Embrace THE MED DIET

It could be the best investment you ever make when it comes to taking care of your health

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Taking a trip abroad this summer? Depending on where you are headed, you might bring back more than a sun-kissed tan, souvenir snaps and happy memories. Incorporate some of the local eating habits into your diet and you could add years to your life - and super-healthy ones at that, especially if you're off to the Mediterranean.

Eating the Med way is incredibly simple and doesn’t rely on obscure, hard-to-find ingredients. The focus is on fresh, unrefined produce that you can pick up in any greengrocer's or supermarket.

'The diet combines relatively large amounts of vegetables, fruit, olive oil, fish, garlic, wholegrains, beans, nuts, seeds, bread and potatoes, a lower intake of red meat and a moderate consumption of red wine,' says GP Dr Sarah Brewer. 'It does not include large portions of pizza or pasta!' And the beauty of it? 'It's relatively easy to start getting the health benefits,' adds Dr Brewer.

Here are just a few of the ways a Mediterranean diet could help change your life.

1 Reduce your risk of strokes