some cardiovascular pathologies. It was from the 1970s that it spread in the United States, following studies carried out by nutritionists who they chose it as the best diet to combat the diseases that spread following the economic boom.

Mediterranean diet: what are the characteristics?

Mediterranean diet

The key point is the right mix of foods, without taking too much into account the calories; in fact, we are not talking about calculating calorie intake for weight control, but rather about creating the right combination of foods to follow a healthy and varied eating style.

But what is meant by a healthy and varied eating style? A first distinction concerns the intake of fats between the cconsumption of vegetable and animal fats:

• Greater consumption of unsaturated fats (vegetable)
• Lower consumption of saturated fats (animal)

It will then be the turn of proteins, and also in this case, vegetal ones will be preferred over animal ones, but this does not imply that the latter should not be taken, on the contrary. And yet, we recommend:

• Greater consumption of white meats
• Less consumption of red meats (max 2 times a week)
• Greater consumption of fish

No less important will be, in the variety of protein intake, a greater consumption of legumes.

We strongly advise against excessive consumption of sweets, refined sugars, fatty cheeses, mayonnaise, coffee.

Health first and foremost

Mediterranean diet

The benefits provided are numerous and are all in favor of our health. It is true that a Mediterranean diet helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, heart attacks and strokes. Thanks to the vitamins and mineral salts contained in vegetables, it will be good for our health by leveling the cholesterol level in the blood.

Even the intake of bread, pasta, rice and all carbohydrates in general is not bad for our health. The only aspect to take into consideration in this case concerns calorie intake. Calorie control is not the ultimate goal of the Mediterranean style; common sense will intervene to allow us not to exceed too much in portions, so as not to run into obesity, and consequently eliminating all its benefits!