The specific chemicals that your body is producing at any time is highly modified by the ingredients you give it through your diet. Your body uses good fats from olive oil, nuts, beans, and fish to produce its own anti-inflammatory chemicals, which go to work throughout your body. A recent study, published on the New England Journal of Medicine’s website, showed a 30% reduction of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths from heart disease in those high-risk people who followed a Mediterranean Diet.
The fact that the diet had an effect as powerful as medications came as a surprise and a revelation to many. I would add that the fact of this being such a surprise is a good indication of how deeply our attitudes are ingrained about using medications to treat chronic diseases rather than using lifestyles to keep people healthy.
I have written extensively about how giving the body “good fats” and nutrients that help the body to break down those fats leads to more energy, greater endurance and longevity. I have seen it countless times with thousands of patients, including some of the greatest endurance athletes on the planet. Good fats are the raw materials for the body’s creation of good chemicals.
Getting the body to metabolize or “burn” fats is one of the principles of endurance sports. The same is true of Health Aging, which is much like an endurance event. This is discussed thoroughly in my book, “Your Inner Pharmacy” and basic guidelines are provided on the exercise section of my website, yourinnerpharmacy.com.
The new evidence supporting the effectiveness of the Mediterranean Diet commands that we look more closely at how our diets and lifestyles can keep us healthy and prevent the need to treat disease.