As the saying goes, "people take food as the sky", and people's lives are inseparable from eating, and diet directly affects our health.
An unhealthy diet leads to the occurrence of several diseases. China's diet is salty, insufficient whole grains, and too little intake of vegetables and fruits, which greatly increases the incidence of three highs and obesity.
In January 2024, U.S. News & World Report released its 2024 Best Diets list. At the top of this list of the best diets is the Mediterranean diet. It can be seen that the Mediterranean diet has outstanding advantages in weight loss and reduction of three highs.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet refers to the eating style of southern European countries on the Mediterranean coast, such as Greece, Spain, France and southern Italy, which are dominated by vegetables and fruits, fish, whole grains, legumes and olive oil. To put it simply, the Mediterranean diet is a simple, light, nutritious, and healthy diet. Studies have found that the Mediterranean diet can protect the brain from vascular damage and reduce the risk of memory loss and Alzheimer's.
What exactly are the benefits of the Mediterranean diet?
Mediterranean diet: remember "5 eat more, eat less".
What to eat on the Mediterranean diet? Which ones to eat more and which ones to eat less? According to the principles of the Mediterranean diet, compared with the daily dietary characteristics of our people, it is summarized that "5 types of food should be eaten more" and "3 types of food should be eaten less".
1. Eat more of the 5 types of food.
1. Eat more whole grains: including wheat, oats, corn, barley, sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, and brown rice.
2. Eat more vegetables and fruits: especially dark fruits and vegetables, such as spinach, rape, broccoli, mustard greens, cabbage, dark vegetables, etc.; Fruits include apples, berries, grapefruits, bananas, etc.
3. Eat more nuts, seeds, and legumes: they are healthy fats and proteins. A daily intake of 25 grams of legume protein should be consumed.
4. Eat more spices: Spices can improve the color and flavor of food, reduce the amount of salt and are rich in antioxidants. Such as onions, garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon, and so on.
5. Eat more olive oil: Olive oil is at the heart of the Mediterranean diet. You can mix salads and vegetables with olive oil. Olive oil has a slightly spicy taste and is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, making it a very healthy vegetable oil that helps lower cholesterol levels.
3. Eat less of 3 types of food - sweets, red meat, and alcohol
1. Red wine. Drink alcohol in moderation, no more than 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink for women.
2. Sweets. Replace desserts, ice creams, cakes, drinks, bread with fresh fruit.
3. Red meat. Lamb, beef, pork, it is recommended to replace red meat with poultry and fish. It's healthier to eat fish twice a week.
The properties of the Mediterranean diet are plant-based, fatty acids, antioxidants, and a diet. Suitable for most adults. However, the diets of children and pregnant women are different and require additional supplementation of certain nutrients. In addition, Mediterranean people attach great importance to family and friendship. Sharing food with friends and family at the table is a pleasure and a lot of benefits. This is one of the reasons why Mediterranean people live a long life.