Why Try the Mediterranean Diet?

Do you love the new Mediterranean Diet education program as much as we do?After several requests from dietitians and other health educators, we got our team together and created a comprehensive introduction to the Mediterranean diet, and to celebrate, we're sharing previews of the resources today!Today's preview features a free handout -- Why Try the Mediterranean Diet?Want to see it? Here we go!Why Try the Mediterranean Diet?So, why try the Mediterranean diet? Let’s  take a look at the health benefits and the science behind them.Fiber in whole grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables, and nuts — which are all cornerstones of the Mediterranean diet — slows digestion and helps control blood sugar levels.Monounsaturated fats in olive oil, nuts, and fish exert an anti-inflammatory effect that can protect against heart disease and improve both glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity.People who lived healthfully while following a Mediterranean diet had an 80% lower death rate than those who didn’t live healthfully or follow the diet (1).In the LYON study, people who followed a Mediterranean-style diet had a 50%-70% lower risk of recurrent heart disease than those who did not (2).In a study of over 3,500 people, those who followed a Mediterranean diet were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes (3).In addition to protecting your heart and reducing your risk of diabetes, a Mediterranean diet may lead to improved health as you age. A large study analyzed food habits from 10,600 women in their 50s and 60s with no major chronic diseases, and 15 years later collected data from these same women. Women following a Mediterranean diet were 40% more likely to live past age 70 and avoided chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, many types of cancer, and Parkinson’s disease. They also aged without signs of cognitive impairment, physical disabilities or mental health problems (4).There’s more science to back up the findings about brain health as you age. A meta-analysis found that 9 out of 12 published studies demonstrate that following a Mediterranean-style diet is associated with a slower rate of mental decline and decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.So why try the Mediterranean diet? The benefits are too many to count! Get started today!Sources:

1. American Journal of Epidemiology. Epub 2013 June 10. [Ahmed, et al.]
2. Circulation. 2001; 103: 1823-1825 doi: 10.1161/?01.CIR.103.13.1823
3. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2014; 160(1):10-10-10. [Salas-Salvadó, et al].
4. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2013; 159(9): 584-591. (Samieri, et al.)
5. Epidemiology. 2013; 24(4):479-489. (Lourida et al.)

Like what you see? Download the handout for free, today!Like what you see? Get the whole program today! It features a PowerPoint with over 100 slides, a handout set with 10 pages of great information,  and tons of free Mediterranean recipes that were developed especially for this program by professional chefs. What's not to love?Have you seen the latest additions to our store? They were all by customer request, so let us know what you need!