In The News: Three Cheers for the Mediterranean Medley

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal offers great news for those of you who mainly adhere to a Mediterranean "Diet" like the one pictured at right -- it appears to be quite effective at lowering your risk of diabetes.

The New York Times reports that the study, which "followed 13,380 healthy Spanish university graduates for an average of four and a half years, tracking their dietary habits and confirming new cases of diabetes through medical records" determined that "higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, plant based foods (fruits, vegetables, and legumes) and fiber but low in meats was inversely associated with incidence of Type 2 diabetes among initially healthy participants."

I'm personally a huge fan of The Mediterranean way of eating (I hate the term "Mediterranean Diet").

I consider it not only delicious, but also a beautiful -- and healthy -- array of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.

It is not about hunting down ice cream made with Splenda, chowing down on egg and bacon breakfasts, or munching on convenience snacks low in fat but loaded with sugar.

Instead, you base your meals on mainly unprocessed food: nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, low-fat dairy, and olive oil, all with a healthy dose of portion control.

Sounds -- and tastes -- good to me.

Pyramid image © 2000 Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust. Visit their website (http://www.oldwayspt.org) for a wealth of educational materials relating to the Mediterranean Pyramid and other current nutrition topics.