In nutrition, as in "dietology" and "dietetics", by diet we mean the sum of everything (food and drink) that enters the mouth of a person or other animal-type organism.
To tell the truth, the noun "diet" comes from the Latin " dietae ", which in turn draws inspiration from the Greek " diatra ", which means "way of life".
In practice, diet means the whole lifestyle of a person. It is by no means a coincidence that this term, in Italy, has gradually taken on the meaning of "diet"; after all, quoting the famous phrase of the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach : We are what we eat. Similarly, it is no coincidence that Greeks and Latins, peoples originating from the Mediterranean basin, were among the first ethnic groups to understand the importance of the diet itself (since the Classical Period).
Well, precisely their diet was destined to become a cornerstone of prevention and, why not, of the treatment of many pathologies of the 20th and 21st century AD. These diseases, called "replacement", are responsible for the consolidation of one of the most worrying clinical pictures in contemporary times: the "Metabolic Syndrome".
Leaving aside genetic predispositions, metabolic disorders are nothing other than the inevitable consequence of an "inappropriate lifestyle". To be clearer, today we eat twice as much as half a century ago (after the war), when the human body (due to the lack of automation and technological availability) consumed twice as much energy.
However, there is a system to prevent the contemporary lifestyle from being irretrievably compromised, and us with it: it is sufficient to follow the "Mediterranean Diet". This diet, in addition to promoting the consumption of healthier foods, helps to understand that the portions must be appropriate to the level of consumption; in a nutshell, it prevents "an employee from eating as much as an agricultural laborer"! Not only; respecting this lifestyle it is possible to correctly distribute meals and enjoy a HOC nutritional profile. Recognizing all these characteristics, UNESCO has wisely awarded the "Mediterranean Diet" the honor of "Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
To stay healthy, all we have to do is respect it!
