Another main focus of the Mediterranean diet is on healthy fats. Most of the fat calories came from olives, olive oil and nuts. These food items are high in heart-healthy unsaturated fat and low in saturated fat. The diet suggests consuming nuts, olives and olive oil daily. Nonfat milk, yogurt and reduced-fat cheeses are also a part of the Mediterranean diet.
Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease. In fact, a recent analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of overall and cardiovascular mortality, a reduced incidence of cancer and cancer mortality, and a reduced incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes:

• Getting plenty of exercise
• Eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts.
• Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
• Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month
• Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week
• Drinking red wine in moderation (optional)

The post The Mediterranean Diet appeared first on Genesis Health Institute.