The Mediterranean Diet
There are few things about which I am obsessive, one is bedbugs, the other is dieting.
For decades advertisements have inspired or tricked us, me mostly, into trying a number of crazy diets.
For whatever reason folks, years ago, I never met a diet I didn't try.
In my twenties I inhaled the cabbage soup diet, gave up eating anything white during Christmas, even juiced for a few days, and really committed to that cookie diet.
In my thirties I embraced Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution, eggs became my dinner, bacon became my steak, and the water weight I lost impressed my scale.
In my late thirties at a Weight Watchers meeting I met a handsome vegetarian, I dumped the meat, he dumped me, and I moved on to Jenny Craig. Such is life.
In any event, with age comes wisdom. One day, I sat down and looked at my own medical history along with my families, took a few notes to present to my physician. At my very next appointment we discussed any risk factors for disease, such as heart disease and diabetes. Long story short, in the end because of my history of HCV and high risk for diabetes he suggested I try the Mediterranean
diet, I took his advice.
The Mediterranean Way Of Eating - My First Non-Diet Approach To Eating Right
For the last fifteen years I have adopted the Mediterranean way of eating, commonly referred to as the Mediterranean diet. Although, it isn't really a diet, the name evolved as a way to reference a group of healthy foods, or a diet pattern used by people whose countries border the Mediterranean Sea. In these countries, especially Greece, people eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, legumes fish and olive oil. According to years of research, people living in this region suffer less than most Americans from cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Everyone should eat a healthy, balanced diet to maintain their health, especially people living with chronic illness. Maintaining a healthy weight is especially important if you have HCV, the risk for developing
scarring of the liver; fibrosis and cirrhosis is higher in people who are obese and living with the virus.
Diets
come and go, as do hot vegetarians, but for people with liver disease eating foods proven to help preserve, or even improve overall liver health is worth the effort.
Today close to
30% of American adults have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In people living with hepatitis C it rises to around 40% and even higher in people with genotype 3. Often referred to in the medical world as HCV-induced steatosis, 60% to 80% people with genotype 3 have moderate or severe steatosis.
So What Is HCV-induced Steatosis?
Fatty liver disease (steatosis) is a build-up of excess fat in the liver cells, and in some cases may trigger inflammation of the liver. HCV-induced steatosis
develops due to a combination of viral and host factors. Viral factors are genotype specific, with genotype 3 viral-induced steatosis the most common, up to 80% of people with genotype 3 have moderate to severe steatosis. Chronic hepatitis C also alters glucose metabolism
resulting in insulin resistance (IR), further
promoting hepatic steatosis, which outside of genotype 3 infection has
been
associated with more advanced liver disease, according to a review published in last months issue of the
Journal of Viral Hepatitis.
Another study published in Nutrition 2013, found HCV patients who participated in a diet and exercise program lowered their grade of steatosis and remarkably, their fibrosis score.
For most people, I raise my hand in shame, diets are something we jump on and jump off, but eating right is better accomplished when we make it more of a lifestyle. Rather it originated on the boarder of the Mediterranean Sea, or here in the U.S., it only works when we embrace it as a way of life.
America - Suggested Nutrition Guidelines
In the United States the USDA
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is intended to help people choose an overall healthy diet, based on five food groups. The
dietary guide is put together jointly by the
Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) and the
Department of Agriculture (USDA). A committee of
scientific experts review the guide which is incorporated into a
scientific evidence-based report, the next edition will be released in
2015.
The dietary
recommendations are
aimed at preventing two major health problems
in the U.S., which are
obesity and
heart attacks. Obesity can sneak up on us overtime, the older we get the more
calories we consume, more than the body burns. Obesity in turn can cause
numerous health problems, such as heart disease,
stroke,
liver disease,
arthritis, high blood pressure, gout, gallstones, and even certain cancers.
In June 2011, the USDA launched a visual guideline depicting a place setting using the five food groups, called
MyPlate. It proved successful and replaced our some twenty year old food pyramid.
