The curious nutritional pyramid of the Mediterranean diet

The curious nutritional pyramid of the Mediterranean diet

Go ahead I did not know that the Mediterranean diet also had its pyramid. I did not even know that it was defined in a concrete way. Mediterranean diet but from what country, Spain, Italy, France, Greece? I thought that this of the Mediterranean diet was a bit vague and generic concepts about which there is still not much consensus. And if we lean towards the Spanish version, which one is more similar, to the Valencian, the Catalan, the Andalusian? The Basque and Galician would be a Cantabrian diet? If you want to clarify all these doubts, here  you have much more information, I have learned such interesting things? how are you: "Feood is not merely nutrients in the Mediterranean, it is convened." Plutarch's words in his work Parallel Lives illustrate this reality with a simple perfection: Men invite themselves not to eat and drink, but to eat and drink together.  Pure nutritional science. 

Going back to the pyramid, you can download it from this link  and it looks like this:

Those who know me a little will imagine that I do not agree with some of the recommendations of this pyramid. The main discrepancy is almost at the base: it has cereals and bread, that is, high  glycemic index carbohydrates , at the same level as vegetables, fruits and vegetables (although, in their favor, it is true that they indicate that it is better to prefer integrals). The second one refers to animal protein. They have brought red meat almost to the same level as sweets, which seems to me exaggerated. And the white meats and the fish are also very high, just below the red meat and very close to the top, which indicates that they should be consumed in small quantities. Well, it's not what science says, far from it.

As a tip, the last two rows, those below, do not delight with some unpayable gifts. Along with the recommendation to drink a lot of water (very successful), is to take herbal infusions. Why? Well I do not know. Will you know  this study  that concludes that drinking tea causes cancer? Could it be that they often go to medieval fairs and see the place that is in all (I think that is always the same guy attending) with many herbs that heal everything? But the best is in the bottom row, with that poupurri of things that have little to do with a diet:  Coexistence, biodiversity and seasonality, traditional products, culinary activities ...   illustrated with cartoons of people in a tapas bar (or Will it be a picnic?), mushrooms, a casserole ... Very graphic and understandable.

The upper zone is not lacking in pearls either, "the wine in moderation and respecting the customs " has made me think of the traditional  Battle  of the Haro Wine , which is a very deep-rooted habit but a bit contradictory with that of moderation. In short, more than a nutritional pyramid I would say that it is a dieto-psycho-agro-physio-culinary-social pyramid. Thinking of its origin and as you know that I always recommend a bit of skepticism for everything, I have decided to go to the source, the  Foundation for the Mediterranean Diet , which are the gentlemen who have invented it.Navigating a bit through its website, there are several things that have caught my attention:

• The objectives of the foundation: I must be a bit short, because some do not understand them too well. Can anyone explain to me, for example, this one ?:  "The safeguarding of the millenary heritage common to the populations of the Mediterranean basin whose lifestyle and customs from farming practices, cooking, feeding and physical activity practiced regularly have awakened the interest of eminent scientists from all over the world in recent decades for their contribution to the prevention of numerous diseases. " How is this goal measured?
• The honorary presidency : The Infanta Cristina has it. What happens? I do not imply anything, I only say that it has caught my attention!
• The owners : In a foundation, the employers are the owners, those who rule, those who say what is to be done. And, among a few others, there are these: Kellogs, the world's largest cereal manufacturer; Grup Actel, a farmers' cooperative (among which there are cereal producers); and Puratos, a manufacturer of raw materials for bakeries and pastry shops. No comments are needed.

Anyway, you know, just like tomorrow is hanging on the walls of all schools, seen the seen .