The Mediterranean diet has proven to be a very healthy way of eating for many different reasons. Nutritional physiologist Ingrid Larsson guides you to the diet and its Nordic equivalent.
We have a broad and deep research base that shows very clearly that it is precisely this dietary pattern that is healthy, says Ingrid Larsson.
There is one dietary pattern that has been shown to be healthier than others. Research shows that the Mediterranean diet provides a whole range of positive health effects such as less risk of cardiovascular diseases, less risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and less risk of bowel cancer.
We have a broad and deep research base that shows very clearly that it is precisely this dietary pattern that is healthy. And we know why it’s healthy, says Ingrid Larsson, associate professor and clinical nutrition physiologist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital.
What is the Nordic diet?
Eating this type of diet means lots of vegetables and fruits, less red meat, lots of fish, lots of whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and vegetable fats.
The Nordic diet is a diet that we call a plant-based diet. Most of the food you eat comes from the plant kingdom such as vegetables, legumes, fruit and berries and whole grain products such as brown rice, whole grain pasta, whole grain bread and grains such as couscous and bulgur. Then it is also characterized by vegetable fats and oils.
Nordic vs Mediterranean diet
Around the Mediterranean, the vegetable oil that is used is of course olive oil, but it is just as well to replace it with rapeseed oil. Other foods that are traditionally part of the Mediterranean diet can also be exchanged for Nordic alternatives, which makes the diet just as healthy for the body and much better for the climate.
We have a Nordic variant of the Mediterranean diet which is called the Nordic diet and it has the same type of food as the Mediterranean diet, but they are grown, produced and fished in the Nordic countries. This diet is scientifically tested and what you see for the Nordic diet are the same healthy effects for weight, heart, vessels and reduced risk of diabetes just like the Mediterranean diet.
When it comes to vegetables, there are a lot of carrots, parsnips, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and various types of cabbage. The berries you eat include strawberries, raspberries, currants and lingonberries. The olive oil is replaced with rapeseed oil because it is the same healthy fatty acids in rapeseed oil. And then there is fish in the Nordic diet such as salmon and herring and mackerel and of course meat such as pork, beef and lamb but to a lesser extent.
Positive health effects
We have heard that the Nordic diet is good for the heart and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases for a long time, but that this type of diet, according to research, can also reduce the risk of various brain diseases and types of cancer is less known.
What is interesting is that when you have studied a whole range of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, various forms of cancer, depression and anxiety as well as those called neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, you have seen that groups of people who have eaten a Mediterranean diet for most of their lives to a lesser degree get these diseases compared to groups that ate a different diet. So the Mediterranean diet is healthy for many different diseases.
Many of the health effects have to do with the vegetable fats and fish.
The vegetable fats and the fat found in fish lower blood fats. There is also sparingly no salt in the Nordic diet and this means that those who eat the Nordic diet have lower blood pressure than others and the risk of having a stroke also decreases. In the case of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, it is known that a high intake of omega 3 fatty acids and especially the long-chain fatty acids found in fish, among other things, are beneficial for the development of the brain.
This is how you eat according to the Nordic diet
In order to eat according to the Nordic diet or the Mediterranean diet, it is important, among other things, to get enough vegetables and fruits into the diet, and for that there is a good rule to remember.
Five a day is a good measure for vegetables. Five times vegetables and two fruits. Eat tomato slices on a sandwich, an apple for a snack or maybe a glass of juice for breakfast. Salad for lunch, carrots and broccoli with dinner and one or two more vegetables for snacks during the day.
How to reduce meat consumption
It may seem difficult to reduce the amount of meat, but you do not have to stop eating red meat completely.
One way to eat less red meat is to shift it towards fish, chicken and legumes. Plan for two dinners a week with red meat, fish two days a week, chicken one day and beans or other vegetarian dishes two days a week. Then you also have room for a sandwich with meat toppings every day if you like ham or liver pate. You still fall within the framework of the recommendations we have.
Choose the right dairy products
Another part of the diet is to eat less saturated fat. Here it is important to choose the right one in the milk fridge.
In order to eat less of the saturated fat, it is important to choose the low-fat dairy products such as skimmed milk, semi-skimmed milk, low-fat cheese and cooking cream with less fat. Limit bacon, cheese and cream and eat more fish, nuts, oil and vegetable fats.
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