Health benefits come not only from what is eaten, but what is NOT eaten. Highly processed, highly refined, packaged foods and manufactured foods that increasingly line our supermarket shelves were obviously not part of the Mediterranean diet…nor of our forbears. I think the lack of these foods in the diet contributes to the healthfulness of the Mediterranean pattern and is one of the reasons why our Aussie forbears’ diet was not as bad as it seems.

These foods are often high in hydrogenated fats (saturated vegetable fats) and possibly trans fats which are considered undesirable. Manufactured foods also usually contain significant amounts of salt or sugar and flavouring agents and preservatives. This is not intrinsically bad, since preservation is an important aspect of our food supply, but do we need these foods? They often have very little resemblance to the original food they were derived from.

Examples of foods which were not consumed include:

• Pre-prepared sauces - flavoured/spiced/salted/fat type and quantity?
• Take-away pizza/deep-fried chicken/ deep-fried take-away foods etc.
• Snack foods like chips – there seems to be 400 varieties you can now have
• Soft drink – sweetened water with added acids, flavouring and colouring
• Fruit juice – refined fruit usually without the fibre

These foods, in particular snack foods, are consumed frequently in Australia contributing some nourishment, but not in the same league as fresh food. I think of these foods as entertainment rather than as nourishment. Much of the advertising focuses on the fun aspects of these foods…and convenience. But we simply don’t need them. Simplicity says eat fruit or bread if you are hungry and drink water if you are thirsty.

Which fat?

Modification of the type of fat we eat is now considered to be more healthful than reducing fat per se. Fat accounts for between 28 percent and 40 percent of the energy (calories) in the traditional Mediterranean diet, higher than the fat level of 30 percent now recommended in Western countries. Current dietary recommendations advise replacing some saturated fats with monounsaturated fats such as olive oil.

There are now many studies which show that diets rich in olive oil are rich in monounsaturated fats which do not raise blood cholesterol are no more fattening than low fat diets…it depends on the total energy eaten and activity levels.

As a society we have become fat phobic, with a multitude of ‘low-fat’ products now available. Fat is still a vital part of our dietary intake however, to provide essential nutrients for healthy growth development and maintenance of body tissues and functions.

Much of the fat in the Australian diet is so-called ‘hidden’ fat since people are unaware of its presence. Manufactured foods containing vegetable fat most often contain hydrogenated or highly saturated fats sourced from palm or coconut oils which raise blood cholesterol levels, a risk factor for heart disease. They are cheaper than either dairy fats or olive oil, hence are used widely.