Your heart need the Mediterranean – Interview with Emilia Klapp

Thanks to fotorita

This week a publish a very interesting interview with Emilia Klapp the author of one of the best books about the Mediterranean diet: “Your heart need the Mediterranean diet”

What led you to write “Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet”?

In the early 1990’s, three of my best friends passed away at very young ages. Crushed and bewildered by these unexpected losses, I became a voracious reader of anything published in the area of nutrition in an attempt to understand what had happened and whether these untimely deaths could have been prevented.

As I read, it became clear to me that modern medicine does not have all the answers. Unless we take control of our bodies and practice prevention, we might not reach old age. Or even if we do, we might not enjoy the best possible health.
What I read also became a wake-up call for me.

I realized that not only was I ignoring many of the healthy habits I grew up with in Spain, my country of origin, but my diet could be described as “reckless”. I ate few fruits and vegetables; my intake of saturated fat was way over the limit; and I was on the verge of becoming a sugar addict (on my trips to the supermarket my first stop was invariably the cookie and candy aisles). Basically, if I were to continue with this diet, eventually I would have wound up in the place I feared most: the doctor’s office.

As I began to realize that the secret to good health lies in how we nourish our bodies as well as in adequate physical activity, I felt compelled to spread the word. I was so excited about my findings I became a full-time pest to friends and family, constantly lecturing them on what to eat or what not to eat.

It didn’t take long to realize that for people to listen to what I had to say, I would need to have a formal education. So I went back to college and became a Registered Dietitian. And now, the same way I felt driven to tell family and friends how to prevent disease, I would like to share with you, through this book, what nutrition science has proven to be a good course of action.

What foods make up the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean countries have always been relatively poor and people in this region have depended on the foods the land produces: fruits, vegetables, olive oil, dry beans, nuts, fish, sea food, and aromatic herbs; some chicken and little red meat. Fresh bread is always part of main meals.

What benefits does a Mediterranean diet offer?

I would say the major benefit of this diet is the prevention of disease. The Mediterranean diet has always been associated with good health; people in this region have the lowest rates of heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and diabetes, diseases that have been related to diet.

In recent years, many scientific studies have shown that people who followed a Mediterranean diet based on fruits, vegetables, grains and healthy fats while been physically active, aged at a lower rate and lived longer than people who didn’t.

How does the diet accomplish this?

Through the synergy of the many ingredients that form part of this diet. To give you some examples,

• Olive oil. Mediterraneans cook with olive oil, a monounsaturated fat that does not stick to our arteries. In addition, olive oil has many antioxidants, among them vitamin E and polyphenols. Vitamin E has the highest natural antioxidant activity and one of the most effective defenders against oxidation in our cell membranes. Studies have shown that people with low levels of vitamin E in the blood have more damage in the arteries. Polyphenols are very efficient in the fight against free radicals and prevent the oil auto-oxidation.

• Fruits and vegetables. These foods contain many vitamins and minerals that are indispensable for good health. Fruits and vegetables also contain certain substances, phytochemicals, which protect us against many diseases. These are the same substances that protect the plants from bacteria, fungus, and predatory animals. In our bodies, phytochemicals act as antioxidants and fight free radicals, molecules that attack our cells causing many diseases such as heart disease and cancer. When free radicals attack DNA inside our cells, they can cause cancer. Free radicals can also oxidize cholesterol. Oxidized cholesterol starts a cascade of biological reactions that result in artery damage and finally, heart attacks.

• Legumes. Lentils, dry beans and garbanzo beans are foods that are high in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is the type of fiber that lowers cholesterol, contributing to a lower rate of heart attacks. Legumes are an ideal food for diabetics because their amount of fiber slows down the conversion of the food we ingest into glucose (blood sugar), a crucial factor in the prevention and management of diabetes.

• On January 2000, the European Union, the Arteriosclerosis International Society, the Harvard University (USA), the International Consejo Oleicola (Madrid), and the Dried Fruits International Consejo gathered together to endorse scientifically and for the first time, the protection that the Mediterranean diet “performs not only against arteriosclerosis but also against cancer, obesity, and diabetes”. Mata, associated chief of internal medicine at the Jimenez Diaz Foundation in Madrid and a participant in the conference, states: “Our main message is that the population of every country starts adopting the Mediterranean diet according to their own resources. Decrease saturated fat consumption, specially the one coming from red meat and industrial bakery products, and increase the consumption of fruits, vegetables, cereals, legumes, dried fruits, fish, and olive oil as the main source of fat”.

What is the best meal for the Mediterranean Diet?

Any balanced meal that includes some of ingredients that make part of the Mediterranean Diet such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, olive oil, ect.

What is an example of a Mediterranean diet menu?

If you login to my website www.emiliaklapp.com you will find several recipes that are made with the typical Mediterranean ingredients.

What is the easiest way to start the Mediterranean Diet?

Go to your local super market. Foods such as olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, dry beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts, the foundation of the diet in the Mediterranean countries, can be obtained at any local supermarket.

What is your favorite source where find information on Mediterranean Diet?

There is not a specific source. I always write my articles based on scientific research done by reputable investigators and published in credible scientific journals.

How much wine to drink to respect the Mediterranean diet principles?

Research has shown that in the absence of contraindications, moderate red wine drinking, two 8 ounces glasses for men and 1 glass for women per day, may be beneficial to people, especially those who have a cardiovascular condition. However, those health effects disappear very fast and can have serious health implications when we abuse drinking.

How a vegetarian can follow the principles of this diet?

There are several levels of vegetarianism, but if you don’t eat meat, eggs, or dairy products, the Mediterranean diet is the ideal diet for you because you can combine legumes and grains and have the perfect protein.

Where to buy my Mediterranean book
Through my website, www.emiliaklapp.com, orders@bookmasters.com or Amazon.com

I finish this interview with a special thanks to Emilia for Sharing her knowledge about the Mediterranean diet.