How To Lose Weight Fast

The Mediterranean Diet: What The Greeks Know About Healthy Cuisine

Is there a painless way to lower cholesterol and lose weight? Can you eat your way there? Oh sure, you might say; but wait, consider the merits of the Mediterranean Diet. Virgin olive oil may be the perfect replacement for butter and margarine.

The Mediterranean Diet: What the Greeks Know about healthy cuisine

“If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want.” -- Elbert Hubbard.

There are so many approaches to optimum wellness. Infomercials tell us about a variety of diet plans from pills and native plants to the benefits of liquid diets over conventional weight loss methods. What should you believe?

One of the clarion calls of caution is the old adage, “If it’s too good to be true - it probably is.”

The Mediterranean Diet relies solely on age old wisdom. Present research verification demonstrates that one man’s daily meal is another man’s trip to optimum wellness.

In Greece, certain symptoms of heart disease are among the lowest in the world. It would seem that the largest body of current scientific research indicates that a diet high in fruits and veggies along with routine consumption of whole grains, legumes, fish, low fat dairy products, olive oil and nuts provide long term and protective health benefits.

With the Mediterranean diet you will find that optimal health is even more important than the accompanying weight loss. What native Greek’s have intuitively known for centuries has now been linked to scientific data that shows adherence to common Mediterranean diet practices may result in a reduction in heart disease, increased life expectancy and reduced risk of some cancers. The health benefits of olive oil have long been realized in Greece.

The term “Mediterranean Diet” truly is a generic term because the diet in Greece remains varied. You will find influences from North Africa and Italy in many Greek dishes, however the island of Crete has proven a veritable treasure trove of health research. Residents of Crete have one of the lowest heart disease risks in the world.

Interestingly, western culture is looking into the health benefits found in countries like Greece, but many of the younger population in Greece are seeking out western cuisine. The trend has proven somewhat antithetical to the wellness experienced by older Greeks. While parents are consuming melons, stuffed tomatoes, salads and yogurt, the younger Greek generation are consuming cookies, hamburgers, French fries, pizza and pop. The result is an increase in obesity among Greek’s youth culture - researchers expect to see an accompanying rise in heart disease in the years to come.

With the Mediterranean diet, butter is replaced with the health benefits of olive oil, fast food lunches are replaced by a variety of fresh vegetables - snacks of chocolate and colas are replaced by fresh fruit and nuts.

Perhaps the reason you don’t hear as much about the Mediterranean diet as you might other weight loss plans is that there is no special pill to buy, no special formula to drink and no 12-step meal plan to purchase.

The Mediterranean diet works because common sense prevails in eating choices and a rise in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) is an indicator they are doing something right. The health benefits of olive oil cannot be overstated and traditional Greek cooking utilizes garden fresh produce and extra virgin olive oil. In tandem, this common sense approach continues to see a lower incidence of heart disease and colon cancer along with an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in overall weight.

Olive Oil, An Ancient Gift For Health

Scientists are always looking to plants to find medicinal and therapeutic secrets. Discoveries of natural compounds within the olive tree and olives, provide promising health and medical benefits. Organic olive oil has significant health related properties that have spanned centuries and cultures in the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean olive dates back 6000 years and was native to Iran, Syria and Palestine (Asia Minor). From there it spread to the Mediterranean basin. It is one of the earliest known cultivated trees. According to the Bible, an olive leaf was that which a dove brought back to Noah, as an indication the great flood waters were abating.

The olive tree thrives best in a sunny position and climate. A rocky subsoil suits it well. The trunk is knotty, hard, and gnarled, the bark smooth and ash colored. Olive wood is valuable for its durability and is crafted into many items such as gourmet cooking utensils. The olive tree experiences slow growth, but it lives very long. It is reported that the olive trees on Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, are over 2000 years old. It is commonly believed the Bible passage of “the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine,” refers to the olive tree. Olive leaves are silver grey-green, and possesses the health qualities of “olive leaf extract” which is pressed from them. Extracted from olive leaves is a bitter substance named oleuropein. In the 1960’s researchers reported that oleuropein lowered blood pressure in animals, this caused immediate medicinal interest in the olive leaf. There are new studies that indicate olive leaf extract may be a natural preventative against the common cold and flu.

The olive is believed to be a source of wealth for the Minoan Kingdom. Egyptians tombs dating back as far as 2000 BC have been proved to contain olives. The Greeks spread the usage of olives to the Romans who, in turn, spread it across their vast empire. The use of olive oil has been advocated by many religions and cultures. The early Greek Kings were anointed with olive oil. It was also used to anoint winning Olympic athletes. Across many cultures, olive oil is recognized for healthy benefits for both the inner and outward body.

