The olive season has officially begun in Italy! You know what that means: fresh olive oil. In a couple of weeks, I’ll even get to harvest olives myself and make my own olive oil (more details to come!). Olive oil is one of the key ingredients in the Mediterranean diet (usually replacing butter) and provides some of the most important benefits for overall health. Expect to hear more about wellness and health in my next article!
The Mediterranean diet is renowned for its health advantages all around the world. But to people living in the Mediterranean region, this healthy diet is just considered a normal part of daily life. According to the Mayo Clinic, the Mediterranean diet is known to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality, the chance of developing cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
Like all other diets, the exercising and eating your “fruits and veggies” are key components in maintaining a healthy weight and reducing your chance of developing serious illnesses. Promotion of beneficial fats is where the Mediterranean diet really stands out. The diet replaces potentially harmful saturated and trans fats with olive oil, which has more beneficial antioxidants and healthy monounsaturated fats.
Also, the diet is unique because of the Mediterranean culture of eating! I’ve learned that Italians truly value eating long meals in the company of people they enjoy; the average mealtime in Italy is around 2-3 hours! Instead of grabbing quick but unhealthy meals for the go, Italians take the time to enjoy healthy, fresh and carefully prepared food with people they care about. Food is an experience, meant to provide sustenance for both body and soul.
Quick Tips:
- Exercise
- Eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains
- Choose olive oil instead of butter
- Eat fresh fish
- Use herbs and spices instead of salt
- Limit red meat to only a couple times a month
- Drink red wine in moderation to reduce heart disease (however, this is still debated by doctors). Grape juice will do the trick, too!
Check out some restaurants around Durham that cater to the Mediterranean diet!
Parizade
Spartacus Restaurant
Mediterranean Deli
Provence of Carrboro
Vespa Cibobuono
Ciao,
Natalie
Also, don’t forget to enter your name in a raffle for a FREE Nicole Miller gift card or scooter here!