Cholesterol and the Mediterranean Diet

January 28th, 2010

Looking for a new diet that is tasty, healthy, and good for you? The Mediterranean diet is perfect. This specific diet mixes healthy eating habits with the fun, flavorful cooking styles of the exotic Mediterranean, and has been known to reduce heart disease in people that have experienced a heart attack already.

In the Mediterranean, traditional diets include eating fruits, vegetables, pasta, and rice and the focus is making wise choices about the foods that you eat, and that not all fats are “bad” fats. The diet mirrors the Step 1 diet by The American Heart Association, but contains less cholesterol and more fats that are good for you.

Highlights of the Mediterranean Diet Include:

Olive oil and canola oil
Consuming a little portion of nuts
Lots of fruits and vegetables
Consuming fish regularly
Red wine

How do I incorporate the Mediterranean diet into my life?

Eat natural peanut butter, as opposed to processed
Use butter sparsely
Eat lots of fruits and vegetable
Use olive or canola oil
Substitute fish for red meat
Use lower fat dairy products
Eat grilled fish once or twice weekly
Keep nuts (walnuts, almonds. Pecans) on hand
Try to avoid products that are fried
Drink red wine (if approved by healthcare provider)

Why should the Mediterranean diet work?

The Mediterranean diet is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which is a fat found in walnuts, walnut oil, canola oil, salmon, mackerel, and purslane. (A green vegetable.) Alpha-linolenic acid is turned into the fats that are found in oily fish and can protect you against heart disease. It makes your blood less sticky, and therefore less likely to form blood clots that can bloke blood vessels and cause either stroke or a heart attack.

How did the Mediterranean diet become popular?

The Mediterranean diet is based off of the eating habits of people living in Mediterranean countries. The eating habits of the Greeks, Sicilians, and Tunisians were based on the agriculture, livestock, and fishing of their select regions. Certain foods, such as meat and cheese were never popular due to an unfavorable climate to raise extensive quantities of livestock, and historically consume lamb, game, poultry, and fish over beef .

What is the benefit of drinking red wine?

In traditional Mediterranean countries, people drink wine with their meals. After many years of study, it has been discovered that light alcohol intake associated with lowering heart disease. It also has an affect that is like aspirin, and reduces the blood clot ability. It also has antioxidants, which may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals.
Resources:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/CL00011

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