Recent times have seen growing enthusiasm for the health-giving properties of the Mediterranean diet. Based on natural, nutritious foods such as olive oil, fruit, vegetables, fish and beans (laced with more than a smattering of garlic and downed with a glass or two of red wine), the customary cuisine of the Med has been said to account, at least in part, for the relative longevity of the inhabitants of this region…
In the past few years, various studies have been published on the health effects of the Mediterranean diet. In one, researchers assessed the effects of five foods (fish, raw vegetables, cooked vegetables, fruit and olive oil) on the health of men and women who had suffered a heart attack. Over the six-year period, those eating the most of these foods were half as likely to die compared with those eating the least.
In another trial, also in individuals with heart disease, the effects of eating a Mediterranean diet were compared with those of a standard “healthy” diet over a period of a little over two years. Individuals eating the Mediterranean diet were much less likely to have further problems with their heart, and their overall risk of death was 70 per cent lower.
The evidence suggests that for those who eat a Mediterranean diet, the living really is easy.
No fixed plans. Not intent upon arriving.