Mediterranean Diet

In short, the Mediterranean¹ diet can be described as a salutary eating plan which is based on recipes and foods of the Mediterranean cookery. The diet incorporates eating patterns typical for Southern Italy, Spain, and Greece. The dieters eat much olive oil, vegetables, fish, legumes, whole grains, fruits, and some other products.

The Mediterranean diet was first advertised in 1945. Ancel Keys, the American nutritionist, publicized it. But the diet received universal recognition only in the 1990s, when Doctor Walter Willet published its new version. Nowadays, the Mediterranean diet is very popular in many countries of the world, including the USA and Great Britain.

How Does It Work?

First of all, you should realize that the Mediterranean diet is neither a diet for quick loss in weight nor an exact list of excluded and allowed foods. It is a plan for everyday healthy eating over long term.

Here are its basic principles for people who want to go on the Mediterranean diet:

• Replace red meat with poultry and fish.
• Use olive oil instead of lard or butter.
• Eat much vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and fruits.
• Moderately eat dairy products.
• Do not eat “ready meals” or “fast foods”.
• Never add salt to your dishes when you are already at the table.
• Drink much water.
• Snack on unsalted nuts and dried fruit.

In general, the Mediterranean diet is considered to be one of the healthiest eating plans. Animal fats are replaced by unsaturated oil, so it is high in monounsaturated fat protecting your health. The diet is high in proteins. It excludes processed foods and provides dieters with numerous vitamins and mineral.

What Are the Benefits?

Scientific research has proved that the Mediterranean diet helps to prevent and cure heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease², Parkinson’s disease³, obesity, raised blood cholesterol, vascular disease, and many other health problems. What is more, scientists have come to the conclusion that people who follow the Mediterranean diet live longer.

The Mediterranean diet is recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as a great eating formula for promoting heath and preventing numerous diseases.

Definitely, following the Mediterranean diet means a healthy lifestyle and increases the probability of healthy retirement.

How to Lose Weight?

If you want to lose weight with the help of this diet you will have to follow a stringent Mediterranean diet and do physical exercises regularly. Here are some tips:

• Eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits every day.
• Prefer products rich in fiber and vitamins.
• Eat legumes no less than eight times per week.
• Do not eat refined grains.
• Limit olive oil to one tablespoon a day.
• Choose low-fat dairy.
• Limit poultry, eggs, and fish to one-two portions each per week.
• Drink no more than one glass of wine a day.
• Do not eat butter.
• Replace sugar with honey.

And the last but not the least: do moderate physical exercises for half an hour each day.

Are There Any Health Risks?

As stated above, the Mediterranean eating plan has a number of advantages, but you need to take into account some negative features of the diet too.

The Mediterranean diet can be risky for people with hyper-sensitive system. You may not follow this diet if you suffer from some ailments. So do not forget to consult your doctor before going on this diet.

The Mediterranean diet is not very effective for losing weight.

You should also know that the Mediterranean diet is pretty costly and you will have to spend much time in the kitchen cooking your food.

What Foods Should Be Eaten?

The Mediterranean diet is focused on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, chestnuts, cashew nuts, almonds, various seeds, olive oil, turkey, chicken and other white lean meat, fish, and seafood.

One can drink tea and coffee but no more than three cups of coffee or four cups of tea per day. Less is better.

Dieters are allowed to drink red wine and use it in cooking.

What Foods Should Be Avoided?

People following the Mediterranean diet should avoid lamb, pork, beef, and other kinds of red meat. They do not eat much potato and sweets. They do eat dairy products but give preference to low-fat ones.

The Mediterranean dieters should never eat processed foods and “fast foods”.

Bottom Line

The Mediterranean diet is a day-for-day eating plan offering fresh and healthy foods. If you follow it, certainly, you will feel better, reduce the risk of many diseases and even drop off several kilos. But if you need to lose weight quickly, the Mediterranean diet is not good for you.

