HOW TO...APPROACH THE 'NEW, REVOLUTIONARY' MEDITERRANEAN DIET

(Some material has been previously posted on the How to...Page)
Written summer 2016

For anyone over the age of 50, we've been here before.  The new wunderkind diet filling the newspapers and bookshelves -- high-fat, low carb -- was popular in the 1970's under the name Atkins.  It's done the rounds.  It's fashionable again and promises much.  But how important is it to good health?

The 'new' diet advice is a variation on the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean Diet involves a specific combination of foods originating in the region which has been shown to promote health and long life in many countries.  Its main ingredients are olive oil, fish and plenty of plant based foods.  

The 'new' approach -- "Cut carbs, quit sugar, increase fat" -- is the opposite of the usual high-carb approach and represents a backlash against sugar and processed foods.   

But is this approach the result of cyclical swings in food/health trends?  Is it the 'turn' of a different group of food producers' to benefit from fashions in food?  

There is no doubt that obesity is an intractable problem in the west, and sugar consumption, especially amongst kids, is way too high.

It's also clear that decisions people make about the proportions of various foods in their diets can make a significant difference -- not just to the risks of serious disease but also well-being.  

We need only look to UK food policy during the Second World War; food was rationed but carefully balanced.  Few people were unhealthy and few people (except maybe livestock producers!) were fat. 


What is the 'new' thinking regarding diets?

An increasing number of doctors and nutritionists say obesity is endemic because the low-fat carb-based diet recommended by health officials is actually making us fat and unhealthy. The doctors say the key to losing weight, staying slim and "feeling fabulous forever" is a diet high in healthy-fats  and low in carbs.  The rising number of Diabetics are encouraged to cut carbs and sugar completely. 

There's a welcome difference in the emphasis on fats this time: fats means healthy fats.  So the mountains of steak, gallons of cream and heaps of butter of the old Atkins diet are off the menu.  

Good Fats

courtesy Dreamstime.com stock photo

Healthy fats may not even look like fat

The recommended fats are: olive oil, avocado, oily fish, (unsalted) nuts and seeds and dairy products, preferably fermented, such as yoghurt and ricotta.  

Saturated fat is not encouraged.  Butter is borderline -- it's a natural product and considered more healthy than liquid oils converted to solid form. But research into butter is still inconclusive. An eminent researcher took part in two recent studies; one concluded it was not especially bad for you; the other, the opposite. 

What level of carbs are acceptable?

Carbs turn into blood sugar which provides the energy we need to carry out daily activities.  Too much blood sugar turns to fat. Cutting carbs reduces sugars in the blood and causes fat reserves to burn off.

Carbs are an essential food group; that's why giving them up is so difficult.  Carb deprivation can lead to headaches, weakness, nausea, dizziness and irritability.

Restricting carbs is the new solution; depending on body size and energy requirements, 50-150 grams a day is thought to maintain good health and even encourage weight loss. 

The biggest culprits when it comes to producing blood sugar are white potatoes, rice and flours.  It's certainly wise to replace them with wholemeal grains and sweet potatoes, most of the time.  But it may not be necessary to go without the nothing-else-tastes-as-good-as mashed potatoes and good white bread (unless under doctor's orders).  Eating them WITH protein (veggie or otherwise) will slow down the conversion of white carbs into sugar, keeping blood sugar on an even keel.    

The other category of carbs  -- vegetables and pulses -- are less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar but still have an impact. Both are included when calculating carb portions.  Vegetables with high carb content include: peas, beetroot, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and sweetcorn.  Pulses and beans -- even though they are also proteins -- and 'pseudo grains' such as quinoa & buckwheat are classed as carbs.   

Clearly, this accounts for the popularity of cauliflower rice and 'spaghetti' made from spiralised vegetables! 




Does my family need to give up sugar? 

We consume far too much sugar, much of it hidden:  an estimated 15 teaspoons a day.  Sugar can easily become addictive and that's probably why the 'new' diets encourage total abstinence from sugar. 

67 believes that's counter-productive, not to mention cruel.  

