Today, one of the healthiest diets is the Mediterranean diet which is accepted universally for the prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) and cancer.
With over 10 years of conducted studies researchers found out that not only the Mediterranean diet is protective against various chronic disease but effective at reducing atherosclerosis and the risk of fatal complications.
Use the Mediterranean diet to make your own special healthy plate model.
If you take a look at Italian meals, you'll see they are not low-fat diets. And you can find among most of their cuisines, fat-soluble vitamins including saturated fat such as butter and cheese (from both goats and cows).
The Mediterranean diet food pyramid
Let's take a quick look at the Mediterranean diet food list in the following.
Vegetables
A high variety of seasonal raw or cooked vegetables. such as onions, garlic, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and other aromatic herbs.
Potatoes
Potato is a good source of vitamin C and also fiber. In a medium potato, there is 2 grams of fiber (which is about 7% of daily need), 4 or 5 servings per week.
Fiber can help you lose weight, it makes you feel full and decreases your blood sugar level.
Full-fat milk and cheeses and meat
Contrary to popular thought, the Mediterranean diet has many dairy products. A Majority of them usually made with goat and other animal's milk and a few are from the cow.
These products are consumed under fermented forms of cheese and yogurt and less in the form of milk and cream. The interesting fact is that the diet is based on whole foods, which are in their actual form of full-fat and rich in fat-soluble vitamins.
Low-fat foods which were always known as ideal healthy food have almost no place in the diet.
Fruits
Through a year in both form of fresh and dried.1 to 3 per day.
Various nuts
More than 4 servings per week. (eg, almonds and hazelnut), particularly walnuts.
Eggs
Less often serving; 1 to 3 times a week.
Wine
Moderate consumption of wine, 1 to 3 servings per day.
Grains
Daily consumption of cereals (whole grain bread preferably wheat, pasta, rice, etc.)
Fatty fish,
Including anchovy, sardine, mackerel, sea bream, and red tuna. Which all are rich in fatty acids and omega 3.
Another source of omega-3 fatty acids is the eggs of flaxseed-fed chicken.
The omega3/omega 6 ratio
Fats help our body with the cell membrane, hormone, and brain function. For inflammatory regulating, our body needs both omega 6 and omega 3. Omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory agent and decreases inflammation, while omega 6 fatty acid enables inflammation.
In nature, the ratio is 1:1, while our diets contain less amount of omega3 and rich amount of omega6.
Today many chronic conditions such as cancers, diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and depression are related to the increased intake of omega6 and decreased intake of omega 3. The Mediterranean meals seem to have both fatty acids evenly.
Bottom line
Recently, numerous studies on the Mediterranean diet have given a lot of fame to it as one of the most beneficial diet for preventing and healing many diseases. The most important component of this diet seems to be having the equal ratio of omega3 and omega 6 which prevents inflammation and many related disease to it.
Suggested Reading: Why Can't I Lose Weight? Boost Your Fat-burning Hormones
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"Simopoulos, Artemis P. “The importance of the ratio of omega6/omega-3 essential fatty acids.” Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy 56, no. 8 (2002): 365–379."""
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