If you want to improve your quality of life, the first place to start is with your diet. ‘Some people tend to think this means eating boring food,’ says Dr Hilary, ‘but of course it doesn’t, there are so many different ways of preparing and enjoying healthy food, and it means having smaller plates and smaller portions of better quality food without ever feeling stuffed. Fresh fruit, vegetables, plenty of fish—the Mediterranean diet or the Japanese peasant diet, it’s all the same: low in fat, not too much starch, high in protein, packed full of nutrients, and if you look at people who live on that type of diet, they do tend to come from a population that lives well into their 90s and into their hundreds.’
Small Adjustments, Big Results
There’s no doubt that our average daily diet in the UK has improved greatly compared to, say, 50 years ago. Since then, the increase of travel, food knowledge, pioneering cookery books, and the greatly increased variety of fruit, vegetables and other products, means that adopting a healthier style of eating is not going to mean a massive change for many of us today. Dietary adjustments can be small, yet significant. Try increasing your consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes, seeds, olives and olive oil; eating fish and shellfish at least twice a week; having a meat-free day; avoiding trans-fats and processed/convenience foods; reducing our salt and sugar consumption.
The Mediterranean Diet
Highly recommended by the NHS, this massively flavourful diet is rich in fish, fruit and vegetables, grains and pulses, and olive oil. Here’s why:
- Grains in the Mediterranean region are typically wholegrain and usually contain very few unhealthy trans fats, and bread is an important part of the diet. However, bread is eaten plain or dipped in olive oil—not with butter or margarine, which contains saturated or trans fats. Switch to wholegrain bread, cereal, rice and pasta.
- Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavour foods.
- Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month.
- Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week.
- The Mediterranean diet typically includes a moderate amount of wine—usually red. The NHS recommends that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day, while women should not regularly drink more than two to three units a day. To help you calculate, a 750ml bottle of red, white or rose wine (ABV 13.5%) contains 10 units.
- he diet recognises the importance of being physically active and enjoying meals with family and friends.
What are the Benefits?
Research shows that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease. In fact, an analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults in the USA demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of death from heart disease and cancer.
Did you know?
- The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a better quality of life and good health, including a healthier heart, a longer lifespan and good weight management. A 2013 study found that people on a Mediterranean diet had a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
- According to the Alzheimer’s Society, there is substantial evidence that following the Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of dementia and problems with memory and thinking.
The Fantastic Five
Here are a few tips on how to load up on fresh fruits and vegetables:
- Replace daily snacks with a piece of fruit or some baked kale
- Make some smoothies or juices, blending all of the fruit and veggie goodness into one delicious drink. This can combine multiple servings and give you’re the most out of your produce. Juicing and blending also makes raw veggies that are rich in nutrients a lot more appetising.
- To save money, create meals with fresh vegetables and freeze them for future dinners and lunches.
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