The golden sun. A clear blue sea. A quiet, but social life eating lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, potatoes, and olive oil. Sounds like a nice life, doesn’t it? For the residents of Ikaria, Greece this lifestyle has resulted in one of the oldest populations in the world. In fact, people there live 10 years longer on average than those in the rest of Europe and the United States. Around 1 in 3 Ikarians lives to be 90 or older. Not only that, but they also have much lower rates of cancer and heart disease, suffer significantly less depression and dementia, and remain physically active well into their 90s.
So, what’s the secret? The answer is a combination of many factors, but the main reason is the Mediterranean way of eating. This is not a diet. It is a lifestyle. A diet is short term and has short term results and benefits. A lifestyle is long term and has long term results and benefits.
The Mediterranean way of eating features a focus on fresh foods, moderate fats from olive oil and nuts (high in omega-3 fatty acids), lots of vegetables and fruits, legumes, fish, eggs, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and limited red meat. It is also low in sugar and processed foods. The Mediterranean lifestyle is all about cooking at home and the importance of eating healthfully among family and friends.
Although the Mediterranean lifestyle is overall very healthy, it is not a cure-all. You still need exercise and eating too many calories can still add on the pounds. Even too much of a good thing can be bad! According to the American Heart Association, “The Mediterranean lifestyle is often close to our dietary recommendations, but they don’t follow them exactly.”
The American Diabetes Association said, “The Mediterranean lifestyle is well-balanced and encourages control of portion sizes. It is a good choice if you have diabetes, want to lose weight or just want to start eating healthier.”
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has a Dinner Tonight Healthy Cooking program that focuses on the Mediterranean lifestyle and other healthy eating plans. Those would like to be added to the weekly e-mail newsletter/recipe update, please contact Kim Miles at 325-646-0386 or kamiles@ag.tamu.edu.