Summary of Article: A new study published last week found that eating a Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of heart disease (lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and death). The diet ended after only five years--it was supposed to go on much longer--because the results were so clear and startled experts.
Discussion with Kids:
- A new study has just found that people who regularly eat a Mediterranean diet have healthier hearts and live longer lives. This means that the type of food you eat can make a difference.
- Where is the Mediterranean? What do you think is in a Mediterranean diet? This study was conducted in Spain.
- If you had to conduct a study to see whether diet impacted health, how would you create the study? (Can talk about what a control group is, about framing the parameters for a scientific study).
- These scientists made 3 groups: one group ate a regular diet (processed foods, soda, etc.) and told how to follow it. The other two groups were told to eat a Mediterranean diet. One of the groups got 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil each week; the other group had to eat nuts each day. Both groups got lots of fruit and vegetables each day, ate fish 3x a week and beans 3x a week, were asked to eat chicken/turkey instead of meat and were asked to avoid eating dairy, deli meats, and commercially made cookies/cakes/pastries (homemade was ok).
- What do you think they found? Those who ate the Mediterranean diet ended up being much healthier and having healthier hearts.
- If you had to change your diet or add something to your diet to make it better for your heart, what would you do? What is your favorite healthy food? What food would be the hardest to give up?
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