Facts About The Mediterranean Diet

The relationship between diet and chronic disease made the federal government to issue dietary guidelines for Americans since1980 and publication of dietary guidelines were made every five years. The dietary guideline is in response to the public’s desire for authoritative, consistent guidelines on diet and health (Slavin, 2012). One of the reasons for developing the dietary guidelines was to provide science based advice for two years old or older to help prevent chronic diseases and promote health. Another reason why dietary guidelines were created was to lay a good “foundation for federal nutrition programs and nutrition education programs and serve as a basis for research gaps and priorities” (Slavin, 2012). Also, the government wants to make sure the

It is a known fact that other countries eat healthier than here in the United States. For example, the Mediterranean diet contains many fruits and vegetables. It also replaces fattening oils with olive oil. In the article “Mediterranean Diet Shown to Ward Off Heart Attack and Stroke”, Gina Kolata states, “About 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease can be prevented in people at high risk if they switch to a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, and even drink wine with meals, a large and rigorous new study has found” (nytimes.com). Many people who have gone on the Mediterranean diet have decreased their risk.

Foremost of all, like I had mentioned before, the rate of obesity, heart diseases and diabetes is growing than it ever had. There are over 29 million cases of diabetes last year, more than 700 thousands people died each year because of heart attacks, and about 3 million cases of obesity per year in the U.S. The causes of those problems are really simple yet complex, it's each person's taste, conditions and their way of thinking for themselves. Example, you go to McDonald, ordered a Big Mac, Coke and some French fries like a habit, because those are your favorite but not realize how bad the choices of food you just made, and just let’s them all slowly destroy your body afterwards. It's normal for Americans to eat fast foods, refined and processed food, sweets and high fat or carbohydrate foods since they're too popular and common in our culture, but these are food that needs to be limited instead of to be overeating.

The main problem plaguing the Americans is not only their food but also their lifestyle. Cutting down on Oil and fast food dos help, but in order to stay fit you have to exercise, and sadly not many are ready to do that. Lack of physical activity is a pressing indictment on how the US society has grown over the years. The shift from manual work to computers have also played

South Beach Diet is full of fiber riched vegetables, and whole grains, legumes, lean sources of protein, low-fat dairy products, and good fats from foods such as omega-3-rich fish, healthy oils like extra-virgin olive and canola oils, and nuts. Also the diet includes cooking rules of only bake, broil, steam, and roast; no frying. (Hager, 2005, pg. 65) South Beach Diet is broken up into three phases. Phase 1 lasts for the first two weeks of the diet. It consists of lean protein, such as fish and other seafood, skin less white-meat poultry and lean cuts of beef, soy protein, high-fiber veggies, reduced-fat cheeses, eggs; low-fat dairy, and healthy, unsaturated fats, such as those found in

The weight in America is ballooning out of control and the American public needs help. There are a number of contributing factors that tie into the growing waistline of America such as a sedimentary lifestyle, over consumption of food which leads to a higher caloric intake, and the marketing of unhealthy choices by food companies through television ads and radio station commercials. In regards to the over consumption of food, the only person that is truly affected by this is the individual themselves. After all, they are the ones that will suffer from the chronic health conditions such as respiratory related issues due to shortness of breath, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. All of our lives we have been told we are what we eat. If you consume food with little or nutritional value it will definitely show in your body and if you consume foods that contribute substantial vitamins, mineral, and proteins to the body that to, will also show. Food companies do have a right to market what is most profitable, it just so happen that what is profitable is inexpensive to make and detrimental to one’s health if consumed on a daily basis. However, millions of Americans have tried to get there weight under control on their own and many have been successful at it. According to numerous new reports, the Diet industry gross approximately 60 billion dollars a year but only a few million have shown long lasting results.

There are many different cultures through the world. Most cultures, in order to make their food more appealing to the human eye, add colorful vegetables. Many of those cultures consist of healthy eating- others not too much. In America, there are restaurants on every corner. It is difficult for a person to eat healthy when there is many different foods to choose from in the place where all cultures clash together. The reasons why people tend to gain weight is either because they eat out more than they have to, they are not emotionally stable, or they do not involve exercise into their daily lives.

Obesity in America has been linked largely to fast food and lack of nutritional knowledge. A study conducted by researchers at RTI International, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have shown that the United States may spend as much as $147 billion per year on medical expenses linked to obesity. In most cases obesity can easily be prevented by a simple change in diet. In my opinion, a diet is not something that one ‘goes on’; rather it has a much simpler meaning such as: the way a person chooses to supplement hunger. You may choose to eat pizza for dinner every day for a week, or you may choose to have a more healthy and balanced meal such as a small portion of protein, larger quantities of vegetables, and healthy carbohydrates. An example would be one grilled chicken breast, grilled or baked asparagus, boiled and mashed sweet potatoes, and

Some of the other health advantages to eating the Mediterranean way is lower the risk of dementia, Parkinson’s, overcome anxiety and depression. Prevent cancer, and lower risk of heart disease (2).

In a time where more and more people are cautious of their health, and are searching for a master plan to stay healthy, it is interesting to find that there has been a region that might have found that master plan, and has been living by it for years. The Mediterranean region, with their high consumption of vegetables and grains, and low consumption of meats and dairy, have created a population that have lived longer, and have suffered from less chronic diseases than any other region in the world (Nestle, 1995). On the contrary, the Western diet, with its high consumption of meats, refined sugars, and saturated fats, has influenced cultures into a way of life that has increased chronic diseases and obesity, and has made humans adapt to an environment that influences unhealthy, heavily processed foods that are negatively affecting their health (Cordain, Eaton, Sebastian, Mann, Lindeberg, Watkins, O’Keefe, Brand-Miller, 2005). These two ways of life have coexisted over the years, but have begun to influence each other, creating both positive and negative effects. The Mediterranean

The idea is to eat different foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a period of 4 days. Then, when the 4-day period is up, you may include the foods you ate in your first cycle again, but only once per meal, per cycle.

The Mediterranean diet (MeDi) has been researched for the potential to reduce cognitive decline and dementia (Samieri, Okereke, Devore, & Grodstein, 2013). Long-term MeDi adherence was examined with 16,058 women to see if there was a link between MeDi and cognitive decline. Cognitive assessments were completed every 2 years using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and phone calls to test cognition in participating subjects (90% turnout rate). The phone tests consisted of, Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS), immediate and delayed recall of the East Boston Memory test (EBMT), delayed recall of the TICS 10 word list, category fluency, and digit span-backward (Samieri, Okereke, Devore, & Grodstein, 2013). These tests were

The traditional Greek Food diet was discovered to have potent health benefits by preventing heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and a host of other ailments; prolonging life in the process. In addition to keeping chronic diseases at bay, the Greek Diet was

The Mediterranean diet, also known Cretan diet or Mediterranean diet is a practice traditional food in many countries around the Mediterranean Sea characterized by eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, cereals and olive oil and a low consumption of meat and dairy products.

If you’ve ever talked to somebody after they 've traveled to a country such as Italy or Greece, they probably mentioned how delicious the food was. Food is one of the more common affiliations with countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea; and understandably so. The food this region produces is so notable that there is a diet based off it, companied with endless research elaborating the health benefits it accommodates. Fittingly named The Mediterranean Diet, this compilation of foods including fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high fiber breads, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and red wine are targeted to help prevent a number of diseases as well as promote health in different sectors of the body. This essay will touch upon each component, benefit, and precaution of the Mediterranean diet, in depth, all with a main focus on the nutritional factors.