A new study has revealed something that many Scandinavians already suspected: Sweden is the healthiest country in Europe, followed by Finland, and Moldova. How Can the Scandinavian Diet Boost Your Health and Wellbeing? analyzes the Scandinavian diet, revealing what makes it so conducive to good health.
The study is based on a wide array of factors, including the obesity rate, life expectancy, and amount of alcohol consumed. Sweden has the second-highest life expectancy (83 years old) and one of the lowest obesity rates, and the reason has plenty to do with what its people eat.
The Scandinavian Diet
Sweden and other Nordic countries enjoy a delicious, healthy diet comprising whole grains, a myriad of fruits and vegetables, wild food (obtained from seas, lakes, and the wilderness), less meat (that is nevertheless of a high quality), and less processed, sugary foods than are consumed in many Western nations. They also value home-cooked meals, taking time to prepare daily meals from scratch. The Scandinavian diet comprises various ingredients that boost immunity and brain health, including fatty fish like herring and mackerel (which are high in Omega-3 essential fatty acids). They consume healthy complex carbohydrates and fiber in the form of beans and peas, as well as root vegetables and tubers, nuts and seeds, and many more foods that help various organ systems function optimally.
Boosting the Immunity and Battling Inflammation
The Scandinavian diet is conducive to the growth of a healthy gut microbiota (the community of trillions of healthful bacteria that live in your gut). Studies indicate that a healthy gut aids in the development of powerful cells such as T cells, which play a vital role in the working of the immune system. It is the ideal nutritional regimen for battling inflammation, since it shuns saturated fats, processed foods, processed carbs like white bread and baked goods, and excess alcohol. Many Western diets, on the contrary, are pro-inflammatory, owing to their adoption of unhealthy fats, refined carbs, and processed foods. Chronic inflammation can damage healthy cells, tissues, and organs, and can damage DNA in previously healthy cells. This is why what you consume plays such a big role in your health and well-being, as well as your lifespan.
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Related: 5 Scandinavian Slimming Secrets
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The Scandinavian Diet and Stress
There is also a vital link between what you eat and how you feel. As reported by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a balanced diet can support a healthy immune system and provide the energy you need to deal with the most stressful aspects of life. In fact, research shows that specific foods (including omega-3 fats and vegetables) may help to regulate stress hormone (cortisol) levels. If you are busy and don’t have time to eat at home, consider meal planning. By shopping wisely and choosing one or two days to cook, you can prepare an entire week’s worth of meals, freeze them, and heat them daily at work or home. Doing so will also save you on costs since it will reduce your expenditure on restaurants and takeaway meals.
Staving Off Depression
Consuming fruits, vegetables, and other high-fiber foods has an added bonus: they can help you enjoy a better mood and keep depression at bay. Scientists have found that people with depression tend to have depleted levels of specific gut bacteria. Healthy gut bacteria need fiber to survive because fiber contains the essential enzymes they need to break down complex carbohydrates. But here’s a second process that makes fiber so important: some types of gut bacteria not only break down fiber in such a way that it becomes digestible but also release ferullic acid. The latter is a vital antioxidant with a host of health benefits, as found in a study by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Ferullic lacid has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other properties. What’s more, it helps stave off a myriad of diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and diabetes.
The Scandinavian diet proves that healthy and delicious are two compatible concepts. This diet comprises health proteins, fiber, and whole grains. By planning your grocery visits and cooking ahead, you can easily embrace this diet and start reaping the plethora of physical and mental benefits it can bring.
How Can the Scandinavian Diet Boost Your Health and Wellbeing? written exclusively for Daily Scandinavian by Karoline Gore. Karoline is a freelance writer from Stoke on Trent in the UK who left the corporate grind when she started a family and has never looked back. She enjoys contributing to a range of online publications on the topics that are important to her.