Some research indicates extra-virgin olive oil is the most digestible of the edible fats. Olive oil also it helps to assimilate vitamins A, D and K in the human body. Benefits of consuming olive oil include slowing down the aging process and helps liver, bile, and intestinal functions. Olive oil is valued for its culinary attributes and organoleptic virtues, these being: flavor, bouquet or aroma, and color. Various grades of olive oil are derived from the time of pressing. Earlier pressings are regarded as better quality. Cold pressed olive oil is a pressing process requiring no heat or chemicals, which destroy vital nutrients. This olive oil is generally the best to use for cooking and healthy cuisine.

Olive oil has been extensively used in cooking and forms an integral part of the basic Mediterranean diet. It is a healthier substitute to butter. Strong and pungent flavored olive oils are great for frying fish or other items having a strong flavor. Extra virgin olive oil goes well with salads. A late harvest mission variety olive oil, which is mellow, can be used for baking cakes. Gourmet olive oil is a healthier and tastier substitute to other fatty cooking oils. The health benefits of cold pressed olive oil already have federal agency approval. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized marketing ads that say organic olive oil helps reduce the risk of coronary disease and disorders.

Given below is a simple recipe for olive oil bread dipping sauce.

Bread Dipping Sauce

Servings : 2 - 4
Preparation time : 10 minutes

Ingredients:

½ cup virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced (Italian parsley is best)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed well
1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt, to taste

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and sauté till it changes color. Add all the other ingredients and cook for about 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve as a bread dip.

A Delicious Companion To Good Health - The Olive Oil Story

The health benefits of olive oil in the Mediterranean diet has become more than a novel observation. Clinical research is substantiating healthy benefits, but the gourmet tastes and flavors are bonuses well worth mentioning too.

“The… patient should be made to understand that he or she must take charge of his own life. Don’t take your body to the doctor as if he were a repair shop.” -- Quentin Regestein

Highly favored as a cooking oil, or for use in a variety of classic dressings, olive oil is being touted in some quarters as a delicious companion to good health. Research on the health benefits of olive oil is impressive, so is the affects of the Mediterranean diet.

Recent Findings

Olive Oil as a Cholesterol Reducer

Compared to American cuisine, especially the snack and fast foods prevalent in the US, the Mediterranean Diet has intrigued the medical world. The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published findings that indicate the introduction of olive oil into our regular diet has demonstrated a reduction in LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). This is significant because once LDL cholesterol has oxidized it often results in artery rigidity and accompanying heart disease.

Olive Oil in Cancer Prevention

In a comparison study at the University Hospital Germans Trias Pujol in Barcelona there seems to be an indication that the health benefits of olive oil may also be useful in the prevention or slowing of cancer cells. In the study, lab rats were introduced to a carcinogen that resulted in cancerous tumors. The study provides evidence that a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil prevents colonic carcinogenesis reducing precancerous tissue which resulted in fewer tumors when compared to a controlled sample of rats ingesting foods containing other types of cooking oils.

Researchers at Oxford University in England have seen indications that olive oil may actually be as good for our digestive system as fresh fruit and vegetables in preventing or reducing the incidence of colon cancer. While red meat seems to be linked to the development of colon cancer, fish and olive oil seemed to reduce the incidence of colon cancer. The reasons behind this phenomena are still being considered, but it is believed that the olive oil may help regulate the bile acid in the stomach while increasing useful enzymes within the stomach that contribute to optimal colon health.

Olive Oil and Heart Health

The American Heart Association has also noted that consumption of olive oil has “clear health benefits”.

Olive Oil and Lower Blood Pressure

By substituting virgin olive oil for other fats within your diet, the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates a substantial reduction in drug dosage requirements for the management of high blood pressure. Initial findings indicate dosage reductions could be as high as 50%.

Additional Findings

By lowering the level of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) there is an increase of the HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). The antioxidant effects of olive oil have also been widely reported and are effective in reducing free radicals within the body that may prove to be a causal agent in pre cancerous and cancerous growth.

Additional health benefits of olive oil may be found in a Mediterranean diet which explores the varied uses of olive oil in both food preparation as well as additional balanced meal choices. Combined, olive oil and appropriate food choice seem to enhance the overall health of those subscribing to the Mediterranean diet.

Final Word

While studies remain ongoing, it is encouraging to note that something that has long been noted for good taste may also be a link to positive health benefits and longevity of life. An adaptation of the Mediterranean diet may be a healthy, yet palatable change well worth considering.