The bright colors of the Mediterranean region boast bright skies, clear azure water and an even more colorful palette of food cultures. Because so many countries make up the Mediterranean region, the "Mediterranean Diet" is more of a "Mediterranean Way of Eating." Not every country shares its food preparation particulars with the table of another. However, certain staples provide an important base of heart healthy eating and living. The American Heart Association asserts that the Mediterranean region has lower rates of heart disease than the United States.
Geography
The cuisine and heart-healthy eating practices of the Mediterranean diet come from the foods of Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, and the islands of Cyprus and Malta. The warm waters of the region provide the perfect growing conditions for some of the world's most exotic and heart-healthy fresh foods.
Liquid Gold
The Mediterranean diet's daily allowance of fat derives 50 percent of its calories from the monounsaturated fat of olive oil, asserts the American Heart Association. Olive oil, considered a staple in every Mediterranean country, does not raise the bad cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, in the bloodstream, and has often been called "liquid gold," according to Jacqueline Clark and Joanna Farrow in their book, "Mediterranean, Food of the Sun."
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Open-air markets brimming with sun-colored fresh fruits and vegetables offer a tempting array of tastes and textures, high in fiber and antioxidants, which protect the heart from damage by free radicals. Exotic melons, citrus fruits, and a variety of grapes provide high amounts of potassium, necessary for proper functioning of the heart muscle.
Emphasis on Omegas
Seafood and fish, fresh from the nets and still flopping on their beds of ice, provide heart-protecting omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which lower LDL cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein. If you cannot find fresh fish in your area, look for wild line caught fish at the grocery store for as close to Mediterranean fresh as you can get.
Snack foods in the Mediterranean often consist of a handful of nuts. In Italy alone, especially near the Christmas holiday, you will find vendors on street corners selling hot roasted chestnuts, and bags of pistachios are a prized holiday gift for loved ones. Fresh nuts provide high amounts of omegas and appear routinely in sweet pastries throughout the Mediterranean, state Clark and Farrow.
Slow Food
Another benchmark of the heart healthy Mediterranean diet, slow food, concerns itself with home cooking from scratch to bring out the character of the ingredients. You won't find many prepackaged foods in these countries.
Benefits
Along with the Mediterranean diet's heart-healthy protective qualities, MayoClinic.com reports that the diet also effectively lowers cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's risks.
References
- The American Heart Association: Mediterranean Diet
- "Mediterranean, Food of the Sun"; Jacqueline Clark and Joanna Farrow; 2008
- MayoClinic.com: Mediterranean diet: Choose this heart-healthy diet option
