Ever wonder why some cultures have people that are giants among men, or why some cultures breed athletes? Or perhaps how people from certain regions could live to over 100? Or, have you ever wondered how a society could conquer nearly an entire world? It all comes down to the diet; and the diet we’ll be discussing, the Mediterranean diet, which may very well be the diet for high testosterone.
If you ate and lived like you were a native of this region, you would: Live longer, look younger, have less body fat, higher testosterone and a strong libido.
Where on Earth would you be to merit such strong claims?
You’d be in Italy…more specifically, a region of Italy known as “Mezzogiorno” (Southern Italy).
[Southern Italians live in a region that the Northerners call “Mezzogiorno” which can roughly be translated to “Midday Sun”… a way to describe the much warmer climate than that of the North.]
What’s so special about Southern Italian people?
Simple – Their Diet, a simple diet to be specific...when it comes to the dishes you prepare, the simpler the better.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Food is life. You can be a very active individual, but if your diet isn’t the best, you’re only cheating yourself.
Why Southern Italians and not their Northern Amichi?
Well, it’s not necessarily just Southern Italians, or Italians in general – what’s truly important is a wholesome diet.
While both the Northern and Southern Italians generally eat a highly nutritious, minimally processed diet, if you copied a Northern Italian diet here in the states you could lead yourself very easily down the road to highly processed foods...allow me to explain.
Southern Italians eat their fair share of macaroni, just like the North, except the difference is in the sauces. A macaroni sauce in the North is generally going to be cream & butter based (not necessarily an unhealthy thing) and in the South they are generally olive oil and vegetable based.
[Modern day Italians will use plenty of tomato based sauces, but those are relatively new since tomatoes weren’t introduced to Italy until Mr. Columbus brought them back from the Americas]
Typical Northern Italian Food:
- Rich risottos, macaroni dishes and polentas
- Hearty soups and stews
- Root vegetables
- Bread and salami (essentially deconstructed sandwiches)
- Various pasticcini (pastries) and the classic holiday favorite “Panettone”
- Preserved fish & meats
- Breaded &fried: fish, shellfish and various other animal proteins
Typical Southern Italian Food:
- Seafood rich diet
- High quality sea salts
- Pasture raised animal proteins (meat, organ, etc.)
- Various fruits and vegetables
- Cheeses made from free range cows and sheep
- Olive oil
- Spicy foods (spicy meaning hot, as well as, full of spices)
Both regions are healthy in their own terms – Northern Italians (being on the Franco-Swiss-Austrian border), generally live in a colder environment, which merits the higher caloric demand in their food. Following a Northern Italian diet in the United States isn’t necessarily, inherently unhealthy – the main downfall is that a majority of the foods required to mimic their diet are generally highly processed foods. Here are some reasons why it could be bad for you to follow a Northern Italian diet in the USA:
- Cream based sauces using high oleic low quality fats
- Soy ingredients
- High amount of low quality salts
- Added sugars and high fructose corn syrup
- Bleached “enriched” flours and macaroni
- Processed meats
Another downside (a huge one for me, since I have a huge appetite and prefer larger meals) is that since Northern Italian food is generally higher in calories, the portion sizes need to be smaller to prevent eating in excess – the main cause of obesity, regardless of food type.
Southern Italians follow a typical healthy Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean referring to the Mediterranean sea) which is a diet and lifestyle similarly followed by individuals of the coastal regions of: Spain, France, Greece, Turkey and a few Northern African countries as well.
What is the Mediterranean Diet?
Following a Mediterranean diet is very similar to that of following a Paleo diet – with the exception that Mediterranean’s will eat certain grains, legumes, dairy and potatoes. The Mediterranean lifestyle is a more modern (relatively speaking) lifestyle that most individuals will find easy, as well as, highly enjoyable to follow.
Popular belief may be that the Mediterranean diet is dictated by certain flavorings added to food, such as basil and oregano. In actuality, a Mediterranean diet is one that simply focuses on: minimally processed, wholesome and nutrient dense foods.
If you were to follow a Mediterranean Diet, here are where your macros will generally come from:
Fats:
- Olive Oil
- Olives
- Almonds
- Eggs
Carbohydrates:
- Rice
- Tubers (Potatoes, Carrots, etc.)
- Fruits
- Grains
Proteins:
- Fish, Squid, Octopus and Shellfish (Pretty much your main source of protein)
- Eggs
- Livestock (Cows, Chicken, Rabbit)
- Wild Animals (Deer, Boar, Pheasant, etc.)
Is the Mediterranean diet the end all be all of diets/lifestyles?
No. But I’ll tell you this:
I’ve lived my whole life with rich Southern Italian family heritage and I’ve experienced:
Great strength and muscular gains, as well as, perpetually walking around looking and feeling like a 19 year old...and I’ve been that way for over 10 years.
Also remember that Greek & Roman warriors were built with the above foods.
So all biases aside, these foods are readily available, and the meals are easy to prepare and quick to cook! You can start this diet today…probably with stuff already in your kitchen!
Every region around the world has a rich heritage traced in their food. You can learn a lot about the history of a region by the food they eat. You can tell if they lived in a cold or hot climate, rich or poor civilization, an Empire or feeble tribe, fertile or barren land. As society becomes more and more convenient we lose trace of our heritage, but our food will always bring us back.
Greek & Roman warriors were built with the above foods.
- Diet
- Supplements
- Testosterone
- Weight Loss
