Italians live longer than most people with many people living to be over 100. In fact, on the island of Sardinia, there are more people over the age of 100 than anywhere else on the planet. And they live well until that ripe old age with a sharp wit and even a degree of self sufficiency.
The Greeks and many other cultures that share the coast of the Mediterranean Sea also enjoy a long lifespan and incredible health. What is the thing they have in common? Their diet is the tie that binds them and is what keeps them healthy and living longer.
If you want to live longer and better while you do it, then eating the Mediterranean diet is essential. It has loads of benefits and is an interesting and delicious way to live. You’ll also have the added bonus of losing weight without feeling like you’re on a diet.
In this article, I will go over several ways that you can incorporate this lifestyle into your life.
It’s easy to stick with
Many diets are full of restrictions and special ways that you need to cook your food. The Mediterranean diet is one of abundance. There are no restrictions on things like certain vegetables or fats. Anything goes with this diet.
Mainly because it isn’t a diet at all. It is a culture of eating based on the way people have been eating for centuries. This doesn’t mean that you can eat pizza everyday, but that you have to have a certain balance and then you can eat anything.
Also, it’s the philosophy that counts so you don’t have to adhere to a strict ingredient list. For instance, beans are an important staple in the Mediterranean diet but it doesn’t matter what kind. Soybean nutrition is very high so you can eat them in place of the beans they eat in the Mediterranean and enjoy the same benefits.
It’s good medicine
People that eat the Mediterranean diet enjoy living life with less chronic illnesses than those who eat a Western diet with lots of processed foods. Heart disease is much lower in the Mediterranean basin where people eat more of a plant based diet with lots of grains and vegetables that are cooked from scratch. The diet is full of ingredients that are anti inflammatory so there is also less high blood pressure and a highly functioning immune system.
Olive oil plays a big part and is a monounsaturated fat which also contributes to better heart health. And the fiber in the grains and vegetables is also good at keeping blood sugar low to ward off diabetes.
It’s good for the brain
The other big difference in the people of the Mediterranean as they get older. They are usually of good mind at the same time as their physical health. The Mediterranean diet is great for the brain with far less chance of having dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
This is likely due to the fact that many of the grains they eat are high in Omega 12 and the diet heavily favors food that is high in Omega 3. These are excellent foods for the brain and prevent premature aging of it.
