Mediterranean Diet Lowers Female Heart Disease Risk By 25%

Recently, medical experts have found substantial evidence showing patients who followed the Mediterranean Diet, had a significant effect in preventing heart disease, specifically in women.

As a healthcare provider, you’ve seen the devastation that results from a heart disease diagnosis. According to the CDC, heart disease accounts for 1/4 of deaths in the United States [1] making it the number one killer of adults in the US [2]. And, for those living with heart disease, the costs both monetarily and physically are overwhelming.

While the Mediterranean diet is one of the leading diets in the world, for both men and women, researchers wanted to study the differences in genders.

BMJ’s International Heart Journal recently released a systematic review [3] that specifically honed in on how adhering to the Mediterranean Diet affected women’s heart health. The review combined 16 studies on the topic and found that women’s adherence to a Mediterranean diet has the potential to decrease female heart disease and death by nearly 25%. [1]

Components of A Mediterranean Diet

Prescribing the Mediterranean Diet program may be a fit for patients who are trying to better control their blood sugar levels or for those looking to manage diabetes. It may also be a helpful program for those with metabolic syndrome.

Additionally, this diet also recognizes the importance of being physically active and enjoying shared meals with family and friends.

General guidance on the Mediterranean Diet includes:

A focus on vegetables and fruits. A variety of plant foods should make up the majority of your meals. They should be minimally processed — fresh and whole are best. Include veggies and fruits in every meal and eat them for snacks as well.
Switching to whole grains. Replacing white bread and regular pasta with whole wheat versions.
Eating nuts. Nuts and seeds are good sources of fiber, protein and healthy fats. Keep almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts on hand for a quick snack.
Switching olive oil for butter. Try olive or canola oil as a healthy replacement for butter or margarine.
Spicing it up. Herbs and spices make food tasty and can stand in for salt and fat in recipes.
Incorporating fish. Eat fish at least twice a week. Fresh or water-packed tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring are healthy choices. Grill, bake or broil fish for great taste and easy cleanup. Avoid breaded and fried fish.
Cutting out red meat. Substitute fish and poultry instead of red meat. Eating even small amounts of red meat have been shown to significantly increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Also avoid sausage, bacon and other high-fat, processed meats.
Choosing low-fat dairy. Limit higher fat dairy products, such as whole or 2 percent milk, cheese and ice cream. Switch to skim milk, fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese.

This plan can also be easily altered to suit the preferences and needs of your patients. If they are vegetarian, vegan, on a low-sodium diet, or on a low-fat diet, you can easily modify these plans for them.

BodySite’s Mediterranean Diet

Guiding your patients through new eating habits and lifestyles can be difficult, and it can definitely be a chore to collect all of the needed information.

Fortunately, BodySite’s Mediterranean Diet and Mediterranean Diet for Diabetes programs will provide patients with daily recipes, motivation, guidance, and tasks in order to help them transition to the Mediterranean Diet and blood-sugar friendly lifestyle.

The BodySite Mediterranean Diet programs are automated plans that will educate patients on the basics of heart-healthy eating. The Mediterranean diet is rich in raw fruits, vegetables, and only healthy fats. Imagine a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps even a glass of red wine.

The Mediterranean diet is a style of eating that is easy to maintain, making it so patients can keep up with their healthy eating plan and blood sugar and diabetes management even after the 28 days of the program are up.

Step inside a live BodySite provider account and take a look at the Mediterranean diet here.

Not currently a BodySite provider? BodySite is offering a one month free trial with complete access to its powerful remote patient care tools, including the Mediterranean Diet templates, all inside an account that is branded for your practice. Or sign up (above) for a no obligation immersive self-guided live preview of the platform. If you’re already a client of BodySite, the Mediterranean Diet and Mediterranean Diet for Diabetes are already available inside your account!

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