How Can the Mediterranean Lifestyle Benefit You?
By Stepy Kamei
If you're looking for a way to boost your health and wellness, it's important to keep in mind the kind of lifestyle you choose to live. This might sound vague, but it's a concept that can simply be broken up into easy habits added to your everyday routine. For inspiration, you can look to the lifestyle of people living in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. While the cuisine and lifestyles vary from country to country, there are certain basic principles and elements they share. Scientists, nutritionists, and healthcare experts have been able to determine that people who live in around the Mediterranean tend to live longer and experience fewer health ailments, including heart disease and cancer. Part of this may be due to the stunning views and dreamy climate, sure -- but you don't need to live in this part of the world in order to benefit from their lifestyle. Read on to pick up a few helpful hints and tips on how you can borrow from the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle for better overall health and wellness.
What Are They Doing Right Over There?
When it comes down to it, healthcare experts agree that there are three key elements that encourage well-being in the people living along the Mediterranean -- the extremely healthy Mediterranean diet, an active lifestyle, and learning to relax and cope with stress in healthy ways.
If you've been looking into improving your diet, you may have heard about the advantages of the Mediterranean diet. It emphasizes whole, minimally-processed foods, such as fresh produce, whole grains, and dairy products such as whole yogurt and cheese, which contain loads of calcium and protein. Red meat is swapped out in favor of the healthier lean proteins found in fresh-caught fish and beans. Honey is often used as a sweetener instead of refined, artificial sugar.
On top of this, this lifestyle encourages walking and biking as often as you can. It's no secret that Americans are leading increasingly sedentary lives, between sitting in offices and sitting at home to relax. This often increases health problems, which is why staying active and physically fit is so important.
Finally, the people in this part of the world know how to address stress right away and cope with their anxieties rather than trying to ignore it. Ironically, a healthy diet and active lifestyle has been clinically proven to reduce feelings of stress.
Incorporating Their Habits Into Your Everyday Life
It's really not that difficult to take some of the best aspects of the Mediterranean lifestyle and bring them into your everyday routine. Focus on eating meals which are made from whole, fresh ingredients. Take walks after meals. Address your stress when it pops up. These are all simple yet remarkably powerful tools you can use to improve your lifestyle.
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