Mediterranean Diet Focus in Greece

Studies have shown that the Mediterranean Diet ‘reduces fatality’ in individuals that suffer from coronary heart disease. With that focus, researchers, Drs. Trichopoulou, Bamia and Trichopoulos, analyzed this assumption to show how advantageous the Mediterranean Diet could be to individuals who decide to pursue a healthy eating life style. Research previously done by a fellow named Keys stated that the reason the Mediterranean Diet was indeed such a beneficial diet in regards to coronary heart disease is because the “diet [is] low in saturated lipids that conveyed protection…by lowering plasma cholesterol levels.” For those of you that do not know what plasma is; it is basically the liquid component of your blood. Now researchers feel as if the diet has shifted away from “low content of saturated lipids” and are now focusing on “high content of olive oil and…toward its overall…characteristics.” Instead of just focusing primarily on coronary heart disease the Mediterranean Diet is able to “include possible effects on total mortality” which would be more helpful in learning what the Mediterranean Diet can do to someone if they stick to this healthy lifestyle for a long term process.

It’s quite fascinating to learn and follow how researchers go about these kinds of studies. The way in which these scientists went about this study is that they used 1302 Greek men and women and followed up on them for an average of about 4 years. They looked to see the relationship between someone who was able to stick to the Mediterranean Diet and to what degree and its association to individuals diagnosed with coronary heart disease. The main purpose is to see the survival rates of these individuals that stuck with and followed the traditional Mediterranean Diet. Through several scientific methods and intensive researcher these doctors were able to conclude what they had thought from the get go. They were able to show that there is in fact “greater adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet [and] is associated with a significant reduction in mortality among individuals diagnosed as having coronary heart disease.” Please check out the reference below if you are interested in following up with these doctors’ research.

Reference:

(1) Trichopoulou, A., Bamia, C., and Trichopoulos, D. “Mediterranean Diet and Survival Amont Patients with Coronary Heart Disease in Greece.” Arch Intern Med. 2005’ 165: 929-935.

New Season. New You: Analyzing the Mediterranean Diet

This season of blogs will be concentrating more on the many researchers and scientists out there that are focusing their studies on the Mediterranean Diet and its effects on the many individuals that choose to live the Mediterranean life style. Occasionally I will give tips and recipes that you might be interested in indulging your taste buds in. By following and appreciating the research involving the Mediterranean Diet I hope to encourage you or any of your fellow friends, neighbors, and family to give it a try and spread the word on how much impact this diet can have on your life. If you’re currently living the Mediterranean lifestyle I hope that you recognize the importance and how much better the quality of your life could be just by changing some possible nasty habits for instance. It is not hard to follow this life style; take a look at my past blogs and get and idea of what the Mediterranean Diet has to offer. Let’s start this blog off right with research done by Francesco Sofi and colleagues.

The finalized published study done by these researchers titled their work as, “Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: meta-analysis,” and the purpose of this study was to review “all the prospective cohort studies that have analyzed the relation between adherence to a Mediterranean diet, mortality, and incidence of chronic diseases in a primary prevention setting.” Basically the study is there to show the benefits of what happens when you stick to a diet such as the ‘Mediterranean Diet’ in regards to the many chronic disease that many individuals continue to suffer with. The analysis focused on research that was done in this field from 1966 to June of 2008.

This included 12 studies on a total of “1,574,299 subjects followed for a time ranging from three to 18 years.” The researchers concluded that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of developing Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and lowers the chances of suffering and dying from a cardiovascular disease or cancer. Overall, by sticking to a Mediterranean diet you are significantly ‘improving your health status.’ Life is about being healthy, happy and doing well for yourself and others. Why not take better care of yourself and start making others aware of the importance of a greater and healthier life.

Reference: (1) Sofi F, Cesari F, Abbate R et al. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: meta-analysis. BMJ 2008; 337: a1344. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.a1344

Mediterranean Diet and Longevity

Statistics have shown that there is very clear evidence that the Mediterranean population live a beneficial life; those who follow their ‘way of life’ when it comes to eating healthy will be rewarded tremendously throughout their life. Studies done by researchers over the past three decades concluded that following the Greek version of the Mediterranean diet is associated with longer survival. Researchers collected data from three studies to ensure that the Mediterranean diet is in fact a great asset to an individual’s daily life. To refresh your memory or for anyone who does not know much about the Mediterranean diet, the diet originates from the Greeks who consume a fair amount of olive oil and high portions of vegetables and fruits.

