If you are looking for a heart healthy diet, the “Mediterranean diet” might be the diet for you. The American Heart Association guidelines don’t match this diet exactly, but the Mediterranean-style diet is very close to the Association’s dietary recommendations.
In general, the diets of Mediterranean people contain a relatively high percentage of calories from fat – and this is thought to contribute to the increasing obesity in these countries, which is becoming a concern. However, people who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. In fact, saturated fat consumption in the Mediterranean diet is well within our dietary guidelines.
The Mediterranean diet gets a lot of attention due to the notably low incidence of chronic disease and high life-expectancy for those who follow it. The traditional Mediterranean diet delivers as much as 40% of total daily calories from fat, yet the associated incidence of cardiovascular diseases is significantly less. As a monosaturated fatty acid, olive oil does not have the same cholesterol-raising effect of saturated fats. Olive oil is also a good source of antioxidants. People who follow this diet also eat fish a few times per week and therefore receive the heart healthy benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids.
The Mediterranean diet contains a high quantity of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds, which promote heart health. Olive oil and canola oil are the main staples for fat (see Nutritional Labels below), and dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts. The diet includes very little red meat, which helps keep saturated fat low. Lastly, wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts as well.
Rebecca
