That's Fit

Santa does it -- now maybe it's your turn to make a list and check it twice. We're not talking kids and gifts here. Food lists are the way to go, according to this article from Science Daily. To be more specific, women who referred to healthy food lists when choosing what to eat doubled the amount of fruits and veggies they consumed. Which, as we all know, can lead to weight loss and overall better health in the long run.

So what should be on your list of foods to stock up on? The Mediterranean Diet is a good guide -- load your kitchen with plenty of fruits and veggies, healthy fats like olive oil, seafood, nuts, legumes and whole grains to do your heart, and your waistline, a favour.

(Via CalorieLab)

The Mediterranean diet has long been touted as a healthful way to eat. Now, new claims suggest that pairing a Mediterranean diet with a small snack of nuts daily boosts the health benefits.

Metabolic Syndrome is a combination of heart-disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, excessive abdominal fat, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. The Mediterranean diet is thought to reduce some of the risk factors involved in metabolic syndrome. A new study separated 1,224 people into three groups: one group received advice on a low-fat diet, the second was instructed on the Mediterranean diet plus were given one liter of virgin olive oil each week and the third received the Mediterranean advice plus 30 grams of mixed nuts each day.

Over the course of the one-year study, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was reduced in all three groups: The low-fat diet group saw a two percent reduction in metabolic syndrome, the olive oil group reduced metabolic syndrome by 6.7 percent, and the group that followed a Mediterranean diet as well as eating nuts reduced the prevalence of metabolic syndrome by a whopping 13.7 percent.

AOL Health has more information on the Mediterranean diet.

In the U.S., when people want to lose weight or at least clean up their diet, they often turn to the Mediterranean diet. Rich in nuts, fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, the diet has been credited for the the long life spans of the people who live in the region where it originated.

But sadly, even in countries like Greece, Italy, Spain, and Morocco, the Mediterranean diet is in decline. Instead, the latest generation of kids enjoy a steady diet of processed foods and sweets, making a whopping two-thirds of them overweight. Health experts and government leaders are aghast and are seeking to designate the diet an "intangible piece of cultural heritage."

In America, where our national foods are hot dogs and apple pie, this might not seem like a big deal. But I find it incredibly sad that these countries are not only losing a significant piece of their history, but along with it wonderful foods that contributed to their longevity.

When I headed off to Greece a few years ago, I was excited for all the healthy eating I would do. After all, the Mediterranean way of eating has even inspired one of the most successful diet plans out there, so eating well there should be no problem, right? An added bonus? Mediterranean food is delicious -- souvlaki, pita bread, tzatziki, baklava ... I love it all.

But by the time I came back, my pants were a little tighter. OK, a lot tighter. Where did I go wrong? I ate lots of healthy stuff. Maybe Mediterranean food is not as healthy as we imagine?

I think I need to head to my favorite Mexican restaurant, a place I typically avoid because I just can't stop myself from inhaling chips and salsa. Maybe if I stick with Mexican cheeses, beans, soups, tomato-based sauces, and meats I'll be OK, though. I may even prevent breast cancer from paying me a return visit.

A tradition Mexican diet may help prevent breast cancer, says a study of hundreds of women living in the Four Corners region (Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona). Hey, low fat diets and moderate consumption of red wine are credited for warding off heart disease. Why not Mexican food and breast cancer?

Researchers happened upon their study after noting lower rates of breast cancer among Hispanic women. They looked at diets such as the Native Mexican diet, the Western diet, the Mediterranean diet, and low-fat diets. The lowest risk of breast cancer turned up among those who closely followed the Mexican and Mediterranean diets.

This isn't a one-size-fits-all diet, though. To read more about the folks who benefit most -- like premenopausal women with a BMI of less than 25 -- read more here.

Incidentally, the diet associated with the highest risk of breast cancer, regardless of menopausal status is the Western diet.

Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Nutrition experts have long claimed that Mediterranean diets are some of the best around. Heavy on fish, fruits, and vegetables; moderate in nuts and red wine; and low in red meat, these diets are tops for heart health, say researchers at the Mayo Clinic. One more item puts the Mediterranean diet high on the heart health list: Olive Oil. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to be exact.

