On the Coast – Over 55 Issue 31 I September/October 2019 | Page 12

The basis of traditional
Mediterranean eating
BY NICKY BONNEFIN APD
Y
ou may have pondered across
the idea of sitting under the
Mediterranean sun, soaking up its
warmth and culture. These may not be
the only thoughts coming to mind when
the word ‘Mediterranean’ is mentioned,
with the new waves of information and
research, suggesting that Mediterranean
eating pattern may be one of the most
beneficial styles for our heath.
So is it just the food or a certain
dish? As the Mediterranean beaches
wash over the shores of 21 countries,
the food is more of a pattern, with a
broad basis of ingredients, rather than
a cuisine. But traditionally the food
accompanied the Mediterranean ‘diaita’
– or the Mediterranean way of life. The
Mediterranean’s knew and love their
food – but connection and sharing was a
key part of many Mediterranean homes
and communities. Many people had
labour heavy jobs, so movement was
common, and life was a slower pace,
which could be attributed to lower stress
levels. Research suggests these may be
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some reasons for the health benefits
experienced.
What was the basis of traditional
Mediterranean eating?
Plants-based staples: including
vegetables, wholegrains and legumes.
These staples are full of vitamins,
minerals and diverse fibres. The fibre
and low GI carbohydrates provide
slow release energy keeping you full,
meanwhile, the diversity feed many
types of gut bacteria (or gut flora).
These guys, the gut bacteria, make a
lot of compounds. One of their major
jobs involve making immune factors,
meaning, they play a big role in fighting
bugs and protecting our system. The
vitamins and minerals in the foods can be
likened to the ‘nuts and bolts’ in our body
– helping us to use the energy, and help
the systems to hum along nicely. Grains
are best eaten whole, in minimally-
processed ways. This is because the
processing removes a lot of the fibre,
vitamins and minerals. Whole grains
include wheat, oats, rye, barley, rice, corn,
buckwheat, amaranth, sorghum, quinoa,
teff and millet. 
More plant-based protein, seafood and
reduced meat
Legumes, beans nuts and seeds made up
a large amount of the Mediterranean
protein intake. New research has shown
links that reducing meat-based proteins
for plant-based proteins may have help us
age and have a protective effect against
cancer and developing type 2 diabetes.
This could be partly because the plants
also have the fibre, helping the immune
system and maintaining good blood sugar
levels and bowel functioning.
Legumes are chickpeas, split peas and
lentils and some beans include kidney,
cannellini, pinto and black beans. In
the way of seafood, much of it that was
consumed had rich sources of omega-3
fats, which can help keep our hearts
healthy in several ways. Other meats
have higher amounts of saturated fat,
which when out of proportion, can raise