Check out this interactive website;
ChooseMyPlate, find tons of advice on nutrition, watch a few videos, grab a recipe or take part in an educational program.
Follow
MyPlate on
twitter for daily
tips.
Cooking according to
MyPlate guidelines is possible in any culture, rather you come from Europe, Asian or American. In the video Cris Comerford,
the White House Executive Chef prepares an authentic Filipino dish following the
MyPlate guidelines and portion size.
For Chef Comerford's recipes, go here:
http://www.letsmove.gov/blog/2013/05/...
Healthy and Traditional Asian American and Pacific Islander Cuisine
Shrimp, Chicken and Vegetable Fried Rice
Links:
ChooseMyPlate.gov features practical information and tips to help Americans build healthier diets
The Mediterranean Diet
As previously mentioned, this is my preferred way of eating. The program includes a high consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, bread, pasta, rice, nuts with less red meat and dairy products than many other diets. Although, red wine is used in moderation, it has never been advisable for people living with hepatitis C, or advanced liver disease. Other food choices are lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and moderate consumption of fish. Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and low in saturated fats. Omega-3 fatty acids
can help lower triglycerides and blood pressure.
Clinical research has demonstrated adhering to a diet plan with foods named in the
Mediterranean diet may help preserve memory as we age, reduced
both liver fat
and inflammation, help protect
against liver cancer, may have potential benefits for people chronically infected with hepatitis, reduce the risk for diabetes, heart attack
and stroke - Whew! Provided next.is a research summary of the above mentioned health benefits, followed up with a link to each original article and research.
Mediterranean Diet and Memory
Omega-3 fatty acids are also known to benefit the brain and nervous system. A study in the journal
Neurology, January 2013, reported adhering to a
Mediterranean diet may help to preserve memory.
U.S.
researchers studied 17,478 people with an average age of 64 by
monitoring their eating habits, and testing their mental ability over a
four year period. In that time, 7% developed problems with their
memory and ability to think. Those who ate a Mediterranean diet had a
19% reduced risk of mental impairment.
Mediterranean Diet and Liver Disease
Previous studies have suggested the Mediterranean Diet has additional benefits for
people with liver disease, for instance a study published in the July 2013 issue of the
Journal of Hepatology demonstrated patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease who followed the diet for six weeks not only significantly improved insulin sensitivity, but reduced
both liver fat
and inflammation.
Mediterranean Diet, Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Viral Hepatitis
This is exciting, according to a study found in the
Journal of Hepatology, November 2013;
A closer adherence to the Mediterranean diet appears to be protective against HCC (liver cancer). Our results also point to potential benefits from adhering to a Mediterranean dietary pattern for patients chronically infected with hepatitis viruses.
Read the
full article over at NATAP, abstract
here.
Mediterranean Diet and Diabetes
A recent study found patients at high risk for diabetes due to
pre-existing cardiovascular conditions reduced the risk for diabetes by 40% by adhering to the traditional Mediterranean diet high in
extra-virgin olive oil intake. View the study;
Prevention of Diabetes With Mediterranean Diets: A Subgroup Analysis of a Randomized Trial, published in
Annals of Internal Medicine - January 2014.
Mediterranean diet and Heart Attack and Stroke
2013-Mediterranean diet and Heart Attack and Stroke:
Published in the February 2013 online issue of the
New England Journal of Medicine, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death) by close to 30%, among people with high cardiovascular risk.
A total of 7447 persons were in the study (age range, 55 to 80 years); 57% were women. None had cardiovascular
disease when they enrolled in the study, but they did have a high cardiovascular risk.
