eMag Ipso Facto numéro 1 We-are-what-we-eat_1-2-3 | Page 10

EAT WELL, LIVE BETTER
The Mediterranean diet is a traditional food practice in several
countries around the Mediterranian sea.
Riccardo Montanaro, Jesse Jurvanen, Chiara Crescenzi, Cristina
Barberio, Francesca Gregorace, Danila Bongarzone, Julie Caquineau.
Why are Italians and their neighbours
in such a good shape compared to
other people living in Central Europe
and the Americas? The secret behind
their magnificent health lies in their
culture and way of eating. The
Mediterranean diet has been proven to
prolong life and prevent lethal diseases
such as cancer and cardio-vascular
complications. Usage of virgin olive oil,
fish, nuts and different kinds of
vegetables is their secret.The origins of
the Mediterranean diet root all the way
back to ancient Greece and their
culinary traditions.
When the Greek colonised Italy about
2800 years ago, they brought their
own culinary traditions and foods with
them. Calabria was seen as a very
fertile land for growing crops so the
Greek started growing different cereals
such as spelt, emmer and corn. The
cereals were mostly used for bread.
Only the rich families could afford
white bread so the poor citizens had to
eat black bread made from scrap flours
made from different kinds of cereals.
Mediterranean diet temple
was created by the
Professor Flaminio
Fidanza, this diagram
summarizes some food to
eat, using the graphical
representation of a Greek-
roman temple as to recall
the origins of the food
model. In the first two
steps of the temple we find
the basic rules of eating
behaviour.
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