What We Should Eat: Draft One

Originating on the Greek island of Crete, the Mediterranean diet is a healthier version of the “normal American diet.” The Mediterranean diet contains a bigger intake of fruits, vegetables, breads and other grains, beans, and nuts. Sweets, eggs, poultry, and fish are eaten a few times a week, and red meat is only eaten a few times per month in smaller portions. The Mediterranean diet is very healthy, it reduces the risk of heart disease. Even though it includes meat, it is not that much. Almost everything incorporated in the diet can be found in supermarkets.
The Mediterranean diet is higher in fat than the American Heart Association recommends. While there is a lot of fats in the diet it is the healthy kind of fats. Monounsaturated fats are good for you, they lower total and LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. These types of fats can be found in nuts and peanut, canola, and olive oils. Polyunsaturated fats lower total and LDL cholesterol as well. It can be found in fish containing omega-3 fatty acids. (www.health castle.com). Eating cold water fish reduces the risk of heart disease and also boosts the immune system. It is recommended to eat foods containing monounsaturated fats daily and polyunsaturated fats a few times per week while on the Mediterranean diet. People on the Mediterranean diet eat very little red meat. Red meat has saturated and trans fat, which is not that good for you.
Another reason that the Mediterranean diet is a good one to choose is because it can reduce the risk of heart disease. A study conducted by French researchers had 600 heart attack survivors follow the Mediterranean diet or a normal American diet. The short term results were similar, everyone saw change in cholesterol levels. The long term results, over the next two years, showed that in the Mediterranean group only 8 people had another heart attack, while in the other group 33 people had another heart attack. (www.womensheartfoundation.org). Obviously, a person with heart disease could reduce the risk of another heart attack by switching to the much healthier Mediterranean diet.
It is recommended to drink a moderate amount of wine. About one glass per day for women and two glasses a day for men. Alcohol can reduce the risk of heart attacks by increasing the level of HDL in the system and reducing blood clots. Instead of drinking alcohol it is suggested to drink purple grape juice.
The Mediterranean diet does involve eating meat. It is perfectly alright for humans to eat other animals. We are animals as well, and other animals eat each other, so it is ethical to eat meat. Meat is also healthy to eat when it is in moderate portions.
Since the Mediterranean diet is mostly grains, fruits, and vegetables, it is easily accessible. You can walk into any supermarket and there are plenty of foods that fit into the Mediterranean diet.