Delicious greens, fresh fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, beans, olive oil, fresh vegetables, whole grains and moderate alcohol are part of the Mediterranean diet.
Studies show that this diet protects the heart, prevents diabetes and is part of an anti-aging lifestyle.
Cardiovascular disease especially linked to uncontrolled blood sugar levels damages the arterial system and microcirculation to the nose, hands, feet and penis. Cardiac ultrasound of men who ate a Meditterranean diet had much less vascular damage. They also had less aortic stiffness and internal thickening of the arteries.
The good news is that you can eat a diverse and healthy diet while you are lowering your chances of having a cardiac event or stroke. You'll have a better sex life as a bonus. You can begin now.
Yes, begin now during the Holiday Season. Everyone will thank you for making delicious healthy food that won't bust your gut with bad bacteria, bend your neurotransmitters out of whack towards crankiness or foolishly tip the scales not in your favor.
Following this healthy diet is associated with longer telomeres.
What are telomeres? Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at the end of chromosomes that get shorter with age. They are age biomarkers. The shorter the telomere the shorter the life expectancy and increased risk for age-related diseases. Oxidative stress and inflammation from smoking, obesity, alcohol and other lifestyle issues shorten telomere length.
Longer telomeres are associated with longer life and better quality of life. Reduced all cause mortality, increased longevity, and reduced incidence of chronic disease; you want long telomeres.
Researchers found that for each 1-point increase in the diet score this was linked to 1.5 fewer years of telomere aging. A 3-point change could translate to 4.5 fewer years of telomere aging on average.
We test your telomere length at Second Nature. You can live better, longer and stronger. 
Even though they don't know the exact mechanisms of action of why the diet affects the telomeres, Peter Nilsson, MD, PhD, Lund University, Sweden, says the Mediterranean diet is the "cornerstone of dietary advice in cardiovascular disease prevention, and the fact that it also links with a biomarker of slower ageing is reassuring."
No matter your gender, age, telomere length or condition you might want to adopt principles of the Mediterranean Diet. You can tailor it to include your bloodtype, allergies and sensitivities, vegan, carnivore or pescatore and alcohol or no alcohol. It's sensible whole food.
Click on any of these links below for delicious Mediterranean recipes. Seriously, I could not choose one. Find out which one calls you. Is it the lentil soup, the Greek salad or the lemon chicken?
