DIVE INTO THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET
THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET IS NAMED after the vicinity in which this healthy eating pattern originated. People in Greece, Italy, and other countries around the Mediterranean have long lived off the foods produced in this warm, seaside environment, including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats like olive oil and fish (rich in omega-3s). Generally speaking, this diet is an excellent choice for anyone looking to live an anti-inflammatory lifestyle.
So what is the Mediterranean diet? The bulk of it consists of plants: mainly fruits and vegetables, and a lot of them. Other plant based foods to incorporate include nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Those following the Mediterranean diet eat very minimal to no red meat or processed sugars, but the diet does allow for moderate servings of dairy, fish and other seafood.
A study published in the journal “Gut” found that adults who followed a Mediterranean diet not only had less inflammation in their bodies, but also had changes in their gut microbiome associated with a lower risk of a variety of diseases and conditions including bowel cancer, fatty liver disease, and insulin resistance . They also enjoyed enhanced thinking skills. Interestingly, when test subjects stopped adhering to the Mediterranean diet, their microbiome reverted to a less healthy state. The message: What you feed your body on a daily basis really matters, and adopting a clean and simple diet like this one as an ongoing lifestyle choice (not just as a lose-weight-quick-scheme) is a great way to keep your body healthy over the course of your life.
More proof of this diet’s effectiveness: The island of Ikaria, Greece is home to one of the world’s “Blue Zones,” the five regions in the world which have the highest concentration of centenarians. Many of Ikaria’s inhabitants follow a diet similar to the Mediterranean, with plates centered around potatoes, legumes such as chickpeas, blackeyed peas and lentils, wild greens, fruit, honey, feta cheese, lemons herbs and small portions of fish. Besides living longer, the people living on this island (and in other Blue Zones) experience extremely low rates of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other afflictions that plague much of the rest of the world.
In the end, preventing inflammation in your body is better than trying to cure inflammation once it already exists. Following the Mediterranean diet is a reliable way to fuel your body with what it actually needs, and avoid inflaming it with “food” it doesn’t need.