Guest Author: Valery Fortie is the national awareness coordinator for the preservation of the Italian healthy eating traditions board.
People from all around the world are developing more and more health issues, due to being overweight. There is a knowncorrelation between heart problems and obesity, but people do not heed the warnings. These illnesses being left untreated or unmanaged, is a leading cause of premature death all around the world.
Being overweight leads to a variety of diseases and illnesses that attribute to poor health. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, clogged arteries and diabetes are just some of the health issues an overweight person may face. These health problems can also lead to a stroke. Strokes can be deadly or lead to severe debilitation.
It is a known fact that lycopene, a compound found in tomatoes, can help lower cholesterol. Dr. Andrew Carson, a senior lecturer at Birmingham University, has asked for further research to investigate the compound.
People who have been following the Mediterranean diet are much healthier than the average person. The Mediterranean diet includes a lot of tomatoes. The hope is to use lycopene as a way to lower a person’s cholesterol. The current medications used to manage a person’s cholesterol are very expensive, and not always effective. Lycopene would be much
cheaper, and save millions of dollars in medical costs.
The Mediterranean diet can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The diet is simple and easy to follow. It involves using herbs and spices to flavor food, instead of salt. A high salt diet can lead to high blood pressure. Using healthy fats like olive oil and canola oil to cook food. The Mediterranean diet calls for a very small amount of red meat.
Meats like fish and shellfish are used in place of red meats.
Raw fruits, vegetables, pasta, rice and nuts are a big part of the Mediterranean diet plan. These foods can help lower the bad cholesterol levels and reduce high blood pressure. A woman can cut her chances of having a stroke by as much as 40%, just by following the Mediterranean diet. The diet itself is full of tasty food, and does not restrict any particular foods. It is simply using healthier food to cook or flavor the food you would normally eat. The diet also allows for an occasional glass
of red wine with your meals.
About the Author
Valery Fortie is the National Awareness Coordinator of Mediterranean book.com. She is also the blogger behind its directory of news focused on healthy eating ways to prevent high blood pressure pain to live longer and better.
Mediterraneanbook.com is a non profit blog founded in 2004 to preserve the Italian Healthy Eating Traditions and inform consumers on duty in all healthy eating fields.
Pasta, olive oil, tomatoes and fresh basil are the basics to delicious Italian cuisine. In this video WatchMojo.com sits down with Roger Costa from Weinstein & Gavinos to learn everything there is to making traditional and delicious Italian meals.
Eating healthy is tough enough, without certain junk foods disguising themselves as healthy choices. Here is a list of some of the worst culprits, and some better alternatives:
Baked potato chips: May be low in fat, but they’re still high in calories and aren’t nutritionally beneficial.
Alternative: Popcorn - Still salty and crunchy, but high in fiber and lower in calories.
Gummy fruit snacks: They’re basically candy with vitamins. They also contain high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.
Alternative: Fresh or dried fruits - Antioxidants.
Light ice cream: Not all light ice creams are low in calories (they’re just low-ER than their full-fat counterparts). Plus, since they don’t have the rich taste you’re looking for, you’re more likely to eat more than one serving.
Alternative: Dairy-free ice cream - It still has a great taste and texture, with fewer calories.
Diet soda: Research shows a possible link between diet soda and heart disease.
Alternative: Flavored seltzer water - No calories, no artificial colors or sweeteners, but it’s fizzy and flavorful.
“Calorie-free” spray margarine: Being labeled, “Calorie-free” means there could actually be as many as 5 calories in a serving.
Alternative: Spray-it-yourself olive oil - This real fat can be more healthy and flavorful than the “fake” stuff.
Nonfat salad dressing: They’re often high in calories cause they’re packed with sugar.
Alternative: Oil-based salad dressing - You’ll get the taste and good-for-you fats.
Low-fat cookies: You think you can indulge, but they’re still filled with sugar and may have tons of calories.
Alternative: Oatmeal cookies - You’re getting cookies AND whole grains. But be careful you’re not also getting high fructose corn syrup, white flour, and butter.100-Calorie Snack Packs: These small packages fool you into believing you’re not eating much, and therefore you end up eating more.
Alternative: A small-serving of almonds - You get fiber and protein, plus good fat.
New York, NY (Vocus/PRWEB ) January 17, 2008 — From spring water to cereal, grocery manufacturers are adding vitamin-enriched items to their product lines. Today, Italica Imports is introducing the country to an extra virgin olive oil from Spain that is enriched with fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E, making it a rich source of antioxidants.
Italica PLUS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Italica PLUS) is the first Spanish extra virgin olive oil enriched with vitamins. While all olive oil promotes better health, Italica PLUS delivers even greater nutritional benefits with three vital vitamins. Use of Italica PLUS in your favorite recipes can help promote a stronger immune system, better circulation, strong bones and healthy teeth, and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Lucy Landesman, president of Italica Imports, said, “Italica PLUS Extra Virgin Olive Oil, like our traditional Italica Extra Virgin Olive Oil, is one the finest cold-pressed virgin olive oils on the market, and today you can use it knowing it’s enriched with even more vitamins and health benefits. Make your favorite sauces, salad dressings, marinades and other recipes even healthier for you and your family.”
What are the benefits of the three vitamins that fortify heart-healthy Italica PLUS? Supportive but not conclusive research shows that Vitamin A promotes healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, intestinal and urinary tracts. Vitamin D is associated with strong, healthy bones and regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. And Vitamin E acts to protect cells against the effects of free radicals, which can damage cells and may be a factor in the development of cancer and heart disease.
Olive oil is often regarded as a perfect food: free of trans-fats, great for the heart, and excellent for the digestive system. Limited but not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day.
Italica Olive Oil is available at grocery stores nationwide or you can purchase online at www.italicaoliveoil.com. Italica Olive Oil is the only 100% Spanish olive oil available in unbreakable PET plastic bottles. In addition to Italica PLUS Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Italica Imports offers a complete line of olive oil, olives and international condiments featuring: Italica Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Italica Extra Virgin Olive Oil enriched with Omega-3, Italica 100% Pure Olive Oil, Italica Kalamata Olives and Italica Organic Olives.
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