Amazingly, studies have shown that “death rates in the Mediterranean region were generally lower and adult life expectancy [were] generally higher in comparison to the economically more developed countries of northern Europe and North America….” The Mediterranean diet along with its healthy benefits has proven to show that it has a good effect on a ‘range of diseases.’ According to the studies done by Trichopoulou et al (1995), there are ‘eight desirable key features’ that are presented in the traditional diet in the Mediterranean area. These eight components are listed as:

(1) high monosaturated-to-saturated fat ration

(2) moderate ethanol consumption

(3) high consumption of legumes

(4) high consumption of cereals (including bread)

(5) high consumption of fruits

(6) high consumption of vegetable

(7) low consumption of meat and meat products

(8) moderate consumption of milk and dairy products

Another great aspect of the Mediterranean diet is the fact that the food associated with this diet usually consists of a great amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants have been proven to greatly benefit an individual’s health. Greens (vegetables, salads, etc.) that are eaten and cooked in a healthy way contain a great amount of flavonoids which is said to be “considerably higher than those found in red wine and black tea.” Flavonoids are known for their antioxidant properties and sometimes are called blioflavonoids. The Mediterranean diet allows for a healthy moderation of red wine which has also shown its benefits in many other studies as well.

References:

(1) Trichopoulou A & Vasilopoulou E (2000): Mediterranean diet and longevity. B J. Nutr. 84(Suppl), S205–S209.

(2) Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and survival in a Greek population. A. Trichopoulou, T. Costacou, C. Bamia, et al., N Engl J Med, 2003, vol. 348, pp. 2599--2608

Including Fish into your Diet

The Mediterranean Diet praises Fish as part of a healthy life style. Today we are going to look at different kinds of fish and their benefits of including them into your diet. Most people know that fish is a great source of protein; it is also a fact that fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids which greatly benefit your heart and according to the American Heart Association can also help those who have or are at a high risk of cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association highly recommends eating fish at least two times a week because of its beneficial nutritional value; the Mediterranean Diet also values fish more so than red meat as we showed in the Mediterranean Pyramid in the beginning of the year. Check out this ling from the American Heart Association to see what else they recommend (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632); they talk about certain oils that are good to use while including fish into your diet and its benefits. Don’t forget that we always speak highly of our wonderful and health benefiting Olive oil. One thing about fish that could be a concern is that fish contain mercury which poses as a health risk but certain fish contain much less amounts than others and even though fish do contain mercury the benefits have shown in studies to outweigh the negative. Here is a list of fish below that we will discuss:

Lake Trout and Herring: this fish is another good choice because of its low mercury content (Herring) and a good source of omega-3 oils
Sardines: Sardines hail from Italy (was actually named after the Island Sardina in Italy) and has great nutritional value containing Omega-2 fatty acids, protein and calcium. Sardines come by cheap and healthy.
Albacore Tuna: Along with Salmon, Tuna has one of the highest amounts of Omega-3s which mean that it’s a heart-healthy fish helping with lowering blood pressure and reducing your risk of heart attack
Salmon: The benefits of Salmon are that it contains the best source of omega-3s (specifically “three times more than the required daily dose” which makes the salmon extra special). This has shown a drop in prostate-cancer risk and another interesting thing to know is that the mercury levels are fairly low and makes salmon one of the safest fish to eat.
Tilapia: This is another fish with low mercury content and at the same very high in nutrition. Tilapia is available year-round and is said to be inexpensive.
Atlantic Pollock: contains lots of omega-3s and vitamin B12 and again low mercury content. According to the source they can be found in fish sticks and imitation crab.



References:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4632);
http://en.chatelaine.com/english/health/article.jsp?content=20070416_160725_5044
http://www.weightlossfun.com/Sardines.htm

Salmon Dish

This new dish of the week is a very good example of a Mediterranean meal. Our featured and main ingredient of this meal is the almighty Salmon. Our next blog will discuss more on the health benefits of including fish in your diet. Today we will focus more on the Salmon. Salmon like many other fish contain the healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and a good amount of protein. Salmon also have a considerable low amount of calories and saturated fat. Salmon is also a good source of the B Vitamins; B12 and B6. Eating Salmon twice weekly can help raise your Omega-3 levels and is said to be as effective as using daily fish oil supplements. To learn more about how salmon can effect your cardiovascular health, muscle functioning, your heart and blood pressure levels, check out the reference site below the recipe. Happy Cooking!

