Mediterranean and Asian Diets Healthier and More Enjoyable than Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets

06 May, 2004 (PRWEB)
 

Which diet is best, low-carb or low-fat? Neither, says Trudy Thelander, co-founder of MediterrAsian.com, a Web site dedicated to informing and educating Westerners about the health-giving benefits of traditional Mediterranean and Asian dietary and lifestyle practices.

"Long-term good health and a lean body doesn't come from depriving yourself of an entire food group," Thelander says. "In the end the restriction is too much for most people and they go back to their old way of eating."

The real key to good health and a lean body, according to Thelander, is to follow the traditional dietary and lifestyle practices of people from Mediterranean and Asian countries such as Greece, Japan, Italy and China. Scientific and medical research dating back to the 1950s has shown that people living in these regions are the healthiest, leanest and longest-lived peoples in the world.

"They've enjoyed this robust good health for centuries without depriving themselves," points out Thelander. "Think about all the delicious foods traditionally eaten in these regions such as pasta dishes, stir-fries, paellas, pizzas, sushi, curries, pilafs and risottos. It's just a wonderful coincidence that these traditionally prepared dishes also happen to be rich in health-giving nutrients and only moderate in calories."

However, she is quick to point out that the good health traditionally enjoyed by Mediterranean and Asian peoples doesn't just come down to what they eat.

"Research has also shown that daily moderate physical activity is a traditional part of life for people living in Mediterranean and Asian regions. Moderate alcohol consumption, particularly with meals, has also been a popular practice throughout Asia and the Mediterranean for centuries. And it is traditional in these cultures for a person to regularly set aside time to relax and recharge their body and mind. This may involve such things as practicing Tai Chi or yoga, meditating, or having a relaxing afternoon siesta."

About MediterrAsian.com.
MediterrAsian.com (http://www.mediterrasian.com) is a free Web site dedicated to informing and educating Westerners about the health-giving benefits of traditional Mediterranean and Asian dietary and lifestyle practices. MediterrAsian.com is updated monthly and contains dozens of healthy traditional Mediterranean and Asian recipes, cooking and lifestyle tips, recipe makeovers, shopping lists, a seven day diet and lifestyle plan, and much more.