Be more Viking

I already love their crime dramas and chic furniture, but could the Nordic countries hold the key to better health, too? A recent study by the University of Copenhagen found that people who followed a Nordic diet for six months had lower cholesterol, reduced levels of fats in their blood and better regulation of blood sugar levels, resulting in healthier hearts and a lower diabetes risk. While the Med diet is much lauded, the Nordic diet could be better suited to us Brits. We lack the sunsoaked summers that produce olives, grapes and endless tomatoes, whereas the Nordic diet staples – kale, cabbage, apples, blackberries, pears, rapeseed oil and oily fish such as mackerel – grow in abundance here. With summer on the way, they’ll be in plentiful supply, so I’m going to push the (long) boat out and feast like a Viking.