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The benefits of our Selection of Products in the Mediterranean diet
A diet that is mainly based on market-garden products. Oil, fruit, cereal, pulses and vegetables are the basis of a Mediterranean diet that is also rich in fish and dairy products. All these ingredients combine the nutrients that are necessary for our body and nowadays nobody doubts how healthy it is to stock up on menus based on these dishes. Many people choose this option when they change their eating habits.
As its very name states, the countries that surround this sea benefit from and mainly use this type of diet. Hence, it is not a European monopoly, and Morocco and Algeria also have similar cuisine. However, when talking about this culture, Spain, Italy and Greece are the main focal points, and they are joined by Portugal by association, as it forms part of the Iberian Peninsula.
The Mediterranean diet has recently extended, but its foundations date back thousands of years. Such powerful people as the Romans, Arabs, Celts, Greeks and Iberians already enjoyed the benefits of this diet in their day. The bases of these recipes have not remained static over the years, rather all to the contrary.
Times change and, without forgetting its roots, this diet has also evolved, at the same time as its list of products has lengthened, even to include suggestions from distant places. The Near and Middle East have provided cereals, onions, pulses, carrots, garlic and different fruits; from Europe came the asparagus, cabbage or beetroot; Southeast Asia and Oceania brought rice, pepper, sesame seeds, cucumber or sugar; from America came the potato, tomatoes, peppers and pumpkins; and the from Far East it took chickpeas, citrus fruits, cucumber and basil.
Modern science took care of discovering and spreading the benefits of such an outstanding diet as of the mid-20th century. Its benefits mainly lie in the reduction of cardiovascular diseases. The reason resides in the greater consumption of monounsaturated fat, with the consequent reduction in cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. The list of the effects of this diet does not end here. There is proof that it lowers the risk of obesity, prevents the appearance of colon and breast cancer, it is rich in antioxidants due to the abundant vitamins and polyphenols, and it acts against diabetes due to carbohydrate consumption. But the list continues with studies that confirm it lowers vascular inflammation and helps against atherosclerosis.
Olive oil is a fundamental item for preparing dishes laregly comprising vegetable products. They are accompanied by cereals, such as bread and rice, and dairy products, mainly cheese and yoghurt. The consumption of oily fish and eggs is totally necessary, more care being taken with red meats. Fruit should not be forgotten and you should try to resist eating sweet food. Water should be consumed as the basic drink, and wine taken in moderation. Special care must be taken when buying food, given the importance of opting for unprocessed, fresh and seasonal ingredients. Likewise, none of this would be effective without daily activity, physical exercise must be added to this regime.
A balanced lifestyle as a result of a cultural legacy handed down over the generations from father to son. In general terms, the Mediterranean diet can de defined in this way. Its base: fresh market-garden and farm produce, with special attention to fish. Its benefits have turned this into one of the most valued and most frequently followed diets on the planet.
