by Lillyswawa

Created on: June 25, 2009

Nutritionists recently performed a series of studies with a number of healthy Greeks, aged 80 to 100 years. They have concluded that the phenomenal longevity of these durable folk seems to be most likely due to the consumption of certain foods within the ever-popular Mediterranean diet. Additionally, the amounts of those foods were proven to play a rather important role, as well.

This would not be news if not for one caveat. The study refers to only CERTAIN foods within the diet as vastly benefiting longevity, not necessarily all.The whole grains consumed, many of which ARE healthful, proved to make hardly any difference at all in lengthening life. Nor did low-fat dairy products, since high-fat content cheeses such as Brie, Camembert or, Feta tended to neutralize the positive effects of the low-fat yogurts. Meats were rarely eaten - occasionally abit of lamb but, very little beef or, pork. That's a plus!

But, here's the big surprise: fish was not even eaten often enough to be significantly counted among foods attributed with maintaining a longer than average life! So, what secrets do the Greeks have which continue to guarantee their long and healthy lives?

Enjoy EACH of the following DAILY and you, too, can attain the promise of a LONG and HEALTHY life!

THE DIET of the Greeks:

*2 cups of vegetables ( the darker the color the better)

*1/4 cup of beans - a necessary source of much needed protein!

*1 1/2 cup (combined) of fruits and nuts (example; about 18-20 almonds/ 13 or,14 walnuts)

*2-3 tablespoons olive oil (canola is fine)

*Wine (preferably red; white is alright) Rule: women should not drink more than 1-1 1/2 glasses per day; men not more than 2- 2 1/2 glasses. (At this point, the "law of diminishing returns" takes over!)

Eating this diet will produce a cumulative affect, so it is still beneficial to eat any part of it even if it is neither practical nor, palatable to follow it to the letter!

Finally, a few simple rules-of-thumb:

1) Shop for, prepare, and eat foods which are:

primarily plant-based

unprocessed

moderately portioned (more of a good thing, however good, is not better!)

2) Avoid recipes which require ingredients high in saturated fat (such as mayonnaise or, butter).

3) Use Extra Virgin olive oil wherever possible. It is the best available on the market, purest and cold-pressed.

( One word about Organics: Although not mentioned in the study to which I refer herein, the issue of whether or not to buy organic is one the individual may seriously want to consider. However, it is this writer's opinion that, although definitely not without their advantages where acquiring a healthy lifestyle is concerned, organic food selections may or, may not play any SIGNIFICANT role in increasing longevity. That being the case, when price and convenience are weighed against "longevity" benefit alone, "buying organic" may or, may not be worth it.)

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