How the Mediterranean Diet Can Change Your Life

The Mediterranean Diet is one of the healthiest diets known to man. It is considered by many to be one of the most nutritious diets in the world. It is a calorie-unrestricted diet that focuses on eating and enjoying whole foods. This means that the food is not only fresh and natural; it is also rich in wholesome flavors.

In this post, we will explain what the Mediterranean diet is, what are its health benefits.

Let’s start with the basic idea.

What is the basic idea behind the Mediterranean diet?

The basic idea behind a Mediterranean diet is to include lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and low-fat dairy products in your meals. No pasta or bread!

What exactly are Mediterranean diets?

These diets originate in North Africa and the Middle East and are a way of life instead of a diet. Many people follow these diets to eat healthily and still enjoy all the foods they love. This includes eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes and meat. However, it is a very long-term approach since you need to make changes to your daily diet over a long time to get the results you want.

Spices are an important part of the Mediterranean Diet

Spices play an important part of this diet. They are used to season the meals, which gives them a unique flavor. For example, you will usually find in Mediterranean foods cumin, chili, and garlic. You will also often find nutmeg, turmeric, and sesame seeds used to give these dishes their signature flavors. When it comes to spices, the mediterranean diet has plenty!

What’s on the Mediterranean diet the most?

The most commonly consumed legume in the Mediterranean diet is beans. Various studies have shown that eating at least two servings of beans each day lowers the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. However, nuts are an alternative for some people, especially those who do not like the taste of beans or nuts.

Mediterranean diet breakfast food

One of the most popular Mediterranean diet breakfast foods is called tabouli, and it is prepared using olive oil. Typical ingredients for tabouli include olives, mushrooms, parsley, garlic, and lemon juice. Olives are high in antioxidants which are essential for skin health. Other herbs and spices used in tabouli include mint, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and chillies.

How to Maintain the Mediterranean Diet While Losing Weight

For many people who are following a Mediterranean Diet, losing weight can be easy. That is one of the reasons why this diet has been the most popular diet for the past thirty years or so. The Mediterranean Diet is based on eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, poultry, roots and nuts. This is a diet that is rich in fiber, which helps to control your weight naturally. In addition to this diet, you will also need to exercise regularly if you want to lose weight. If you are someone who already has an exercise program and are interested in adding a Mediterranean Diet to it, here are some tips to remember:

* Avoid Drinking:

alcohol, coffee, tea and other beverages. This is a type of Mediterranean Diet recommendation that you should keep in mind. The research found that over just 16 weeks on this diet: participants lost an average of 5.5 pounds (or 13.1 pounds) on the vegetarian diet.

* Eat As Much As You Want:

This is another good reason to stick to the dietary guidelines of the Mediterranean diet. It is a deficient calorie diet that makes you eat delicious meals while still losing weight. The key is to make sure that your diet contains the right amounts of essential nutrients.

Which Foods Form the Basis of the Mediterranean Diet?

In some respects, the Mediterranean diet is as much about the foods you need to avoid as those you need to eat. Europeans have followed this diet for generations because of the availability of the food from their region, and the fact that it has helped many live long and prosperous lives is very much a welcome side effect!

But given how the global food industry works today, it’s possible to follow a Mediterranean diet regardless of where you live. So let’s take a look at some of the foods that you need to eat (and avoid) to follow this lifestyle:

The Mediterranean diet consists of mostly fruits and vegetables. Fruits include apples, oranges, strawberries, papaya, kiwi, pineapple, melons and bananas. Vegetables include carrots, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, beets, tomatoes, onions and green peppers.

Foods to Eat 

• Vegetables: Broccoli, kale, tomatoes, spinach, onions, carrots, cucumbers, etc.
• Fruits: Apples, pears, oranges, dates, figs, melons, peaches, etc.
• Nuts & seeds: Cashews, macadamias, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.
• Legumes: Beans, peas, chickpeas, pulses, etc.
• Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, etc.
• Whole grains: Whole oats, wholegrain pasta, buckwheat, brown rice, corn, rye, etc.
• Seafood: Salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, mussels, shrimp, etc.
• Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, avocadoes, and olives.

The above are the food groups that form the basis of the Mediterranean diet and can be utilized in various ways within your weekly meal plans.

In moderation, you can also enjoy eggs, poultry, and dairy, but too much of each will distort the balance that the diet brings.

You will also see that many people include red wine as part of their Mediterranean diets, as the beverage has long been associated with western Europe. Research shows that red wine in moderation (no more than one glass a day) isn’t necessarily wrong for your health.

Foods to Avoid

As mentioned, success on the Mediterranean diet largely depends on avoiding certain foods that contribute to a range of illnesses and health complications. If you want to follow a Mediterranean diet, you will need to avoid the following foods:

• Refined grains: White bread, refined-wheat pasta, etc.
• Additional sugar: Soda, ice cream, table sugar, etc.
• Refined oils: Soybean and canola oil.
• Processed meat: Sausages, bacon, etc.
• Trans fats: Margarine (use olive oil instead).

Again, the key to the Mediterranean diet is choosing whole foods that have not been manufactured, refined, or processed. Anything that comes pre-packaged is unlikely to serve you well while following the Mediterranean diet.

So, now we know what to eat and what to avoid, let’s look at the various health benefits of following this popular whole food diet.

Three Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet 

1 – Reduced Risk of Heart Disease 

This diet is well-known for its excellent heart health benefits. Because it has so much variety, there is a wide range of nutrients, including low-fat dairy products, fish, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Low-fat yoghurt is beneficial for those who need low-fat alternatives to cheeses and other high-fat options. Other healthy dietary choices include poultry and seafood. These alternatives are helpful for people who want to eat healthily but do not want to eliminate all of the delicious taste of meat or fish.

2 – Reduced Risk of Cognitive Decline & the Onset of Alzheimer’s Disease 

As well as being suitable for the heart and overall health of your body, the Mediterranean diet is associated with slowing cognitive decline and the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. While a future study on the relationship between the Mediterranean Diet and Alzheimer’s is needed, the emerging signs are that following this diet is likely to do your chances no harm.

3 – Consistent Weight Loss & Maintenance 

Primarily because the Mediterranean diet focuses on whole foods and rejects refined and manufactured products, the diet’s weight loss and maintenance benefits are pronounced. Multiple studies from various countries have found that those who follow a Mediterranean diet can lose excess body fat and maintain a healthy BMI over time.

Can the Mediterranean Diet Change Your Life?

The short answer to this question is yes, the Mediterranean diet really can change your life! One of the things that makes it so sustainable and effective is its focus on whole foods from a range of groups, and there are no impossible calorie restrictions to consider.

Providing you’re deliberate with your choice of food and avoid refined and processed options, you are very likely to succeed when following a Mediterranean diet, which has been scientifically proven to help people maintain healthy lifestyles for generations.