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Looking at samples of (so-called, idealized) Mediterranean diets (as seen in the US) ... I usually see these in the context of dieting and healthy eating, and I'm just wondering if they reflect the reality of diets in the Mediterranean or not. I'd like to go there and do the research myself, but its not in the budget.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
The much-vaunted "Mediterranean" diet ... Greek islands ... homemade bread ... There probably are places in Italy that have a similar diet, but it's not the norm.
I lived in Italy until the 1990s and even then in the north it was difficult to find a real bakery that made bread on premises; most of the stuff was trucked in from a central massive production center and just heated up, not unlike the "bakery" section of a US supermarket. Even in the south (Calabria) I remember a fast food place that featured "focaccia" and what not, staffed by teenagers in uniforms reminiscent of any fast food place in the US.
By now in Italy there are as many diets and diet fads as there are people, just like in most countries of early industrialization and spreading throughout the world.
Finally, a note about "carbs".
Yeah, sure, "carbs" on the list of ingredients on the box or plastic wrapping of some processed "food" is one thing.
Durum semolina and whole grain flours are something else, not to be confused with the above.
It's like comparing Kraft's singles to Parmigiano Reggiano.
Focaccia is great and easy to make - if you get the pizza dough from a good pizzeria or high quality speciality store.
I buy organic flours in bulk, cultivate my own yeast from those same flours, and make my own dough. I shape into loaves of bread, pita bread, pizza, focaccia, soft pretzels, bagels, even hamburger buns, and more.
Once you get started, it's easier than getting in a car and going to a pizzeria or supermarket bakery to get fresh dough.
I lived in Italy until the 1990s and even then in the north it was difficult to find a real bakery that made bread on premises; most of the stuff was trucked in from a central massive production center and just heated up, not unlike the "bakery" section of a US supermarket. Even in the south (Calabria) I remember a fast food place that featured "focaccia" and what not, staffed by teenagers in uniforms reminiscent of any fast food place in the US.
By now in Italy there are as many diets and diet fads as there are people, just like in most countries of early industrialization and spreading throughout the world.
Finally, a note about "carbs".
Yeah, sure, "carbs" on the list of ingredients on the box or plastic wrapping of some processed "food" is one thing.
Durum semolina and whole grain flours are something else, not to be confused with the above.
It's like comparing Kraft's singles to Parmigiano Reggiano.
Let's be serious for a moment.
And then forget it.
Thanks.
I wasn't talking about processed food. I was referring to a diet full of pasta, or filling up on pizza. Now, a good minestrone is a healthy thing, for sure: mixed veggies, beans, maybe a little meat, or not.
But the "Mediterranean diet" back when it was "discovered" by the medical community in the US, was also accompanied by the more traditional Mediterranean way of life. This has become more rare, now. It's the way of life that contributes as much toward health as the diet. They were a package deal, as presented in reports and documentaries back in the day. Daily physical activity, fresh air, fresh food, the support of friends and sense of community, along with olive oil, fish oil, fresh fruit & veggies, etc. This still exists in some of the more isolated areas.
Italy has a very high life expectancy so their current diet cannot be too bad.
Of course, they are much less obese that Americans and Australians and also they have a very sensible drinking culture.
My Italian in-laws, who lived to 89 and 95, ate several meals a week of pasta with lentils or beans. They loved to cook the big Sunday meal with plentiful meat but ate a simpler diet during the week. Hardly any breakfast, some bread and something like cheese for lunch, a lot of fruit.
In the part of Sicily where they were from people would generally reserve the delicious pastries and sweets for special occasions, not every day. When visiting people you would bring a plate of these rather than the obligatory bottle of wine as we do here. But it is nine years since we have been there, regrettably. So not sure if the diet has changed.
I was referring to a diet full of pasta, or filling up on pizza.
A diet full of any one food group is off balance.
This maniacal anti-carb mantra is illogical.
Well, it is logical because it's part of propaganda campaigns in favor of money-grabbing fads of the day in the US, like keto for example.
Here is a list of the top 11 countries with the highest obesity rates.
Country % of Obese Adults 2021 Population
Nauru 61.00% 10,876
Cook Islands 55.90% 17,565
Palau 55.30% 18,169
Marshall Islands 52.90% 59,610
Tuvalu 51.60% 11,931
Niue 50.00% 1,619
Tonga 48.20% 106,760
Samoa 47.30% 200,149
Kiribati 46.00% 121,392
Micronesia 45.80% 116,254
Kuwait 37.90% 4,328,550
All of them must be eating a diet full of durum semolina from Italy, and nothing else, it's only logical.
To the OP, there is no "Mediterranean" diet.
There are as many diets as there are individual human beings.
Work out the diet that works for you personally and stick with it, until it no longer works and needs to be tweaked, based on your own personal experience.
All the best!
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