The participants were broken down into three cohorts. The first group followed a Mediterranean diet with
extra-virgin olive oil, the second a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts, and the last group (control) followed a low-fat diet. Statistical analysis showed that compared to those following the control
(low-fat) diet, participants on the Mediterranean diet with
extra-virgin
olive oil were 30% less likely to experience a cardiovascular event, and
those on the Mediterranean diet with nuts were 28% less likely. Researchers reported on the importance of the results
"... the results of the PREDIMED trial are of utmost importance because they convincingly demonstrate that a high vegetable fat dietary pattern is superior to a low-fat diet for cardiovascular prevention."
Read the article, here
2014-Mediterranean diet: lower risk of peripheral
artery disease (PAD):
A multicenter study that previously reported a reduction in heart attack
and stroke with a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin
olive oil or with nuts now also reports a lower risk of peripheral
artery disease (PAD), according to a study in the
January 22/29 issue of JAMA.
"To our knowledge, this is the first randomized primary prevention trial
to suggest an association between a dietary intervention and [reduction
in] PAD. These results are consistent with previous observational
studies and relevant from a public health perspective," the authors
write.
Read the article here..........
****Related- Feb 2014:Increased prevalence of coronary artery disease risk markers in patients with chronic hepatitis C – a cross-sectional study
Chronic
hepatitis C is a global health problem and has been associated with
coronary artery disease. Our aim was to examine the prevalence of
coronary artery disease risk markers including endothelial biomarkers in
patients with chronic hepatitis C and matched comparisons without
manifest cardiovascular disease or diabetes in a cross-sectional design.
Mediterranean Diet and Longevity
A few months ago, an observational study published in the
Annals of Internal Medicine , November 2013 issue, suggested middle-aged
women who follow a Mediterranean diet may live longer.
The 15 year study primarily funded by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, examined 10,670 women aged late 50s
and early 60s.
The purpose of the study was to examine the association between dietary patterns in midlife and prevalence of healthy aging.
In the end, after 15 years, middle-aged women
who followed the Mediterranean diet had a 40% more chance to live up to
age 70, then those who followed a different eating style.
Read more about the history of the diet,
here.
What Is the Mediterranean Diet?
Excerpt: The Mediterranean Diet and Good Health
There is no one typical Mediterranean diet. Many countries
border the Mediterranean Sea and variations in the Mediterranean diet
exist between these countries. However, according to the American Heart
Association, traditional Mediterranean diets have the following
characteristics in common:
An abundance of plant foods:
Fruits
Vegetables
Breads and cereals
Potatoes
Beans, nuts, and seeds
Olive oil used as a common monounsaturated fat source
Low-to-moderate amounts of fish and poultry
Small amounts of red meat
Low-to-moderate amounts of dairy products (mostly cheese and yogurt)
Low-to-moderate amounts of eggs (zero to four times per week)
Low-to-moderate amounts of wine (one to two glasses of wine per day), normally consumed with meals
*
Skip the wine if you hepatitis C or advanced liver disease
Comparison With the American Diet
The American diet is characterized by:
Animal products daily, as main source of protein
White starches, predominantly
Moderate to low in fruits and vegetables
High in saturated and trans fats
Unlike the typical American diet, the traditional
Mediterranean diet is high in fiber and low in saturated fat. However,
the Mediterranean diet is not necessarily low in total fat. But, the
types of fats emphasized in the Mediterranean diet are "healthy"
monounsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil, which do not raise
cholesterol levels.
Read more here........
Links:
Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan
Mayo Clinic Staff
How to Follow the Mediterranean Diet
Offers a quick guide
The Mediterranean diet: 4 recipes to try
You've
heard the health benefits of the fruit & fish-packed Mediterranean
diet, now it's time to test it out in the kitchen. We turned to ‘Cook
Yourself Sexy’ chef Candice Kumai for these delicious recipes, loaded
with omega-3s and nutrients.
The goal of healthy eating is to develop a plan that you can maintain for life. For people living with hepatitis C, keeping your weight under control can
lower your risk for developing fibrosis, liver cancer, and diabetes.
Whatever healthy plan you try, or use now, may you
remain safe, healthy and happy.
Until next time, Tina