We are built to experience and enjoy the sensation of sweetness.  The tongue has taste receptors linked to primary tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, savoury and fat. All the tastes contribute to the pleasure derived from food.  67 believes sugar deprivation causes special strain, emotionally and physically. 

Eating while celebrating with friends is one of the great pleasures of life. Limiting yourself or your family to a strict one-note diet seems neither sensible nor fair.  

Life without sugar would be unbearable to most people BUT it's essential to practice discipline and portion control.  (See: All Things in Moderation)

It's wise to also differentiate between refined, processed sugars with little or no food value and natural sugars found in fruit and veg.  Many foods high in natural sugars are also high in vitamins and minerals and provide digestion-friendly fibre.


Should my family eat less high-sugar fruits?

In 67's view, there's a trade-off between high sugar levels in tropical fruits like melons and grapes.  The fruits are not for everyday consumption and are usually an occasional treat -- but one definitely to be enjoyed in the summer.  

An example: sweet cherries produce high blood sugar.  But who eats (relatively expensive) cherries outside of the short window in the summer when they're at their delicious best? And who wants never to eat cherries again?  Reduce servings to a handful rather than half a punnet -- reducing portions is the key.  

Fruit: full of natural sweetness but also good nutrients
(stock photo courtesy a2zhdwallpapers.com)

The Very Well website produces a list of fruits ranked according to sugar content which might be useful: 

1. Berries - generally lowest in sugar but highest in antioxidants and other nutrients
2. Summer Fruits - next lowest: peaches, nectarines, apricots and melons
3. Winter Fruits - apples, pears & citrus fruits are moderate in sugar
4. Tropical Fruits - pineapple, mangoes, banana and fresh figs are high in sugar but guava and papaya are lower than others
5. Dried Fruit - extremely high in sugar; dried cranberries and blueberries would be lower if sugar wasn't added to them

67goingon50 believes depriving the body of food groups is a mistake.  For example, brain cells need fat to function properly.  Carbohydrates are needed after exercise to stop muscles seizing up.  Carbs generally provide energy for the body to work efficiently.  The key to 67 good healthy eating is in discipline and portion control.  (See All Foods in Moderation)

67 also worries about the effects on modern bodies when food groups which have been consumed sine birth, over aeons -- probably since prehistoric man turned to agriculture -- are no longer consumed.  Could we now be hard-wired to consume some carbs and a little sugar?

It's important to eat to maintain good health and to plan ahead for graceful ageing.  It is also important to cut loose occasionally, to take and enjoy every mouthful and then go back to disciplined eating.

67goingon50 supports reducing all things that are bad for you: too much fat of whatever variety, too much salt, too much sugar and too many processed foods.  

Heres 67's recommended take on the 'new, revolutionary' Mediterranean Diet (which is not that different from Healthy Eating):

1. Plant-based foods play a primary role: veg, fruit, whole grains, legumes, pulses, nuts, vegetable oils
2. Carbs (conventional plus vegetables & pulses, beans & whole grains) limited to 50-150gms per day; a day or two per week without any carbs at all won't do any damage
3. 5 portions of fresh veg daily
4. 2-3 portions fresh fruit, most with lower-sugar content, daily (see above for sugar content of fruits)
5. Replace butter where possible with olive or veg oils
6. Replace some salt with herbs & spices
7. When using soy sauce use 25% reduced-salt brands like Amoy or Pearl River Bridge
8. Fish twice a week, especially for oldies
9. Poultry once a week
10. Best quality affordable red meat once a week, fortnight or month, depending on mental & physical requirements
11. All other meals vegetarian
12. Small quantities of dairy products pref fermented (fat-free or low-fat, sugar-free yoghurt or ricotta) to help digestion
13. Handful of unsalted nuts 2-3 times a week
14. Read labels to check that low-fat foods do not contain added sugar

67goingon50 adds:

• Baked goods once or twice a month but adapted to low-sugar diets (How to Bake with Less Guilt 
• No other carbs on the day of baked goods or for a couple of days to compensate 

Sources:
www.mayoclinic.org/healthy/lifestyle
patient.info/health/mediterranean diet
www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,2079
Sugar-Free: 8 Weeks to Freedom from Sugar, Karen Thompson via Daily Mail July 2016



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