Mediterranean diet and Mediterranean lifestyle for health living.

Mediterranean diet, as the name suggests, refers to diet eaten in Southern Italy, Greece island of Crete and other areas of Greece in early 1960s. At that time, the average life expectancy of the region was highest in the world and incidence of heart diseases, certain cancers and other diseases was lowest in the world.

The diet includes olive oil, legumes, fish and other sea food, whole grains, nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables.  Many studies concluded that the diet is good not only for physical health but also for mental health and reduces the risk of many diseases from cancer to depression. 

Researches proved that healthy diet along with healthy lifestyle is the secret to region’s good health and long life expectancy. The routine fat intake is lower than 35% of their daily calories and much of that too from heart healthy olive oil. 

How does the diet work?

It is the overall diet approach that makes the difference. It is the combination of foods, rather than single superfood stuff that makes a healthy way to eat. 

Hence, if you are taking unhealthy diet adding one or two elements from Mediterranean diet isn’t going to make any difference. On the other hand, if you change whole of your eating habits, reducing processed food intake, increasing seafood consumption and opting for variety of foods and vegetables can add years to your life.

Implementing the diet plan in your daily life

Despite the health benefits of the diet, average person cannot afford to increase the costly food items like fish and olive oil in their diet. The move towards Mediterranean diet can be made by substituting costly olive oil with other plant based oils like soybean and canola oil.

Joan Salge Blake, clinical associate professor and dietetic internship director Boston University, offered the following advice for less wealth health conscious consumers:-

1.    Buy in-season.

2.    Look for variety and sale.

3.    Don’t overcook

4.    Consider frozen and canned food.

5.    Try affordable alternatives.

Mediterranean lifestyle

Mediterranean diet is an important part of healthy lifestyle followed by the Mediterranean region. The region has many cultural elements different from that of other parts of the world.  

“We need to redefine the Mediterranean diet, the truth is that it’s a lifestyle. It’s the whole approach. It’s the food. It’s the social interaction. It’s getting the right kind of exercise. It’s being outside. It’s getting sunlight and sunshine.” Dr. Aeem Malhotra , British cardiologist, told New York Times.

The habit of Siesta- enjoying shuteyes in the afternoon for a few minutes to a few hours- is very common the region. The life in the region comes to halt in the afternoon for mesimeri ( Greek for quiet time).

Other life routines in the region include walking to stores rather than driving. Greeks are habitual mountain climbers in their daily routine as majority of Greece is covered with mountainous region. Eating with family or friends and taking long time to eat is another thing in Greece culture. Taking long time to eat reduces the possibility of over-eating and hence reducing the risk of obesity.

Rare Earth Metals: From America's dominance to Chinese hegemony

The recent discovery of rare earth metals in Japanese deep sea proves that rare earth metals are not that rare as their name signifies.

Today’s modern life is impossible without rare earth metals. Rare earth metals are 17 elements including 15 separately presented lanthanides as well as scandium, and yttrium.

These metals are used in manufacturing batteries, vehicles, LCDs, plasma screens, fiber optics, medical imaging, hybrid vehicles, wind turbines, microphones, speakers and other green technology devices. This group of metals is indispensable for high performance optics and lasers and key to the most powerful magnets and superconductors in the world.

Their various applications have given rise to western powers’ fear of Chinese dominance in high technology. China currently has near monopoly in Rare earth metals supply.

  "The Middle East has oil; we have rare earths ... it is of extremely important strategic significance; we must be sure to handle the rare earth issue properly and make the fullest use of our country's advantage in rare earth resources." Deng Xiaoping, a Chinese politician from the late 1970s to the late 1980s.

China is rapidly reducing export quota of rare earth in order to strategically move Chinese manufacturers up the supply chain so that they may sell valuable finished goods to the world rather than lowly raw material.

This presented America with a challenge in keeping its dominant position in high tech but also its hegemony over developed nation, who are in dying need of the elements.

The significance of the metals can be gauged from the fact that many geopolitical experts consider these metals to be the sole reason of U.S. stay in Afghanistan. United States, according to them, wants to make European powers their ally, against China, by controlling the supply of Afghanistan’s rare earth metals.

In 2010, Pentagon estimated Afghanistan’s mineral deposits to be worth 1 trillion $, once mined. The New York Times reported that White House officials are looking at Afghanistan’s mineral resources as compelling reason to extend their stay in the country.

“We live in a different world than the past, where commodity prices mattered because a monopoly allowed sometimes a single nation or a group of nations to charge an extremely high price for that material, and people are still thinking along those lines,” Michael Silver said. “That’s not the world we live in today, particularly with rare-earth metals, which is kind of what got me involved in the Afghanistan situation.” Michael Silver head White House Initiative and CEO of American Element

Critics on the other hand points to the fact that Afghanistan is a war zone moreover; mining and refining these metals from the mountain is costly. Another factor which goes against America is Afghanistan has no coast of its own and the only cost effective route for the metals is through Pakistan’s pushtun belt.