The Super Food olive oil, containing monounsaturated fat, helps lower the risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels in your blood, unlike saturated and trans fats (found in better, tropical oils, and hydrogenated margarines) which spike these levels. Get two tablespoons of olive oil per day -- make it "extra virgin" or "virgin" for less processing and more polyphenol antioxidants -- and you'll be on your way to better health.

It's not just your heart that will benefit from regular doses of olive oil, made from the crushing and then subsequent pressing of olives. Prevention magazine cites one Greek study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 1999) indicating a little olive oil can dramatically cut the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Study participants with the lowest consumption of extra virgin olive oil had a 2.5 greater chance of developing the condition, in fact.

It seems we keep going over and over the topic of what to eat and how to eat it. I guess we keep asking the same tired diet questions because we forget the answers or we worry popular opinion has changed. It happens. Remember when coffee was an evil drink? Now it's practically considered a health food. And then there's the fact that people disagree. Some experts believe in low-carb diets. Others say don't worry about the darned things. So we search and search for guidance, hoping to one day locate the final word on proper nutrition.

And here I am with another expert opinion. It comes from Discover Magazine's Robert W. Lash, M.D., who reveals his take on fat, protein, and carbs. See what you think.

Lash says the lower the fat the better, within reason. Twenty percent is a good goal but can be difficult to maintain over the long haul.

Being healthy and fit is a complicated thing to achieve these days, given all the studies that seem to contradict each other on an almost daily basis and all the "diets" out there vying for your attention and claiming to be the best. But what if it the diet part of it could be simplified into a list of just 10 foods that could help you lose weight and be healthy -- would that make it easier?

Dr. Michael Ozner seems to think so, because he wrote the book The Miami Mediterranean Diet. Obviously it's a spin of the more well-known Mediterranean Diet, and not only does he think it will simplify things for people interested in being healthier but it will also help them actually be healthier. People in the Mediterranean following a Mediterranean diet naturally have much smaller risks of heart disease and other ailments like obesity, and he thinks he knows why. According to him, incorporating these 10 ingredients into your diet and lifestyle will result in improved fitness and health:

This article is one of my recent favorites because I love to travel and I love to eat, but I'm always afraid of coming back from a trip to hear a chorus of "well, you certainly didn't starve!" So I took heart when I read about the author's 3-month journey to Greece nearly 2 decades ago. She had the same fears as I do when she set off, but found that eating well on holiday does not necessarily equal a rounder, fuller figure.

Sure she was eating a traditional Mediterranean diet, which is now considered one of the healthiest in the world, but she also discusses how what she ate didn't matter as much as how she ate. Fresh, organic foods straight from the garden were the norm, as was cooking with heart-healthy olive oil instead of fatty butter. She found that the Greeks tend to incorporate lots of healthy vegetable dishes into each meal, making them a regular part of the diet rather than an afterthought. Meals took several hours to eat, so everyone was able to fully enjoy the flavors in the food, as well as their dining company. Plus, not rushing allowed them to realize when they were full, rather than gorging on too much too fast.

If you love the idea of the eating the Mediterranean way as much as I do, take a look at the article to see ideas on how to make it a reality in your life. There are also a number of recipes for delicious-looking Greek dishes you can try at home.

On Prevention Magazine's website, I was drawn to this article by Lia Huber, which lists a number of healthy tips that she learned while spending the summer in Greece. I too spent a summer in Greece, but unlike Lia, my summer was characterized by too many nights spent in the tourist party spots followed by late-night snacks of Gyros wraps ( complete with tonnes on Tzatziki and even a few french fries thrown in for flavour), lots of beer, sleeping until noon and very little activity during what was left of the day. But hey. Those were my university days. And her tips are much more conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some of her suggestions:

• Eat fresh
• Switch to Olive Oil
• Eat your Veggies
• Make meals time about more than just food -- enjoy the company of friends and family
• Slow down
• Don't just feed your body -- feed your soul, too.
  

I think these are great suggestions, for the summer and for life. What about you?

Heart attack patients have typically been put on low-fat diets to help prevent a recurrence in the future, but that may no longer necessarily be the case. A new study shows that a Mediterranean style diet (including "healthy" fats like olive oil) is just as effective at reducing further cardiovascular incidents as the more usually recommended low-fat American Heart Association diet.

Interestingly enough, the patients in the study who were put on the Mediterranean diet had a harder time following it -- despite being allowed more fat. Apparently, since they were mostly older individuals, they weren't used to eating so much fish and seafood.