How To Boost Your Health This Fall With The Mediterranean Diet
Updated 8th November 2022
- The Fall is a great time to change you diet to The Mediterranean Diet
- The abundance of seasonal fruit and vegetables can contribute well to The Mediterranean Diet
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil and The Mediterranean Diet can protect against arthritis and asthma
- Morocco Gold has a wealth of seasonal recipes to inspire your Mediterranean cooking this Fall
One of the great things about the fall is that it’s a time for change, and one of the best choices you can make is to switch to the Mediterranean diet. The leaves start to turn orange and red, the weather gets cooler, and there are some wonderful seasonal vegetables to enjoy too as part of The Mediterranean Diet.
The Mediterranean diet is based on traditional foods that are eaten in countries like Greece and Italy. It’s a healthy way of eating that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil. And unlike other popular diets like keto or paleo, there aren’t any major restrictions on what you can eat.
One of the benefits of the Mediterranean diet is that it’s been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. It also has anti-inflammatory effects which can help protect against conditions like arthritis and asthma. And if you’re looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is effective for both goals.
How Extra Virgin Olive Oil Contributes to The Mediterranean Diet
Extra virgin olive oil is a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, and it has some impressive health benefits. For one, extra virgin olive oil is packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. It also contains antioxidants that can help to protect against chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. Additionally, extra virgin olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties, which can be beneficial for people with conditions like arthritis. Quite simply, extra virgin olive oil is a nutrient-rich food that can have a positive impact on your health. If you’re looking to add more extra virgin olive oil to your diet, consider using it in place of other oils when cooking or dressing salads.
As we say goodbye to the flavours of summer and enjoy a long cosy hug from The Fall, it’s a great time to explore how extra virgin olive oil can add flavour to your soup and help decommission harmful free radicals in your body. Our Autumn recipes using olive oil focus on soup and are quick & easy to prepare. Soups are such a versatile choice for your Autumn nutrition – they are inexpensive, can be adapted to seasonally available produce, frozen and are easy to prepare.
We know there are many types of olive oil to choose from, but picking the best extra virgin olive oil you can find is a great way to boost your health reserves as we move into the colder months.
Why Does Extra Virgin Olive Oil On Soup Boost Our Health & Immune System?
As well as providing a wonderfully flavoursome addition to your soup ingredients, extra virgin olive oil is packed full of powerful antioxidants, such as polyphenols, which can neutralize free radicals – unstable compounds thought to play a role in more than 60 different health conditions. Antioxidants affect human health in various way from improving body functions and digestion to skincare. Antioxidants can also fight off cell damage in the body, enhancing the body’s capability to fight off any diseases.
Polyphenol rich olive oil fights inflammation in the body and can regulate muscle damage or chemicals that cause inflammation. As inflammation is related to various other diseases, polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil help to fight these diseases including cardiovascular problems.
A report from Henry Ford Livewell lists five great reasons to increase your soup intake, which include giving your immune system a boost. It states:
Soups can help you stave off cold and flu, and they’re a great antidote for times when you are sick, too! Most soups are loaded with disease-fighting nutrients. In fact, studies show that chicken soup in particular can help prevent the common cold, especially if you load it up with fresh garlic, onions, celery and carrots. (They all contain powerful immune-boosting chemicals.) A bonus: the hot liquid helps soothe a sore throat.
And a recent article from Healthline listing the top foods to boost your immune system is bursting with produce that lends itself well to fresh soup which can help you prevent colds, the flu and other infections.
But, if you really want to give your soup an extra power surge of health and flavour, a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil such as Morocco Gold can lift it to a new superfood status!
Fancy some inspiration to kickstart your Autumn soup making habit? Then look no further than these delicious Autumn recipes using olive oil compiled by Morocco Gold:
1/ Soup With Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Gut Health
This vegetable soup is packed with healthy vegetables readily available during the Autumn.
2/ Roasted Vine Tomato Soup With Toasted Sourdough
This is a favourite Autumn soup using olive oil. The addition of toasted sourdough makes this a perfect, warming lunch when the weather cools.
3/ Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
Split Pea soup is another of our favourite Autumn recipes. This vegetarian soup is delicious and very easy to make.