Mediterranean diet

Residents of southern Italy rarely suffer from obesity, atherosclerosis, diabetes and high blood pressure. For this, they should appreciate the food system that the inhabitants of other countries call the Mediterranean diet.

The term "Mediterranean diet" was coined by American dietitian Ancel Keys. He noticed that  in contrast to the populations of northern and central Europe, the inhabitants of southern Italy were much less likely to suffer from  obesity, atherosclerosis, diabetes and high blood pressure. Doctors have suggested that this is due to the dietary habits of southerners and have deduced a surprising pattern: the more different the diet is from the Mediterranean "model", the higher the level of such a disease.

The peak of popularity of the Mediterranean diet came from America in the sixties of the last century. But to date, many nutritionists consider it  the most ideal and nearly ideal model of proper nutrition.

“Stay on the Mediterranean diet! It is optimal because it is made by nature itself and has been tested for centuries,” says Andrea Giselli, an Italian doctor at the National  Institute of Nutrition (INRAN) in Rome. Apennine.

Does not prohibit, but recommends

The most important difference between the Mediterranean diet and all other diets is that it does not forbid anything, but only recommends eating certain foods. "Oxidized" "Stress - a major cause of body aging.

Basic foods for the Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of grains, herbs, vegetables and fruits. Animal products (mainly cheese, eggs and fish) should also be included in your daily diet, but in small amounts. The most important thing is that the food should be moderate and balanced.

Observing this diet, a person gets most of the energy he needs from grains and products. It doesn't matter if it's pasta from Italy, bread from Greece, couscous from North Africa, or corn from Spain.

Must be present at our table every day:

• Fruits and greens
• Cereals, corn, millet
• Milk, yogurt, cheese
• Eggs
• Beef or lamb, sea fish
• Olive oil

Every day at least one product from each group should be on our table.

Italian nutritionists have compiled a table that allows you to calculate what and how much you need to eat per day in order to provide the body with the necessary energy supply  and at the same time not gain weight.

Table No. 1 RECOMMENDED FOR USE PRODUCTS

PRODUCT GROUP	PRODUCTS	WEIGHT (PORTION)
Cereals and tubers	Bread  Cookies  Pasta or Rice Potatoes	50 gr 20 gr 80-100 gr 200 gr
Vegetables	Green salad  Fennel / artichokes Apple / orange  Apricots / tangerines	50 gr 250 gr 150 gr 150 gr
Meat, fish, eggs and legumes	Meat  Sausage  Fish  Eggs  Beans	70 g 50 g 100 g 60 g 80-120 g
Milk and dairy products	Milk  Yoghurt  Fresh cheese (mozzarella) Mature cheese (gouda)	125 g 125 g 100 g 50 g
Fats	Olive oil butter	10 g 10 g

Table 2. RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF FOOD CONSUMPTION BY AGE AND LOAD (servings per day)

	GROUP No. 1 1700 Kcal	GROUP # 2 2100 Kcal	GROUP # 3 2600 Kcal
Cereals, cereals and vegetables Bread Cookies Pasta / Rice	3 1 1	5 1 1	6 2 1-2
Vegetables and fruits Vegetables / herbs Fruits / fruit juices	2 3	2 3	2 4
Meat, fish, eggs and legumes	1-2	2	2
Milk and dairy products Milk / yoghurt Fresh cheese Ripe cheese (hard)	3 2 2	3 3 3	3 3 4
Fats	3	3	4

Group No. 1 - recommended for children over 6 years old, as well as elderly women leading a physically inactive lifestyle.
Group No. 2 - recommended for young girls and women leading an active lifestyle, as well as men, including the elderly, with a sedentary lifestyle
Group No. 3 - recommended for young people and men leading an active lifestyle, including regularly going in for sports

Residents of  rural areas of southern Italy rarely suffer from obesity, atherosclerosis, diabetes and high blood pressure. For this, they should appreciate the food system that the inhabitants of other countries call the Mediterranean diet.