Prevent Diabetes with a Mediterranean Diet

You are what you eat. As this old saying goes, food plays an important role in shaping a person, their present and future. Especially in a country like India, food brought families and communities together. Right from growing it to harvesting, cooking and consuming it, the entire family would be involved in the process, if not the whole community. Times have changed now. With families growing smaller and communities drifting apart, cooking has become a means of survival. No longer do women gather together to bond over a steaming stove nor do men relax together after harvesting all day.

In this age of speed, meals are quick affairs that a person can whip up in a hurry. From instant coffee and oatmeal to microwaveable dinners, everything comes pre-packaged and cooked, leading to a myriad of health issues such as diabetes and obesity. Considering this, it’s time to pause and reconsider our dietary habits. A new Spanish study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that following a Mediterranean diet (consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and fats from either extra-virgin olive oil or nuts) can help prevent heart disease among people who are at risk for diabetes even if they do not lose their weight or increase the amount of exercise they do. The high amount of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole-grain cereals and olive oil consumed in a Mediterranean diet results in a high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fatty acids. The diet also relies on low intake of trans fatty acids and is accompanied by high levels of dietary fiber and antioxidants being consumed which has a beneficial effect on insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of developing diabetes. What easier way of maintain one’s health? Incorporate a few Mediterranean dishes into your diet and see what happens!