Eat your way to a healthier life by choosing anti aging foods, such as a Mediterranean diet, which is now thought to be the healthiest in the world.
Good skin, teeth, nails and hair, as well as a slim figure, can wipe years off you. However we need a
good anti aging diet
to maintain all this.
The Mediterranean diet is not a temporary weight loss treatment, but a lifelong eating plan.
The best way to illustrate the basics of the Mediterranean diet is through the use of a Pyramid ,whereby from the bottom to the top it gives a guide as to the daily-weekly-monthly regularity of different foodstuffs & exercise.
You will also find diets calling themselves "Mediterranean" or “Mediteranean” and you will find many diets that are based on the “Middle Sea” (as it was called in ancient times) way of eating without actually saying so.
However, it simply means eating as the people do in that part of the world, in the countries, or parts of countries, which border the “Med” as we call it in Europe. Eating fresh, locally produced food, cooked and served in quite a simple fashion.
These countries, which spread across Europe, North Africa, Greece and the Middle East, have very different cultures, religions and agriculture. But you can pick out common elements:
foods of the sun - fruit, vegetables, fish, olive oil and wine.
Studies have shown that drinking red wine (in moderation of course!) promotes long life and may help to protect against cancer and heart disease. It’s always included in a Mediterranean diet. Heavy drinking, however, will take away your youthful glow! Your skin will look dull and your eyes will lose their sparkle.
Many of the foods of these sunny countries are available nowadays in our own local supermarkets. There’s no need to travel to the Med; they are within easy reach. So, with some seasonal modifications and subtle variations, there’s really no excuse for not adopting this healthy eating plan!
You’ll find various
anti aging recipes
among the pages of this site and I’ll continue to add them from time to time, so check back regularly.
In the meantime, I think we all know by now that we should be eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day to maximise vitamin, mineral and fibre intake. To improve our digestive system we should eat plenty of whole grains, including oats and to that we should add at least half a pint of milk, to ensure a good calcium intake to keep our bones healthy.
To further follow a Mediterranean diet, Olive Oil is essential for cooking and dressing salads. Avoid too much butter and other saturated fats. Fish takes pre-eminence over meat and marinated fish and meats are mostly plainly seared or barbequed.
Think fresh grilled fish and seafood or a skewer of marinated lamb or free-range chicken; intensely flavoured ripe tomatoes, roasted peppers and aubergines (egg plant).Then think flavourings like garlic, chillies, warm basil, coriander (cilantro) and parsley. And don’t forget to add lovely virgin olive oil and maybe some flat bread, eaten straight from the oven.
For some of the very finest & yet least known recipes from this region we can thoroughly recommend the range of books available on "Mediterranean Cooking" written by Claudia Roden they are an excellent addition for anyone wishing to follow a Mediterranean diet.
