More Reasons to Eat a Mediterranean Diet

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Clik here to view.The Mediterranean diet is making news again all over the place.  Newest research confirms what we thought – a Mediterranean-style diet is a healthy way to eat, because it can help reduce cholesterol, lower the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, and even help to preserve memory.

Here’s a quick summary of three recent studies:

In February of this year, results of the PREDIMED study, which ran from 2003-2011 in Spain, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  Researchers studied the effects of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts and olive oil on the prevention of cardiovascular disease.  The study showed that participants whose diets were supplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts had a 30 percent reduced risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

Next came a study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham which found that healthy people with an average age of 64, who ate a Mediterranean diet, were 19 percent less likely to develop problems with thinking and memory skills.  Results are published in the April 30, 2013 issue of Neurology^®.

Fast on the heels of that study came another study just presented at an American Heart Association Scientific Session on May 1.  Researchers at Laval University in Quebec studied men who were at higher risk for heart disease, and they determined that eating a Mediterranean diet resulted in a 9 percent decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol, regardless of any change in weight.

The traditional Mediterranean–style diet, and the diet that was used in each of these studies, is rich in fruits and vegetables and provides small servings of chicken, fish, or legumes for protein and nuts and olive oil for fat.  Compared to the typical American diet, it is very low in red meat, refined sugar (and starches in general), and includes only two servings of low-fat dairy foods each day.

Here’s how it breaks down:

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating fresh, seasonal, whole foods and limiting most processed foods.  By eating this way, you will get the benefits of a diet that is rich in unsaturated and omega-3 fats, fiber, antioxidants, and potassium.  It’s great for your heart, your body, and your brain, not to mention your taste buds!  For additional information, and tips on how to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into your kitchen, check out Oldways.org, or try this recipe below for a Mediterranean chopped salad, which incorporates most of the above food groups into one dish.

Mediterranean Chopped Salad

Ingredients

• 4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tbs red wine wine gar
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 English (seedless) cucumber, cut into 4 quarters lengthwise, and then cut each quarter into small, bite sized pieces
• 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 -15 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 small red onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup pitted black kalamata olives
• 4 oz feta cheese, cut into cubes
• 1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts

Instructions

1. Combine oilve oil, vinegar, and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Combine all other ingredients except for pine nuts in a deep bowl.  Toss well.
3. Add olive oil and vinegar dressing and toss to coat.
4. Divide salad onto 4 dinner sized plates.
5. Sprinkle toasted pine nuts over each salad and serve immediately.