Question:
The only problem now is to decide what free Mediterranean diet is.
Answer:
Many studies have developed a scoring system for measuring the adherence to the free Mediterranean diet. The details of the diet varies among different Mediaterranean countries, but there are certain common factors. The traditional diet of Crete is regarded as healthiest of all variations of free Mediterranean diets and therefore should perhaps be used as a general guideline. An excerpt summarizinging the common features of Mediterranean diets: ... The Mediterranean dietary pattern consists of: (a) daily consumption: of non refined cereals and products (whole grain bread, pasta, brown rice, etc), vegetables (2 – 3 servings/day), fruits (6 servings/day), olive oil (as the main added lipid) and dairy products (1 – 2 servings/day), (b) weekly consumption: of fish (4–5 servings/week), poultry (3 – 4 servings/week), olives, pulses, and nuts (3 servings/week), potatoes, eggs and sweets (3 – 4 servings/week) and monthly consumption: of red meat and meat products (4 – 5 servings/month). It is, also, characterized by moderate consumption of wine (1 – 2 wineglasses/day) and high monounsaturated: saturated fat ratio (> 2). This dietary pyramid was suggested by a Harvard-led group with substantial input from Greek scientists [13]. ... Overall, the traditional Mediterranean diet may be thought of as having eight components: (i) a high monounsaturated to saturated fat ratio; (ii) moderate ethanol consumption; (iii) high consumption of legumes; (iv) high consumption of cereals (including bread); (v) high consumption of fruits; (vi) high consumption of vegetables; (vii) low consumption of meat and meat products; and (viii) moderate consumption of milk and dairy products.
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