Zentraveler on world’s healthiest foods.

Mediterranean Diet

Not looking for complicated rocket science or a treatise on how to live your life…then look no more and CHOOSE THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET the simplest and most healthy food choices on the planet.

Select the world’s healthiest diet, the Mediterranean Diet is abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and olive oil. It features fish and poultry—lean sources of protein—over red meat, which contains more saturated fat. Red wine is consumed regularly but in moderate amounts.

Research suggests that the benefits of following a Mediterranean-style eating pattern may be many: improved weight loss, better control of blood glucose (sugar) levels and reduced risk of depression, to name a few. Eating like a Mediterranean has also been associated with reduced levels of inflammation, a risk factor for heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.

If You would like a healthy way to enjoy your life then this is a no-brainer.  Quit the processed and fast foods with saturated fats and tune up your life the way you would tune up an engine.  Feed yourself good food and drink and your life will jump-charge into overdrive.

• Eat lots of vegetables. Try a simple plate of sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and crumbled feta cheese, or load your thin crust pizza with peppers and mushrooms instead of sausage and pepperoni. Salads, soups, and crudité platters are also great ways to load up on vegetables.
• Change the way you think about meat. If you eat red meat, have smaller amounts and opt for “organic, grass-fed” whenever possible to avoid the antibiotics, hormones and GMO feed associated with industrially raised meat. Put small strips of organic, free-range chicken on your salad, or add small amounts of meat to a whole-wheat pasta dish.
• Always eat breakfast. Fruits, whole grains, and other fiber-rich foods are a great way to start your day, keeping you pleasantly full for hours.
• Eat seafood twice a week. Fish such as tuna, salmon, herring, sablefish (black cod), and sardines are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and shellfish like mussels, oysters, and clams have similar benefits for brain and heart health.
• Cook a vegetarian meal one night a week. If it’s helpful, you can jump on the “Meatless Mondays” trend of foregoing meat on the first day of the week, or simply pick a day where you build meals around beans, whole grains, and vegetables. Once you get the hang of it, try two nights a week.
• Use good fats. Extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, sunflower seeds, olives, and avocados are great sources of healthy fats for your daily meals.
• Enjoy dairy products such as natural cheese, Greek or plain yogurt. Research shows that eating whole-milk dairy products is linked to less body fat and lower levels of obesity. This may be because full-fat dairy makes you feel fuller, faster, and keeps you feeling satisfied for longer, thus helping you to eat less overall. Choose organic or raw milk products if possible.
• For dessert, eat fresh fruit. Instead of ice cream, cake or other baked goods, opt for strawberries, fresh figs, grapes, or apples.

QUOTE: “Today, more than 95% of all chronic disease is caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies and lack of physical exercise.” ~Mike Adam

THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: Why switching over to a Mediterrean diet is good for your health.  The science of the effects of dietary habits on health is still in its infancy according to Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, the dean of Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy. Up until recently, food was considered primarily a source of energy and nutrition but not a factor playing a major role in health and illness.

The Mediterranean diet, in particular, has gained the attention of the scientific community because populations adopting this type of diet seem to present with better health outcomes and an increased life expectancy. On the other hand, the typical modern Western Diet is associated with increased risk of diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, and even cancer. For all these reasons, switching to a Mediterranean type of diet is considered one of the best ways to prevent many diseases that are epidemic in the Western world and which are associated with high mortality rates and a low quality of life.  Its not rocket science to explain why everyone should consider adopting a Mediterranean diet for the sake of their health.

THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE: Your Health

ZENTRAVELER SAYS: Choose the Mediterranean Diet for better quality of life and to outwit the life insurance companies.

From here to Infinity is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on.  Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free?