Salmone al Forno (Baked Salmon)
(for 4)
1 ½ lbs fresh salmon pieces
½ cup flour
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
3 tblsps of pecorino cheese grated
3 tblsps butter-softened at room temperature
1 lemon
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cut salmon pieces into cubes. Wash. Place in glass bowl, add dash of salt and pepper. Pour in lemon juice. Stir. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
In separate bowl mix flour with pecorino cheese and softened butter. Mix with hands till grainy well blended texture.
Remove salmon from refrigerator. Drizzle 2 tsps olive oil on bottom of ceramic casserole dish. Drain salmon from the lemon juice marinade and place cubes in casserole dish.
Cover salmon with flour mixture and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown

Reference: http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?dbid=104&tname=foodspice

Fish Awareness

This week is fish awareness week; the next couple blogs will include fish recipes and more information on certain kinds of fish and its benefits. This new recipe includes the cod fish; let’s take a look at its healthy benefits before we prepare. Cod fish is a nutritious ‘low-calorie’ fish with a great source of protein and B Vitamins. Cod fish is another heart-healthy fish that have shown to decrease the risk of heart disease; basically cod fish ‘promotes cardiovascular health.’ Make sure to check out the reference link below the recipe for more in-depth information on Cod Fish and its many benefits.

Alla Creola (Creole style)
1 ¼ lbs fresh codfish
5 large red ripe tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
6 tblsps plain breadcrumbs
6 tblsps parmigiana-reggiano cheese grated
3 tblsps olive oil
3 tblsps rum
Salt and pepper to taste
Wash, dry pepper. Preheat oven t o450 degrees and roast pepper on cookie sheet for approximately 25 minutes, turning as skin becomes roasted on each side. Remove from oven. Peel off skin, remove seeds and any white pith inside. Chop into thin filet slices.
. Cut codfish into small pieces. Heat 1 tblsp olive oil with whole garlic clove in sauté pan, place in codfish. Saute for 1 minute and add in rum, dash of salt and pepper. Cook covered over low heat for 20 minutes.
Wash, dry tomatoes and remove seeds inside. Cut into thin filet slices. drizzle 1 tblsp olive oil in casserole dish. Arrange tomato slices on bottom. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. Then sprinkle parmigiano-regginao cheese on top. Place under broiler fro approx 2-3 minutes or until browned on top.
Remove codfish mixture from heat. Distribute evenly on top of browned tomatoes, then top with cut roasted peppers. Place in preheated oven for 3-4 minutes more and serve.

Reference: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=133

Including Nuts into your Diet

The Mediterranean Diet incorporates eating small portions of nuts into its lifestyle; it is a good snack on the go or could even be added into a salad or some other kind of meal. Nuts are in fact high in fat but some of these nuts that are found in trees are low in saturated fat. These nuts include walnuts, almonds, hazel nuts and pecans and they do wonders for your body. It is said that too much of anything can be bad, and this applies to nuts, like we have said before when introducing the Mediterranean Diet, nuts in large amounts are not beneficial to the body because they are high in calories. By eating them in moderation you are doing a good thing for your body. Let’s discuss more on why nuts are beneficial for your body and how they can help you maintain a good lifestyle. Also, check out the link below for more information on nuts and how they are beneficial to your health.

Nuts are considered to be the heart healthy snack food because of its ability to lower the LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) in the blood. We know that too much LDL is a bad thing and is a main cause for heart disease so these nuts prove to be very beneficial. Other benefits that nuts have to offer include reducing your chance of developing blood clots and improving the ‘health of the lining of your arteries.’ The Vitamin E, fiber and Omega-3-Fatty Acids found in these nuts also make these nuts healthy for you. Be sure to grab some nuts at your local grocery store and start including them into your diet. Again, check out the website listed below for more in depth data on nuts and its benefits.

Reference: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nuts/HB00085