Contents
How to know if I really follow a Mediterranean diet
Subsistence
The good combination of food groups, the use of olive oil and a good intake of water are determining factors
The current rhythms of life and the ease that ultra-processed foods offer us make it difficult for us to eat a Mediterranean diet, the healthiest diet according to the experts. This is how Dr. Ramón de Cangas, dietician-nutritionist and president of the Alimenta tu Salud Foundation, explains it in his guide “Mediterranean Diet, from theory to practice”
“The most advisable way to achieve a good nutritional state is to bet on a wide variety of foods in our diet,” explains the expert. «By ingesting different food groups we obtain nutrients with specific functions, with the consequent positive impact and the Mediterranean diet is ideal to achieve this since it does not exclude any product “, he points out.
The basis of this diet are vegetables, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, legumes and animal proteins from fish, shellfish and, to a lesser extent, meat. For cooking, olive oil and a handful of nuts between meals. “In addition, there is always room for whims and we can afford licenses from time to time,” says the author of the guide.
On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet recommends drinking between four and six glasses of water a day. In addition, a moderate consumption of fermented beverages (beer, wine, cava or cider) can always be valued as a responsible option for healthy adults.
A good diet, adequate rest, routine exercise, and healthy social relationships too helps prevent chronic diseases and maintain the quality of life “, indicates the nutrition expert. “Eating and drinking is an essential and daily fact of life, but, unfortunately, an inappropriate environment and an unhealthy lifestyle can seriously harm health,” he says.
Mediterranean diet and health: the scientific evidence
Large projects such as PREDIMED (Prevention with a Mediterranean Diet) and PREDIMED-PLUS, the largest national and international research project on nutrition, have yielded very favorable results to the Mediterranean dietary pattern in terms of cardio-metabolic health and body weight. The PREDIMED study observes that beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet they are achieved through food mixing, so it is important to focus on eating patterns and not on specific products.
This includes a varied diet in which the consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes and vegetables predominates, as well as whole grains, fish, white meat, nuts and olive oil. Likewise, it points out that a moderate consumption of fermented beverages, such as beer, always in healthy adults, could improve the lipid profile and favor the absorption of polyphenols, a type of antioxidants present in fermented beverages and other foods of plant origin.
In addition, there are numerous epidemiological studies that relate the Mediterranean dietary pattern with physiological benefits for our body, prevention of chronic, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. On the other hand, various studies have also suggested that adherence to this diet can help prevent weight gain and, in addition, it allows a less harmful distribution of body fat for our body. By reducing the increase in abdominal obesity and, obviously, reducing weight and visceral fat, this has a positive impact on certain cardiovascular risk markers.