Now, imagine if eating and living this way could help you stay lean and healthy, substantially reduce your risk of contracting heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, many types of cancer (including breast, prostate and colon), and increase your chances of living longer.

This way of living might sound like the impossible dream, but in reality people from Mediterranean and Asian cultures have been living like this, and reaping the rewards, for more than 5000 years.

Traditional eating and lifestyle practices

There's actually no such thing as a uniform Mediterranean or Asian diet and lifestyle. The Mediterranean region, for example, encompasses such diverse countries as Greece, Italy, Morocco, Turkey, Spain and Tunisia (See map). Not only do these countries share different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, the dishes traditionally eaten in these countries are equally diverse and use a wide range of different cooking techniques as well as different herbs, spices and other seasonings.

The cultural and culinary diversity seen throughout the Mediterranean is equally apparent in Asia, which includes such countries as Japan, China, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Korea (See map).

Yet, despite the differences, research over the last 50 years has shown that there are also many distinct similarities between the traditional eating and lifestyle practices of Mediterranean and Asian cultures:

	Their diets include abundant amounts of plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes (beans, peas and lentils) and nuts
	They consume only small amounts of red meat
	They consume fish regularly
	Most of the fat they consume comes from plant and fish oils
	They consume alcohol regularly in moderation (usually with meals)
	They are physically active as part of their everyday lives
	They tend to have an optimistic view of life, family ties are strong and special time is usually set aside each day to relax the body and mind (such as the afternoon siesta common throughout the Mediterranean region and Tai Chi and yoga which are commonly practiced throughout Asia)

According to a large body of scientific research it's these similar eating and lifestyle practices that help explain why Mediterranean and Asian peoples also share the same good health, low rates of chronic disease and long life expectancy.

Incorporating traditional Mediterranean and Asian eating and lifestyle practices into your own life

So, how can a Westerner living in this fast-paced, high-stress modern world possibly adopt traditional Mediterranean and Asian eating and lifestyle practices? If that sounds like a difficult proposition, let us assure you, it's not. We both lead busy Western lives, and we've done it. In fact, for well over a decade we've been incorporating traditional Mediterranean and Asian eating and lifestyle practices into our lives. (Read more about us here). Over that time we've not only had lots of fun and discovered a world of wonderful tastes, we've also experienced a remarkable improvement in our physical health and emotional wellbeing. And through this website we'd like to show you how to easily follow a "MediterrAsian" way of living too.

To learn more about a MediterrAsian way of living, check out our FAQ. And for a quick overview of each section of MediterrAsian.com, visit the Site Guide.