In today’s topic, we will discuss the best reasons to choose the right Mediterranean diet. Do you want to lose weight without feeling bad? Challenger explains how to stop wincing at the word “diet”. You just need to “sit down” on its Mediterranean version.
- Foods that can be eaten every day: dark rice, bulgur, legumes, vegetables, fruits, dried fruits, dry red wine, olive oil, whole grain pasta, whole grain cereals, low-fat dairy products, low-fat cheeses.
- Foods that should be limited to 4-6 servings per week: lean poultry, fish, seafood, olives, seeds, and nuts.
- Foods that need to be limited to 1-3 servings per week: root vegetables, eggs, chocolate, and confectionery.
- Prohibited Foods: white flour, red meat (about 4 servings per month are allowed), canned food.
Pros of the Mediterranean Diet:
Weight Loss
Of course, the first thing that makes us all go on a diet is the bright prospect of losing weight. Many diets cope with this task quickly, but the result does not last long. How famously and painlessly parting with extra pounds with the Mediterranean diet will take place depends on many factors. Like from lifestyle to physiology. However, a significant plus of this diet (sorry for the strange pun) is in the variety of foods that you can eat, their quality, and their method of preparation. To lose those extra inches at the waist, you just need to remember about the volume limits (no more than ½ cup of pasta or grain side dish, 100 g of lean meat or fish, no more than 1 cup of potatoes, yogurt, legumes and fresh vegetables per meal) and cooking methods (boiled, steamed or baked without oil).
Read also: The most important benefits of pomegranate juice
Beneficial Effects on the Body
Compared to other diets (especially mono), the Mediterranean does not take away from the body the necessary elements, vitamins, and minerals that should be ingested with food. This happens, of course, due to a large list of allowed products, healthy and tasty. A balanced diet of Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of getting Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as lower blood pressure and levels of “bad” cholesterol. Moreover, diabetics can adhere to this nutrition system.
Long-term Perspective
The Mediterranean diet is easy to follow not only for a week but also for six months or a year. This is again due to the absence of strict restrictions and the diversity of the diet, in which there is even a place for dry wine (it is allowed to drink one glass per day for a woman and two for a man). Being in any restaurant or visiting, you can easily choose a dish that would be “approved” by this food system: fish, meat, vegetables, and cereals should be steamed or baked in the oven without oil, with the addition of natural spices and herbs.
The Ability to Combine Diet with Fitness
To achieve a positive effect from the diet, of course, it is necessary to combine it with physical activity. Many nutrition systems that limit the diet to 800-1,000 kcal per day simply do not allow you to train – you will not even have the strength to get to the gym. With the Mediterranean diet, things are much more fun. A daily diet should contain cereals (rice, bulgur, millet, whole grain pasta), vegetables and fruits, olive oil, nuts, dairy products, cheeses, fish, lean meat, and eggs weekly. In a word, everything is the most delicious and healthy. And with such a set of products, you will have the strength to play sports every day.
Expert Approval
Despite the fact that nutritionists most often scold certain diets, the diet was still approved by experts as one of the most favorable. Also, UNESCO recognized this food system as a national cultural heritage of many European countries.
