The 'Mediterranean Diet' again

[Mich the Tester]

The Mediterranean diet isn't what you see when you visit Ibiza or other typical tourist spots, it's the small villages on the coasts of Greece for example. My wife's family are Greek and own a hotel on the coast in a small village, we go every summer and they eat freshly caught seafood, salad, feta cheese, locally grown fruit/veg etc.

I'm not talking about Ibiza here.

[d000hg]

well the article I listened to then went on to say a medditeraean (sp cannot be bothered!) diet is

Veg, Fruit a few other things oh and some Olive Oil.

So it seems that the med diet is like an healthy diet with Olive Oil

Olive oil IS healthy.

[expat]

Obviously, it's shorthand for a specific diet, not for just any old diet that you may see people near the Med eat.
And from the point of view of study results, Med diet means the diet, not just any diet composed to your taste and in any quantity, from foods that happen to be eaten in the Med diet.

[expat]

Olive oil IS healthy.

Not at all disagreeing with you (actually agreeing), but IMHO it's more meaningful to say that some foods and some diets are harmful. Olive oil is not one of those. So consuming olive oil rather than corn oil or rapeseed oil or Flora, is merely avoiding something that's bad for you.

BTW the nutritional profile of lard is not dissimilar to olive oil! It was demonised unjustifiably by people who wanted to sell you manufactured oil with a much higher profit margin.

[VectraMan]

Not at all disagreeing with you (actually agreeing), but IMHO it's more meaningful to say that some foods and some diets are harmful. Olive oil is not one of those. So consuming olive oil rather than corn oil or rapeseed oil or Flora, is merely avoiding something that's bad for you.

BTW the nutritional profile of lard is not dissimilar to olive oil! It was demonised unjustifiably by people who wanted to sell you manufactured oil with a much higher profit margin.

I always wondered if olive oil really is healthy, or it's just a less bad alternative. So if you drank half a litre of olive oil every day, would you be healthier? Or is it just that mars bar deep fried in olive oil is less bad for you than a mars bar deep fried in bacon fat?

[Old Greg]

Not at all disagreeing with you (actually agreeing), but IMHO it's more meaningful to say that some foods and some diets are harmful. Olive oil is not one of those. So consuming olive oil rather than corn oil or rapeseed oil or Flora, is merely avoiding something that's bad for you.

BTW the nutritional profile of lard is not dissimilar to olive oil! It was demonised unjustifiably by people who wanted to sell you manufactured oil with a much higher profit margin.

Lard is 39% saturated fat. Olive oil is 14% saturated fat.

[expat]

Lard is 39% saturated fat. Olive oil is 14% saturated fat.

That's the least important aspect of all. Most important is that both olive oil and lard are primarily monounsaturated; and that both are relatively low in polyunsaturated fatty acids.

[russell]

There is no real evidence that saturated fats cause disease. Sugar/high carbs diet is now the candidate.

[minestrone]

The fact that a high percentage of the population in this country have no clue about how to maintain a healthy diet is damning of our education system. Most people think of food as items that are good for you or bad for you, no matter how much of the package is dedicated to nutritional information and however it is dumbed down into colour coding and percentages in RDAs people still get fat and still get heart disease.

Best just let them get on with it.

[Old Greg]

That's the least important aspect of all. Most important is that both olive oil and lard are primarily monounsaturated; and that both are relatively low in polyunsaturated fatty acids.

That is your interpretation of the nutritional profiles, not a 'not dissimilar' nutritional profile.

Olive oil is 73% monounsaturated fat. Lard is 45% monounsaturated fat.

In any case, you may want to get onto the British Heart Foundation as they seem to have got it all wrong.

British Heart Foundation - Fats explained

Fats explained

Cheese - British Heart FoundationAll fats are high in calories, so it’s important to bear this in mind if you are watching your weight.

However, in terms of your heart, it’s important to think about the type of fat you are eating.

Swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats

Butter, lard, ghee, palm oil and coconut oil are all high in saturated fat.

Too much saturated fat can increase the amount of cholesterol in the blood, which can increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Where possible replace saturated fats with small amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats

Avoid trans fats

Avoid these wherever possible. These fats are most likely to be found in foods such as biscuits, cakes, pastries and deep fried foods.

Trans fats occur naturally in small amounts in dairy foods and meat, however it is the industrially produced trans fats which have a similar effect to saturated fat, as they can increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood.

Have monounsaturated fats in small amounts

Have these in small amounts. Olive oil, rapeseed oil and spreads which are made from these oils, as well as some nuts and seeds, are all high in monunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats can help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Have polyunsaturated fats in small amounts

Have these in small amounts. Soya, vegetable and sunflower oils, spreads made from these oils, nuts and seeds like walnuts and sesame seeds, and oily fish all contain polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and provide essential fatty acids.

Top tips to help you reduce your saturated fat

Swap butter, lard, ghee and coconut and palm oils with small amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oils and spreads.
Choose lean cuts of meat and make sure you trim any excess fat and remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
Instead of pouring oils straight from the bottle, use a spray oil or measure out your oils with a teaspoon.
Read food labels to help you make choices that are lower in saturated fat.
Opt to grill, bake, steam, boil or poach your foods.
Make your own salad dressings using ingredients like balsamic vinegar, low fat yoghurt, lemon juice, and herbs, with a dash of olive oil.
Use semi-skimmed, 1% or skimmed milk rather than whole or condensed milk.
Cottage cheese, ricotta and extra light soft cheese are examples of low fat cheese options. Remember that many cheeses are high in saturated fat so keep your portions small - matchbox sized. Opt for strongly flavoured varieties and grate it to make a little go a long way.