The Mediterranean region is home to some of the most treasured and iconic dishes in the world. There is a widespread belief that the area’s varied cuisine is vital to a healthy life. The history, geography and recipe of Mediterranean foods are broader than we know. Basically, following a Mediterranean diet involves eating in the manner that people who traditionally lived in the Mediterranean region ate. A Mediterranean traditional diet entails a substantial portion of whole grains, legumes, fish and healthy fats. Below are the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet and some Mediterranean foods you need to eat.

Health benefits that  Mediterranean diet offers

Reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease: Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet helps the overall health of blood vessels and improves the body’s blood sugar and cholesterol levels. This has the effects of reducing a person’s risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Prevents strokes and heart disease: Adhering to a Mediterranean diet means limiting refined bread, red meat and processed foods. It also encourages red wine intake as a substitute for hard liquor, preventing stroke and heart disease.

Increases longevity: Taking a Mediterranean diet helps reduce one’s risk of developing diseases such as cancer, stroke and heart disease, thus decreasing death by 20{31f3947bba9aa8e7d2948572be5f49e4e331a20a4e0066db9a11a609fd01c353}.

Keeps an individual agile: Mediterranean diets offer the body nutrients that help reduce frailty signs and the risk of developing weak muscles by about 70{31f3947bba9aa8e7d2948572be5f49e4e331a20a4e0066db9a11a609fd01c353}, thus helping keep a person agile.

Reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease: Mediterranean diets are rich in antioxidants which helps stop cells from undergoing a destructive process referred to as oxidative stress, reducing the risk of having Parkinson’s disease by half.

Protects a person from type two diabetes: Mediterranean diets are high in fibre contents. Fibre is known to digest slowly, thus averting significant fluctuations of blood sugar levels.

Hummus/Baba Ganoush

In Arabic, Hummus means chickpea. The cultivation of chickpeas in the Mediterranean in mass amounts brought Hummus to life and has since become a globally known dish. The main ingredient in Hummus is chickpea. A hummus comprises tahini, which is ground paste prepared from sesame seeds, mashed chickpeas, spices, and olive oil. It can, however, be altered by incorporating other spices and ingredients as one may wish. Baba ganoush is identical to the Hummus the only difference being it utilizes the eggplant as the base in the place of chickpeas.

Baklava

Baklava is a famous dessert in the Mediterranean region. It can be made in a variety of shapes, ways and forms. The traditional baklava is a mixture of walnut layered amid phyllo dough, soaked with huge amounts of butter and a topping of homemade syrup. You can always alter it as you like by utilizing various nuts such as pistachios, omitting the syrup or changing the traditional triangular shape.

Pilaf

This is rice that has been fried and cooked in a broth that’s spiced. Its flavour can be improved by adding nuts, spices, dried fruits or pieces of meat. Pilaf can be prepared in various ways, one of the most renowned being frying some vermicelli pasta and tossing in the rice and broth.

Lentils & Yogurt

This is an easy to prepare classic Mediterranean diet. It comprises lentils folded into spinach, basil and yoghurt. Independently yoghurt and lentils are very prevalent in the Mediterranean region.

Falafel

With origins in either Egypt or Libya, Falafel is a Middle Eastern dish and a  common Mediterranean food. It is a deep-fried doughnut, fried ball or patty that has been made from ground fava beans or chickpeas or both.

Olives

For very many years, olives have been grown in the Persian region. Today, 95{31f3947bba9aa8e7d2948572be5f49e4e331a20a4e0066db9a11a609fd01c353} of the olives in the world grow in the Mediterranean area. This explains why Mediterranean cooking prefers olive over other oils, and fats and butter.

Grapes

Grapes have made wine the drink of choice in a great part of the Mediterranean region. Persia is located close to the red sea, which offers an impeccable climate for grapes’ growth. Studies show that the cultivation of grapes in Persia date backs 8000 years ago. Though it was the Italians who first used grapes to make wine, today, Mediterranean countries account for 40{31f3947bba9aa8e7d2948572be5f49e4e331a20a4e0066db9a11a609fd01c353} of the world’s total wine.

Tabouleh

This is a salad prepared using lots of bulgur grain, parsley, tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, olive oil and cucumbers. It is a Mediterranean salad that mixes various textures, is incredibly fresh and has an earthy but tangy flavour.

In conclusion, with this article, you have Mediterranean diets and ingredients you need to try out. It is also essential to accompany your Mediterranean dish with some drinks. Use online reviews such as drinksupermarket review to have a list of drinks delivery services that are reputable to deliver your drinks.