As diet fads come and go, the Mediterranean diet continues to be a mainstay of recommendations due to a consistent flow of studies that confirm its benefits. A new meta-study just came out that says the diet is a boon for seniors, helping them avoid frailty and lead independent lives.

The new study analyzed previously-published studies and shows how eating a diet that stresses plant-based foods, like fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, legumes as well as lots of fish may keep one healthy well into advanced years.

When older adults experience more frailty, their life quality gets worse. They may feel low in energy, lose weight and muscle strength, and be subject to health concerns like falls and fractures, hospitalization, dementia, disability, and even premature death. One way to keep such effects at bay - adopt the right nutrition, says a UK research team led by Kate Walters, PhD and Gotaro Kojima, MD, from the University College London.

An extract from Think Big 

The researchers looked at four published studies from France, Spain, Italy and China that link the Mediterranean diet and how older adults develop frailty. These studies included data for 5,789 people over 60. The scientists found that a Mediterranean diet helped people keep muscle strength, weight, as well as activity and energy levels.

Public Health England says on its website: “Making better choices today can have a huge influence on our health, and could prevent diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, and reduce our risk of suffering a stroke or living with dementia, disability and frailty in later life.

But it’s not easy in our busy lives — tempting treats in easy reach, bigger portions for everything we eat and technology that allows us to shop, stay in touch and be entertained without ever having to leave the sofa. Modern life is ganging up on us.

The food you eat either makes you more healthy or less healthy, those are your options.

For your own health, for the welfare of sentient non-human animals and for the wildlife decimated by land clearing for animal agriculture, take respoonsibility for yourself and eat a plant based diet.  After a few days, your taste buds will change and you will wonder why other people are eating manufactured garbage.

And  remember:For  those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health.  It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans..  5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

For whatever reason the decision to become vegan in the short or long term is made, the key thing to be aware of is that completely eliminating entire food groups has implications for our overall nutritional intake.

The key nutrients impacted when meat, fish, dairy and eggs are eliminated include protein, iron, Vitamin B12, zinc and calcium, and as such specific meal planning is required to ensure that nutritional adequacy is reached when your diet becomes 100 per cent plant based.

If you are thinking about, or already following a vegan diet, it’s crucial that you include a lot of nutrient dense legumes such as kidney beans, chic peas and lentils.

What a very good idea!  To my mind there is no reason why fast food & take-away food should be bad for you.  It would be so easy for Maccas, for example, to use wholemeal or multi-grain rolls instead of the soft, bland, insipid ones they use now.  Also, they could be far less stinting on the vegies.  If it takes legislation to make them do it in this country, so be it!