Mediterranean Diet Cookbook For Dummies. Raffetto RD Meri

live your healthiest life. As we note throughout the book, folks in the Mediterranean eat scads of produce, and this type of food intake is one of the reasons you see more longevity in people who live in this region.

       Understanding phytochemicals

      Besides vitamins and minerals, plants also contain phytochemicals. Don’t be scared by the big word. Phytochemicals are simply healthy chemicals that offer your body healthful benefits. As we say repeatedly throughout this book, a plant-based diet high in fruits, vegetables, and legumes can provide you with an increased amount and variety of phytochemicals, helping to promote heart health and working to prevent certain cancers.

      Research in this area is relatively new and is uncovering a whole side of previously unknown health benefits. To date, certain phytochemicals have been shown to work as antioxidants (see the previous section), contain anti-inflammatory properties, and promote heart health.

Phytochemicals provide the pigment to your fruits and vegetables, so you can literally know which class of phytochemicals you’re consuming simply by noting the color you’re eating. Table 2-2 shows a few specific health benefits found in each color.

TABLE 2-2 Potential Health Benefits of Foods by Color

       Vitamin D: Getting a little of the sunshine vitamin

      Your body gets vitamin D, otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin, both from food sources and from exposure to sunlight. You want to make sure you get the appropriate amount of vitamin D; people in the Mediterranean may be healthier because they have strong levels of the vitamin.

      The scientific community has been buzzing in the last ten years about the health benefits of vitamin D. Research shows this vitamin can help

      ❯❯ Protect against osteoporosis

      ❯❯ Reduce the risk of coronary artery disease

      ❯❯ Decrease the risk of certain cancers

      ❯❯ Lower the risk of infectious diseases such as the common flu

      One theory suggests that the people of the Mediterranean coast are healthier because they’re exposed to more sunlight – specifically, the ultraviolet B rays that are responsible for producing vitamin D – because of their location near the equator and because they’re outside more often walking, gardening, working, or enjoying family and friends.

      

To produce vitamin D, you want exposure to sunlight for 15 minutes each day with no sunscreen (sunscreen blocks up to 90 percent of vitamin D production). Of course, unprotected sun exposure increases the risk of skin cancer, so you have to weigh the good with the bad. Note that many people don’t make enough vitamin D from the sun, including those who have darker skin tones, are overweight, are older, or live in northern climates.

      In addition to the sun, you can get vitamin D from a few foods, such as fish, fortified cereals, and fortified milk. Food sources are limited, so you mostly need to depend on sun exposure to get the proper amounts.

      Researchers agree that people’s vitamin D levels need to increase, although the level of increase is still up for debate. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine released a report recommending the following daily intake of vitamin D:

      ❯❯ People ages 1 to 70 should take 600 IU (international units) a day.

      ❯❯ People over the age of 70 should take 800 IU (international units) a day.

      

You can easily get your vitamin D levels checked with a simple blood test at your annual physical. Just let your primary care provider know if you have concerns about your level. Many people need to add a supplement to ensure they’re getting the daily dose they need, but don’t try to guess how much you need; taking too much vitamin D can have harmful consequences. Check out Vitamin D For Dummies by Alan L. Rubin, MD, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) for more information.

       Choosing healthy fats

      The Mediterranean diet is lower in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats (or fatty acids) and saturated fats than most people’s diets are; it’s also higher in healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fats and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. (For reference, you find monounsaturated fats in foods such as olive oil, avocadoes, and certain nuts. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are in corn, safflower, soybean, sesame, and sunflower oils and seafood. Saturated fatty acids appear in animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, butter, and dairy products, as well as in coconut and palm oils.) The higher percentage of monounsaturated fats found in the Mediterranean diet is associated with

      ❯❯ A lower risk of heart disease

      ❯❯ Lower cholesterol levels

      ❯❯ Decreased inflammation in the body

      ❯❯ Better insulin function and blood sugar control

      Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the big contributors to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and many people don’t get enough of them. Research shows that omega-3s help reduce inflammation, which is specifically important for those with inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, or inflammatory bowel disease. These fats are also shown to be helpful for weight management, immune system function, behavioral issues such as attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder, mood disorders such as depression, and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.

      Omega-6 fatty acids occur abundantly in the diet through sources such as grains, nuts, and legumes as well as sunflower, safflower, sesame, and corn oils. Omega-6 fats lower cholesterol, help keep the blood from clotting, and support skin health. Both omega-3 and omega-6 fats are considered essential, which means your body doesn’t make them and needs to get them from your diet.

      The big trouble begins when omega-3s aren’t balanced appropriately with omega-6s. A diet too high in omega-6 fatty acids and too low in omega-3 fatty acids can promote conditions of chronic inflammation, including atherosclerosis, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Preliminary research also shows a possible connection to obesity, depression, dyslexia, and hyperactivity. This out-of-balance fat intake is very common in the American diet (with a ratio of 15 to 20 omega-6s to 1 omega-3) and less common in a Mediterranean style diet. Experts say to shoot for balance with a ratio closer to 1 part omega-6 and 1 to 2 parts omega-3.

      

Rebalance your diet by incorporating more sources of omega-3s, such as fresh herbs, canola oil, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and cold-water fish (such as salmon, herring, and sturgeon), into your meals. You can also find products (such as eggs) fortified with omega 3s. Limit other sources of animal proteins (such as beef, poultry, unfortified eggs, and pork) by reducing your portion sizes to two to three ounces.

      

You can also repair the balance by replacing your cooking oils with olive oil, which is high in a third fat called omega-9 fatty acids. Your body can make omega-9s on its own, but adding more of them to your diet can help you lower your omega-6 intake.

       Boosting your fiber intake

      “Eat more fiber.” You’ve probably seen this message in advertisements and the media. You can get all the fiber you need by eating the Mediterranean way, focusing on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

      Fiber is what you may call the “roughage” found in plants. Your body doesn’t digest fiber like it does nutrients; fiber goes through your gastrointestinal tract intact. This process has a bigger impact on health than you may think; its very important roles include the following:

      ❯❯ Helps maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract by decreasing constipation and reducing your risk of diverticulosis, or small pouches that form in your colon.

      ❯❯