You may have heard about Mediterranean Diet or Mediterranean Cuisine as a great way to eat nutritious food and reduce certain health risks.
Since this regime is so flexible, the more appropriate term would be Mediterranean cuisine or even Mediterranean lifestyle. However, the term Mediterranean diet became popular and now is used to refer to an array of foods that not only are very healthy, but also delicious.
What is the Mediterranean Cuisine, or Mediterranean diet?
Mediterranean cuisine refers to the traditional food eaten in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, particularly Greece and Italy. While these two gastronomic cultures aren’t identical, there are some common traits. For example:
- Daily intake of Vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats (olive oil in particular)
- Weekly intake of Fish, poultry and eggs
- Moderate intake of dairy products
- Limited intake of red meat
As you can see, those who follow the Mediterranean diet avoid many products associated with health risks, such as highly processed fats and sugars.
Good for Your Heart
It’s a scientific fact: Consuming Mediterranean cuisine improves heart health.
In fact, that’s how the benefits of this lifestyle were detected in the first place. In the 1960’s researchers observed that coronary heart disease caused fewer deaths in the Mediterranean countries than in the U.S. and Northern Europe. The discovery ushered in decades of interest, and today the Mediterranean diet is recommended by the World Health Organization as a healthy and sustainable dietary pattern.
Why Does it Work?
The specific mechanism by which the Mediterranean diet benefits us is still unclear. However, it’s safe to say that the secret lies in the overall approach, and not in a single product. The regular consumption of fruits and vegetables and the intake of healthy fats, are some traits that any person can incorporate into their dietary habits.
In fact, you don’t have to live in Italy or Greece to enjoy some of the benefits of the Mediterranean lifestyle! At Chef Gourmet, our Gourmet prepared meals include our delicious Mediterranean Chicken Thighs with orzo pasta.
We’re located at 1910 S. Archibald, Unit O Ontario. Call us today, contact us through our social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn or send us an email. We’ll be thrilled to share information about all the healthy gourmet dishes we have available for you.
