Are you a follower of the Mediterranean diet?

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Mediterranean diet is best recognised as a guide to good health. It does not introduce a new diet program that makes you cut out various foods. Instead, it encourages "wise" choices of food holding the key to a balanced diet. The people who practice Mediterranean diet eat vegetables, fruit, cereals, nuts, potatoes and bread in large quantities with small to moderate amounts of yogurt, milk, cheese and wine, on a daily basis. Most of the foods are not processed therefore retaining their nutritional value. They prefer to eat fresh in place of tinned and canned products, even though those products are easy to eat, cook and serve. They also retain much of the vitamin content. This way of life suggests that only certain food be consumed daily, some others weekly, and a few on a monthly basis. In a Mediterranean diet, this represents a "Traditional Mediterranean Diet Pyramid". The pyramid consists of a healthy diet of vegetables, grains, fruit, nuts, legumes or beans, cooked or garnished in olive oil, with moderate amounts of wine. It also includes an active and healthy life style as a daily ""chore"". Daily food provides monosaturated fat and anti-oxidants from olive oil, protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates from plant food, and a limited amount of saturated fat from dairy products - all that is essential to keep a healthy heart. The diet pyramid recommends consumption of fish, chicken and eggs on a weekly basis and red meat a few times a month. Again they choose lamb and veal in preference to to beef and trim the meat to shed its excess fat. This ensures the supply of Omega 3 and other fatty acids, vitamins and minerals and high protein that are required in very small amounts for the body to function. Even though dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt may be consumed in low to moderate amounts, butter is not allowed. Also the cooking involves more grilling and roasting to frying - methods that help retain the nutrition in cooked food. The diet involving low saturated fats, sugar and salt, rich in vitamins and minerals, proteins and carbohydrates. Thus, the balanced food regime ensures the right quantity of nutrients and good fat, and in turn, works on the blood cholesterol level. It not only lowers blood pressure and cholesterol but also prevents blood clotting. Therefore, it is a perfect solution to reducing heart diseases and cancers. Studies have also shown Mediterranean diet as a means to prevent diabetes and gallstones. Other benefits include all around care to maintaining a healthy heart and leading a longer life.