Hello Everybody,
Trying to lose weight is not always fun. You are giving up eating what you like to eat what you don’t like. That has to be bad news. Or does it? You don’t have to eat nasty, boring, food. There are diets which taste even better than a Big Mac with fries on the side. Have you been to the Mediterranean? Everybody should go at least once. The sun, the history, the beaches, the people, the food. It is all a delight. Particularly the food.
For many thousands of years Mediterranean people have been eating a diet low in cholesterol. The benefits of the Mediterranean diet have been known for a long time, but in 1970 the University of Minnesota established that people in Mediterranean countries had the lowest cholesterol consumption and the lowest percentage of deaths from cardiovascular diseases out of a list of seven countries. These were Finland, Greece, Italy, Japan, Holland, USA and what was then Yugoslavia.
Mediterranean people tend to be slim and to live long and active lives. Of course, not all Mediterranean people are fit and slim - the fittest tend to be those who take regular exercise. People such as fishermen, farmers and those who swim, cycle or play sports. But there is no doubt that, although some do need to lose weight just like the rest of us, the average Mediterranean person is a whole lot more healthy than one from the USA or the UK.
This has been going on a long time. We think that our ancestor’s lives were short. But consider Socrates - he was a sprightly 70 years old when his life was ended in 399 BC due to a brush with the law. His pupil Plato died when he was 81 and more recently Picasso died at the age of 92. They would all have eaten a Mediterranean diet. This works and it tastes good as well. What does it consist of? Here are a few things.
1. Fresh fruit.
2. Vegetables.
3 Virgin olive oil.
4 Wholemeal pulses.
5 Oily fish, like mackerel.
6 Lean meat.
7 Eggs.
8 Nuts.
9 Red wine.
These are just ingredients. There are numerous recipes available in books and on the internet. You will never be short of ideas for your diet - or new lifestyle as it should really be called.
Research is ongoing and new benefits of the Mediterranean diet are constantly being found. As well as protecting your heart and increasing longevity it is said that it can protect against some cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and asthma. We should beware of extravagant claims. But add regular exercise to the Mediterranean diet and you will get fit and lose weight as well.
How long will it take to lose weight? A while This is not a crash diet. If you want to lose weight fast there are other ways of doing it. But if you are prepared to give it time and lose a pound or so a week while enjoying your food this is the diet for you. But for the best results don’t forget to exercise.
See you soon,
Peter Stockwell
Cambridge UK
13 March 2011
Photo. Pinobarile (Flickr)
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