Moodsurfing has been promoting the value of the Mediterranean diet for quite a while. It is linked with better weight control, anti-aging, and reduction of depression.
A diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and fish is known to help people lose weight and is associated with longer life expectancies. Eating a lot of refined grains (white flour and white rice), sugars and fried or processed foods is associated with obesity, early-onset dementia, and heart disease. A no-brainer of a choice, right? Not only that, but the diet is relatively easy to follow, no complicated calorie counters or fancy, strange new recipes. Just lots of fish, salads, beans and whole wheat or brown rice.
Now, researchers are finding even more benefits that you may not have heard about. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer mortality, stroke, and heart attack. Another study has shown that people who eat a diet rich in fiber (such as fresh vegetables and whole grains) have healthier gut bacteria, an outcome which has its own list of important benefits.
A smaller study has even suggested that the Mediterranean diet may also impact bone and muscle mass in post-menopausal women. More study is needed in this area, but the initial signs are hopeful for a positive effect on this serious problem for older women.
Don’t just take our word for it, try it out and see if it works for you!
-Nancy