You are what you eat

In our Spanish class yesterday we discussed an interesting article from the newspaper El Mundo.

It has long been recognised that the diet of Mediterranean countries is good for your heath. The abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables along with a plentiful supply of fish, beans and pulses provides a healthy balance of nutrition only matched by the diet of people in Japan.

However this diet is under threat. More women are working these days and therefore have less time for time consuming preparation of food. The Americanisation of diets world wide and the influence of North European diets are also having an effect.

The term Macdonaldization penned by George Ritzer in 1995 aptly sums up the problem.

A recent study has shown that 30% of nonhereditary cancers are related to our diet. The deficiency or excess of certain nutrients contribute to our vulnerability to developing cancers. For example, the lack of folic acid can encourage the appearance of digestive or lung cancers.

As I have said before, Bigastro is comitted to the Citta Slow project which encourages a slower pace of life. Traditional values, traditional fare and traditional ways of growing and preparing food are all features of the project. If the result is a longer and happier life, then I am all in facour of it.