MIND Diet Recommends Consuming One Glass of Wine a Day

The Mediterranean basin was where several ancient civilizations first discovered the triad diet of feeding based on oil, bread and wine. In fact, olives and olive oil were not only an important component of the ancient Mediterranean diet but also one of the earliest industries in antiquity spread by Greek and Phoenician colonization. Once the peasants began to move to the cities and away from subsistence farming, making decisions about diet and how it impacted one's overall health was no longer just for the elite. Unfortunately, the daily diet for many became less healthy.

Listed are a few of the most popular diets of modern times:

• LOW-CARB DIET - The first popular diet that was released to the public in print was the Banting diet in 1863. An English undertaker named William Banting wrote a pamphlet entitled Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public, where he emphasized avoiding sweet foods, sugar, starch, beer and butter.
• CALORIE BALANCING DIET - American doctor and author Lulu Hunt Peters grew up as a hefty child and was extremely conscious of the problems that being overweight presented. She was the first to popularize the concept of the calorie in balancing food intake and energy expended.
• KETOGENIC DIET - Developed in the 1920s for epileptic patients, the keto diet turns the body into a fat-burning machine. By depriving the body of carbs, the liver is forced to produce ketones that burn stored fat deposits for energy instead of glucose.
• DRINKING MAN'S DIET - Bon Vivant Robert Cameron published The Drinking Man's Diet, a pamphlet that sold 2.5 million copies. Based around a high-fat, low-carb menu plan, this diet allows dieters to consume low-carb distilled spirits such as gin, vodka, rum, brandy and whiskies.
• COMPLETE SCARSDALE MEDICAL DIET - Dr. Herman Tarnower published The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet in 1978. As a rapid weight-loss diet, it emphasized protein consumption and banned snacks. The low-carb, high-protein meal plan was criticized for its lack of macronutrient balance.
• PALEO DIET - The Paleo Diet emulates the food intake of the caveman and consists primarily of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood and nuts. Absent from the diet are dairy products as well as whole grains and legumes.
• THE SOUTH BEACH DIET - Miami physician Arthur Agatston popularized high-protein, low-carb dietary intake after publishing The South Beach Diet. Most experts considered it to be a more sustainable than the Atkins diet.
• MIND DIET - The MIND diet was created to help prevent dementia and slow the loss of brain function that can happen with aging. It encourages dieters to consume green leafy veggies as well as other vegetables and nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil and wine. Yes, this diet recommends one glass of wine a day but only one.

There is a link between how food and environmental factors influence your genetic makeup. Through the ages, people have kept their weight down with a variety of weird and wonderful approaches. Diets consisting of processed foods, added sugar, saturated animal fats and artificial chemicals can activate disease-causing genes that might have stayed dormant otherwise. Conversely, those diets lack the healthy nutrients needed to activate your body's protective genes.