The popularity of the Mediterranean Diet began with a rather
simple equation: the people of Greece and Southern Italy tended
to eat a diet rich in fat, yet had less cardiovascular disease
than people in the U.S. How could this be? The answer seems to
lie in the Mediterranean's reliance on the monosaturated fat
known as olive oil. Olive oil forms the basis of Mediterranean
cooking--it is the key ingredient in preparing everything from
pasta to steak. Olive oil is also considered an antioxidant, so
it can be effective in the fight against cancer.
However, following the Mediterranean Diet can be a challenge.
While 40 percent of one's total calories are derived from fat,
dieters can only eat small portions of red meat. Even fish and
poultry are de-emphasized, as are milk and milk products.
However, unlike other diets, the Mediterranean Diet allows you
to eat a fair amount of bread and potatoes, and you can eat eggs
as often as every other day. You can even drink wine in moderate
amounts.
It should be pointed out that the Mediterranean Diet offers
little in the way of saturated fat or trans fat. This means that
dieters have to avoid certain oils as well as margarine, peanut
butter, cakes and cookies. Dieters are also encouraged to cut
the total amount of fat they eat each day.
A study conducted in France showed that people who had had at
least one heart attack who planned their meals according to a
Mediterranean diet were less likely to suffer from subsequent
heart attacks than those who followed a typical diet recommended
by the American Heart Association. Another study conducted last
year indicated that those who used the Mediterranean diet,
exercised, and abstained from smoking were less likely to die
than those who followed a traditional diet.
However, not all the foods found in a typical Mediterranean
Diet are considered healthy choices. For instance, cheese-rich
lasagna and ravioli can be roadblocks to weight loss. In
addition, tiramisu and canolli can also cause an individual to
pack on the pounds.
A number of dieticians recommend taking the best elements of
the Mediterranean Diet and incorporating them into your
lifestyle in order to achieve good health and weight loss. This
means emphasizing vegetables in your diet, along with whole
grains and nuts. You might be surprised to learn that the
average Mediterranean consumes red meat less than twice a week.
If you're following the Mediterranean path, you should also ban
the butter and sugary snacks and opt for fruit when selecting a
dessert.
But there are also other parts of the Mediterranean lifestyle
which should be considered when you are attempting to lose
weight. Mediterraneans tend to walk and bike a great deal, which
contributes to their calorie-burning. In addition, meals tend to
be a leisurely affair. As a result, the body has time for proper
digestion.
A typical Mediterranean menu would include cereal and banana
for breakfast; minestrone soup and a slice of garlic bread for
lunch; and pasta primavera and berries for dinner. One of the
great advantages to the Mediterranean Diet is that it is a feast
for the senses--the colors are bold, the flavors are enticing,
and the aroma is unbeatable.
Cardiologist Michael Ozner has been recommending the
Mediterranean Diet to his patients for almost 30 years. In
response to the diet's popularity, Ozner published a book called
Miami Mediterranean Diet, which offers hundreds of tips for
cooking up Mediterranean specialties.
In addition to helping people lose weight, the Mediterranean
Diet has been credited with improving longevity for people
within the Mediterranean Basin. Therefore, the diet is
considered a healthy, life-giving alternative to a number of
other diets that are on the market today. But perhaps the diet's
biggest selling point is the fact that dieters say it helps to
satisfy their cravings--while enabling them to lose weight.
Therefore, a number of people see the Mediterranean Diet as the
ultimate "un-diet," a weight management plan that doesn't scrimp
on taste.
About the author:
As a Teacher of Sport and Physical Education, Tony Robinson has
a keen interest in Health and Weight Loss issues. For handy
hints and tips for weight loss visit
http://www.weight-loss-arena.com
