Why Choose the Mediterranean Diet?
Check this out, I was at The Pickle Barrel for a business lunch and saw the restaurant’s new “Mediterranean menu”. The menu had what’s known as the “Mediterranean Diet Pyramid” on the back with a few interesting facts;
- The Mediterranean diet lowers cholesterol which lowers blood pressure and risk of heart disease
- The Mediterranean diet is known as the clear skin diet because of it’s oils (olive/canola and fish) and fruits (vitamins such as E and C)
What’s also interesting is that they like the Japanese have a very low cancer rate per capita and one of the highest rates per capita of citizens living past 100 years of age. “Eat light and live longer” is what they are concluding when comparing the similarities in the diets between the Mediterranean and the Japanese, i.e. lots of fish and grains.
I’ve tried going vegetarian before and at first I felt great… I was light on my feet and full of energy, but after several weeks, I felt weak despite having energy… my core strength had shrunk. I feel that this Mediterranean Diet may be just what I’m looking for. It isn’t completely vegetarian but it does avoid red meat and stress the importance of vegetables and grains. I consider it a happy medium for those who have failed at being total vegetarians 
There are a few general guidelines which are more detailed in the diagram at the top right. In short they primarily drink water as opposed to milk, juice or pop. A glass of wine per day keeps the doctor away 
and red meats or sweets should only be once in a while… say monthly. Snacking on fruits, unsalted nuts and vegetables should be daily, as a matter of fact, in looking at the post I wrote called “God’s Pharmacy” it couldn’t make more sense.
Give it a try and share your experiences and/or recipes by posting your links in the comments below!