What makes the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle so special?
Why do the Mediterranean People seem to live longer and happier lives?
Well, there are many reasons but here are three of the most important:
- Fresh Food Daily – There are thousands of markets all around the Mediterranean, providing fresh Fruit, Vegetables, Salads, Fish, Meat, Pulses, Nuts, Seeds and Olive Oil. People interact at these markets, they are passionate about food; food is important; food is more than just fuel to keep the body going; food is exciting and vibrant. You can see people touching, smelling and tasting before they buy. They want the best produce they can find for that Seafood Paella or Gambas Pilpil, that Chicken Cacciatore or Pollo al Ajillo. The market is the social and commercial center of Mediterranean life – forget the supermarket and get down to the real thing.
- Family Values - What's happened to our family values? The people of the Mediterranean region are still steeped in family, while the rest of us seem to be drifting further and further apart and losing touch with the most important people in our lives. You can see the family at work in any Mediterranean country: A French family picnicing at a table groaning with fresh salads, charcuterie and crusty bread, washed down with plenty of wine. An Italian family separated around the dining table enjoying pasta and salads, foccacia bread, grilled fresh fish and meats – you could hardly get a word in edgeways – it's the same deal in any Mediterranean country. Get the family together today!
- Slow Down – You're Goin 'too Fast – Watch the Mediterraneans and learn. You can take the time to relax and enjoy life, eat a simple Pizza Margherita cooked in a wood-burning oven (one of the great dishes of the World), or spend a lazy Sunday afternoon by the Spanish Mediterranean sipping a chilled Rosé and eating a fine grilled Swordfish steak with fresh salsa verde. You could be in the South of France, relaxing while your Coq au Vin is cooking in a slow oven, chatting with your family and friends. Or what about a great Moussaka in that little Greek Taberna. The secret? Take a deep breath and do – nothing. Learn to switch off and enjoy yourself.
And there you have it – join the Mediterraneans in the slow lane. Go shopping in the Markets, get the family together and relax – what could be easier?
