The Healthiest Diet in the World
September 29, 2020 | Sports-Related Injuries
We live in a time when access to fresh, unique, interesting food from almost anywhere on the planet is not only readily available but can be delivered directly to your door at the mere click of a button. As much as this style of obtaining food can promote laziness, it certainly beats facing off against a wild cougar for a meal you’ve stalked and shot dead with your hand-crafted yet slightly cumbersome bow and arrow.
Times have certainly changed.
This 21st-century power enables us the magnificent ability to import fresh fruit and vegetables that would be otherwise both out of season and out of reach. We can have an English breakfast, a Mexican lunch, and a Japanese dinner chased with a delightful dessert from the south of France; all without leaving the comfort of our sofa (Made in China).
Though, as Uncle Ben once put it, ‘With great power, comes great responsibility’
We have to be careful not to fall for the ‘kid-in-a-candy-store’ syndrome that encourages us to eat everything in sight. Currently, over 70% of American adults are either overweight or obese, resulting in 2.8 million premature American deaths per year.
Arguably, the world’s healthiest diet.
It’s not only highly important to focus on the quantity of food we eat, but also the quality of that food too. Which brings us to research a question on many people’s minds when switching to a cuisine that will aid long-term health and longevity: ‘What is the healthiest diet in the world?’
Well, it’s very hard to argue that the Mediterranean diet doesn’t deserve a top spot among the healthiest diets on earth.
In fact, numerous
well-respected resources including The World Health Organization and Healthline
place the Mediterranean diet as one of the top contenders when it comes to the
most balanced, nutritious, and most sustainable diets on earth. But you may
also be interested to know that when it comes to longevity, countries that
follow a balanced Mediterranean diet repeatedly holds a spot in various top-10
life-expectancy studies performed around the world. Primarily in regions found
in Italy, Israel, Spain, Monaco, Andorra, and San Marino
Cancer Active, Harvard Med, The NHS, and Health.com all suggest taking on the
Mediterranean diet as a permanent lifestyle choice.
Why is the Mediterranean diet so good for you?
Well, the Mediterranean diet prioritizes whole foods, healthy fats, and lean meats. Butter is replaced with extra virgin olive oil and canola oil. Salt is often replaced with fresh herbs and spices. The majority of meals are plant-based (whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes) with fresh fish and poultry each making an appearance at least twice a week. Red wine is also included in moderation. Cheers!
Numerous studies have shown the Mediterranean diet to massively reduce the risk of heart disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. It also reduces levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and overall mortality rates (live long and prosper).
Switching completely to the Mediterranean diet can seem like a bit of a daunting task; jumping into the deep end, if you will. So why not begin by taking smaller steps towards the ultimate goal. Refrain from adding salt to your morning eggs and instead go for a pinch of cumin. Instead of a processed ham and butter sandwich on white bread, shoot for some olive oil, a slice of cured ham, some lettuce leaves between whole-grain bread.
Here is a PDF containing some healthy Mediterranean recipes to help get you started!
Andiamo!
References: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm