Benefits Of The Mediterranean Food Diet
Is it possible to have tasty yet healthy food in body your system? This is a question many people ask when planning for a healthy diet. No one minds enjoying real foods knowing apart from their taste, the food will tag along numerous benefits. In the contemporary society, people are looking for alternative healthy foods to avoid contacting lifestyle diseases. This has meant even borrowing diets from different cultures. According to Simin (2001), the Mediterranean diet proves that it is possible to have the best of both worlds; tasty food and healthy food. The Mediterranean diet was borrowed from countries around the Mediterranean Sea including Spain, Portugal, Tunisia, and Egypt. Because of its numerous advantages, it has gradually been adopted in many countries particularly in Europe. Anyone looking for a diet to settle for, Mediterranean diet got all your concerns covered.
Many people want to settle for diets that guarantee a healthy life. The philosophy behind Mediterranean diet is low sugar, high fiber content, and low cholesterol (Altomare et al., 2013). This, therefore, indicates that most foods in this diet are whole. This philosophy also entails moderate consumption of fish and poultry as well as a low consumption of dairy products. This philosophy is backed scientifically with science showing that consumption of foods with high sugar content is the leading cause of obesity and other lifestyle diseases. Scientific research has also shown that poor digestion leads to storage of more sugars as fat thus leading to gaining weight (Trichopoulou, 2012). Food rich in fiber helps in digestion thus helps in regulating body weight.
The social implication for adopting the Mediterranean diet includes gaining confidence when around people. When an individual feels healthy, their self-esteem improves tremendously and thus start mingling with people fearlessly. Health wise, the Mediterranean diet is unmatched. Broccoli, for instance, is a nutrients dense vegetable containing as little as 30 calories per cup. This translates to, “a ton of hunger-curbing fiber and polyphenols with antioxidants that detoxify cell-damaging chemicals in the body” (Jacqueline, 2018). Health benefits range from reduced threat of cardiovascular mortality to strong bones and healthy brain. The Mediterranean diet has also been shown to boost longevity (Battino & Ferreiro, 2004). Interestingly, even people at an advanced age, for instance, 65 years stand live longer through adoption of the Mediterranean diet (Jacqueline, 2018).
Another advantage is that the diet can easily be accessed at nearby stores. The challenges involved with adoption of Mediterranean diet are few. One of the main challenges is the need to adopt the diet fully. Consuming a fraction of the diet may frustrate people. Dropping heavy consumption of red meat and sugary foods may fail to produce the desired results if an individual continues to consume foods with high fat content (Trichopoulou, 2012). Many people also forget that the Mediterranean diet includes the aspect of exercise. Physical fitness is a crucial part of the Mediterranean diet and people tend to easily forget it. Wine is also part of the diet. Mediterranean diet calls for moderation when consuming various foods. The diet has people taking wine, but only a glass or two of wine a day. To some people, a sip of wine may lead to their relapse after years of restraining from alcohol.
Consumption of some food in the diet limits a section of the society. For instance, people taking medication may be advised not to take wine. People with elevated triglycerides cannot take wine as well. Another serious limitations of the diet is that it is more effective on people with a higher income or high levels of education (Bonaccio et al., 2017). In a four year study conducted by Bonaccio et al., it was shown that people in the lower socioeconomic status do not have a variety of foods to choose from (2017). Those with a higher income will consume more fish and also experiment on a variety of vegetables and fruits since their income allows it. Those with a higher level of education also benefit more than those with low levels of education because they are aware of which foods have better nutrients than others.
The benefits of adopting the Mediterranean diet are more as compared to both challenges and limitations of adopting the diet. This diet has been tested and proven to be effective. Those seeking lean bodies, toned muscles and still be left with an appetite to take care of can find it all under one diet; the Mediterranean diet. The diet was initially adopted by countries around the Mediterranean Sea but this have changed. Many people across Europe and the U.S. now have adopted it. The excuse that the diet belongs and works for people in a different culture, therefore, cannot work in this case. The Mediterranean diet is not only recommended for those seeking to start dieting, but also to those who have been using other diets without realizing real results. Anyone seeking fast and sure results should try the Mediterranean diet.