Mediterranean Diet Plan

The Mediterranean diet has no specific plan and every dieter can choose what and when to eat. Scientists from Supreme Scientific Health Council have developed the “ideal” variant of the Mediterranean diet which is outlined in this pyramid. The closer you will get to it, the more effective and healthy the diet will be. 

Here is a guide to servings shown in the Mediterranean diet pyramid:

• Meat: 60 grams fish or lean meat.
• Potatoes: 100 grams.
• Nuts: 30 grams.
• Vegetables: 1 cup leafy vegetables or ½ cup other vegetables.
• Eggs: 1 egg.
• Fruits: 1 orange, 1 banana, 1 apple, 30 grams grapes, 200 grams watermelon or melon.
• Grains: ½ cup rice or cooked pasta; 25 grams bread.
• Legumes: 1 cup dry cooked beans.
• Dairy: 1 cup yogurt or milk; 30 grams cheese.
• Wine: 1 glass (125 grams) of red wine.

Below you can see a sample day’s menu for Mediterranean dieters:

• Breakfast: Tea or coffee and yogurt with walnuts and berries.
• Lunch: Pita and hummus; lentil soup.
• Snack: Cheese and whole grain crackers.
• Dinner: Wheat berry salad; roasted cod; red wine.
• Dessert: Fruits with honey.

You can also use this chart for planning your menu when you are on the Mediterranean diet.

Mediterranean Diet Success Stories

Bill Harbin

Several years ago Bill’s diet consisted of fatty products, like fried potatoes, fast foods and so on. Finally he had a severe heart attack. His cardiologist warned him that the risk of another attack was very high and it would be fatal for Bill. Mr. Harbin made the decision to save his life and to make it much more healthy and happy.

Since then, Bill has been going on the Mediterranean diet. Now he eats much grilled vegetables. He has replaced fatty steaks with fish and poultry. He has low-fat ice cream and yogurt for desserts. His snacks consist of fruits and walnuts.

Bill Harbin has managed to normalize his cholesterol level and his chances to have another heart attack are low. What is more, Bill really enjoys his diet and never feels hungry.

Aleah Helton

Aleah had gone on the Mediterranean diet before this eating plan became a mania. She read about it in some Christian book where it was named the “biblical diet” and decided to try it. First, it was difficult for Aleah to follow the diet because her husband did not want to change his eating habits and she had to cook two meals a day.

The Mediterranean diet helped Aleah to drop over fifteen pounds. Over some time, she gained that weight back but then was able to lose it again. Now she feels great and is not going to give up dieting.

Lyn Brooks

Over the years, Lyn Brooks tried various diets but she has had the greatest success in losing weight with the Mediterranean eating plan. To her, it has become a lifestyle. Now she puts emphasis on vegetables, olive oil, fish, and fruits. She finds the Mediterranean diet easy to follow and is happy to follow it. Moreover, Lyn is sure that her healthy eating habits will protect her from heart diseases typical for members of her family.

Jeanine Kitchel

Jeanine started the Mediterranean diet after her husband had some problems with his heart. He just had to acquire healthy eating habits and Jeanine decided to support him. They replaced red meat with poultry, fish and pasta. They began to eat fresh vegetables, low-fat dairy, and olive oil. Jeanine and her husband continued drinking red wine.

The results are amazing for both of them. They have lost several pounds and now feel much better. The Mediterranean diet has become a way of life for them.

Anna Morgan

Heart problems were a big problem in Anna’s family for many decades and she always realized the potential risks. So she decided to go on a Mediterranean diet in order to reduce the chances of having a heart disease. In 2004, she went on a no-wine type of the diet. She lost over twenty pounds and has maintained her achievement for nine years. What is more, now her arteries are free of blockage and her heart acts much better than before. Anna is sure that the Mediterranean eating plan has helped her to improve in health.

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1. Mediterranean is a characteristic of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and their inhabitants.
2. Alzheimer’s disease is a condition when the body and brain gradually stop working correctly.
3. Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of nervous system characterized by muscular rigidity, imprecise movement and tremor. It affects elderly people.