Co-founder and clinical director of New Jersey-based OMNI Behavioral Health Solutions, Maria Kechaidis provides specialized counseling services to children and families as well as Intensive In-Home clinical services to children with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Outside of her professional pursuits, Maria Kechaidis enjoys cooking for friends and family, using Greek-inspired recipes passed down from her grandmother and mother.
As far back as the early 1900s, researchers concluded that people living in countries near the Mediterranean Sea, like Greece and Italy, suffered from heart disease at a much lower rate than Americans. The reason for this was believed to be their diet, which was heavily comprised of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil, while also characterized by a lack of red meat. In recent years, the Mediterranean diet has gained mainstream popularity as a means of losing weight and preventing health complications. Its benefits also have been proven by multiple studies.
In 2013, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine examined the effect of diet on 7,447 individuals with a high risk for cardiovascular disease. The study participants were grouped into three different diet plans and, after nearly five years, researchers found those in the Mediterranean diet groups experienced a 39 percent decrease in the likelihood of suffering a stroke. Other studies have shown a Mediterranean diet high in nuts and olive oil can reduce LDL cholesterol and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.
