The New England Journal of Medicine published a report on the Mediterranean diet this week that is pretty amazing. They cut off the experiment early because the results being achieved were so great that they wanted to more quickly get the word out about it. If I understand the results correctly, the rate of major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes) was 30% lower in the groups that were on the Mediterranean diet supplemented with either extra-virgin olive oil or mixed nuts.
It appears to me that the study was rigorous, with control groups, oversight, and peer review.
Here’s the link: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1200303?query=featured_home&&&#t=article
Summary: 4 tablespoons of olive oil daily, 3 fresh fruit servings daily, 2 vegetable servings daily, about a handful each of walnuts and almonds 3x weekly, fish 3x weekly. No red meat or commercial baked goods (pastries, cakes, cookies), no soda, no spreadable fat (butter/margarine). It is not at at all focused on cholesterol, etc like most diets.
I’m not a doctor and am not selling anything, but this to be pretty amazing news to me. Using diet alone to reduce cardiac risk 30%. That got my attention.
Russ
Russ Towne's A Grateful Man 
Diet is the ONLY medicine to me! And it’s intuitive, too. 🙂
Thank you for your comment, Charron. My body often let’s me know pretty fast in a variety of ways if it is displeased with what I’ve eaten. I need to listen to it more, and plan to do so.
Russ
Yes this was interesting……………
I have food sensitivities, too, so eat this way and more. Excellent way to eat! Reduces inflammation of all kinds (aka pain and discomfort). Lost 50 lbs without trying – just ate differently and my body liked it so much it did what came naturally – got healthier. I eat at least a cup of raw tree nuts a DAY.