7 FACTS: How the Mediterranean diet helps you live longer and better

From reducing chronic pain to preventing some types of cancer, learn the many health benefits associated with this diet.

This is how we eat at Galilee Green with lots of lean protein like fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, fresh vegetables and of course Galilee Green olive oil!

Here are seven intriguing facts about the Mediterranean diet that could go a very long way toward a life of good health by Jaime Bender at From the Grapevine

1. Decreases your chances of developing chronic pain.

Adhering to a Mediterranean diet decreases the chances that you will develop chronic pain. This is especially true if you’re overweight. According to Charles Emery at the Ohio State University the benefits of anti-inflammatory foods including fish, nuts and beans are key to preventing or reducing chronic pain.

2. Can ward off heart disease.

Researchers  in Athens reported that people who followed the Mediterranean diet were 47 percent less likely to develop heart disease over a 10-year period. Citizens of countries that border the Mediterranean Sea – Greece, Italy, Israel and France, for example – have longer life spans and fewer incidences of cancers and heart-related ailments. They also tend to eat less red meat, sugar and saturated fat and focus on produce, nuts, fish and olive oil.

3. Significantly cuts your risk of uterine cancer.

A joint Swiss-Italian study shows that women who stick closely to a Mediterranean diet can cut their chances of developing uterine cancer by more than half.

4. Reduces your risk of breast cancer.

A study out of the University of Navarra in Spain found that women who followed this diet, supplemented with olive oil each day, reduced their risk of developing breast cancer by 68 percent compared to women who followed a standard low-fat diet.

“We know that things like olive oil have lots of antioxidants and can really reduce your risk [of breast cancer],” Dr. Kevin Campbell, a cardiologist based in Raleigh, North Carolina, told CBS News.

5. Can boost brain power.

An intensive, four-year study out of Barcelona discovered that the Mediterranean diet, supplemented with a small increase in the daily consumption of nuts and olive oil, can help protect the brain from the damaging effects of aging. This is a potentially crucial weapon in the difficult fight against cognitive decline, dementia and devastating diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

6. Can slow down aging.

Researchers at Columbia University in New York discovered that those who followed a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables, fish, olive oil, nuts, fruits and little meat and dairy, had higher brain volumes than those who did not.

7. It’s the easiest diet to follow.

Just a couple of months ago, the Mediterranean diet earned top billing for Easiest Diet to Follow in U.S. News’ Best Diets ratings.

Why so easy? The fact that it’s not actually a diet, but more of a lifestyle pattern, is the key, experts said. You can tailor this diet to fit your needs, your budget, your family, your job, your food taste (that one’s for you, picky eaters!) and your level of physical activity. You can still eat out (sharing is highly recommended), you’re not forbidden from certain food groups, and you’re not likely to feel hungry all the time as with other diets. Simply put, this is a diet you don’t have to stress over. And less stress undoubtedly means more time to live a happy life.

Start living a healthier life today!

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