The Mediterranean diet started in the 1960s and originated from people living in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy, Spain, Greece and other regions. They eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, eat less red meat, and eat good oil, and the rate of cardiovascular disease is meagre. The Mediterranean diet is based on eating healthy fat, vegetables, fruits and nuts, edible fish, chicken, and dairy products in small amounts.
Unlike other diets, the Mediterranean diet is not a weight-loss diet, so you don’t need to choose low-fat, get hungry deliberately. And you don’t need to skip certain types of food deliberately; you can still maintain a healthy body, plus there is no rigid diet. Its flexible nature allows people to adjust to their own needs.
The Mediterranean diet has also been proven to have many health benefits. Compared with Americans, people in the Mediterranean region are less likely to suffer from cancer and heart disease. The Mediterranean diet can also help you lose weight.
8 Features of the Mediterranean Diet: primarily low GI foods, high in dietary fibre, good quality protein source, rich in vitamins and minerals, rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants, the oil source is mainly olive oil, and the proportion of unsaturated fat far exceeds that of saturated fat, consume fermented foods for a healthy gut environment, promoting moderate drinking.
Seven health benefits of the Mediterranean diet: delay ageing, help lose weight, helps prevent cancer, reduce heart disease risk, reduce cardiovascular disease, reduce dementia and help improve memory, reduce the rate of bone loss in patients with osteoporosis.
In addition, it has been confirmed in many ways that the Mediterranean diet is more effective for weight loss than the emphasis on the low-fat diet. The American Journal of Medicine found that a Mediterranean diet was as helpful for weight loss as a low-carb diet. A 2016 study found that participants on a Mediterranean diet lost more weight than those on a low-fat diet. Eating a variety of plant proteins and complex whole-grain carbohydrates keeps blood sugar stable and keep you full for longer. It will also reduce the chance of overeating.
7 Advantages of the Mediterranean Diet: easy to prepare, with a wide variety of dishes, no need to diet, go hungry, avoid certain foods, with a large amount of plant-based food, it is very satisfying to eat, it can be carried out for a long time, adjusted according to your situation, and it is not easy to regain weight, you can decide the number of calories you want to lose weight. You can plan each meal yourself, help lose weight, and help your health and prevent ageing, suitable for adults and children.
How to eat the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet does not have strict rules. Initially, there was a Mediterranean diet pyramid. It stated that – eat many vegetables and fruits every day, alternately eat eggs, milk, fish and meat every week, and eat red meat twice a month”. But today. As a general rule of thumb, the more colours on the plate, the better.
Six principles of the Mediterranean diet: high in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and olive oil, eat fish, eggs, cheese and yoghurt in moderation, a moderate amount of wine, one glass a day, instead of salt, herbs and spices are encouraged to season food and reduce the chance of abdominal bloating, replace cream with extra virgin olive oil and cut down on saturated and trans fats, red meat and dessert twice a month.
Mediterranean diet food list
The Mediterranean diet does not always need to follow specific foreign ingredients. Any country or region can adapt to its local conditions.
Fruits: All fresh fruits such as apples, oranges, pears, melons, grapes, berries, dates, figs, peaches and grapefruit.
Vegetables: Any fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, kale, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, onions, sweet potatoes such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, radishes and parsnips. (Frozen vegetables without additives and canned vegetables like tomatoes will also work.)
Whole grains: Bread and pasta made with whole-grain ingredients; this includes whole grains, oats, barley, rye, quinoa and brown rice.
Nuts and seeds: Contains a whole nut, such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pistachios. Or seeds, such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and flax seeds.
Legumes: Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, and fava beans.
Healthy fats: Extra virgin olive oil, avocado, avocado oil, walnut oil, olives.
Dairy: Moderate amounts of dairy, such as Greek yoghurt, cheese, and milk.
Fish and Seafood: Wild fish and shellfish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, shrimp, tuna, trout and clams.
Other animal proteins: Poultry, pork, and other lean meat choices in moderation. Red meat can be reserved for special occasions.
Herbs and Spices: Garlic, Oregon, Basil, Thyme, Mint, Sage, Rosemary, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, etc.
What not to eat on the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is milder than other strict diets, which may directly limit the variety of certain foods. Only red meat and desserts should be reserved for special occasions in the Mediterranean diet. Also, avoid overly processed, packaged foods and enjoy fresh whole foods whenever possible. Things to avoid: cut back on processed meats, refined grains, refined oils, and added sugars, but you can eat almost anything else.
While the Mediterranean diet is by no means restrictive, you still need to figure out portion sizes and calories yourself, so you don’t overeat. Disadvantages and risks of the Mediterranean diet: There could be too many calories, eating harmful oils.
Of course, the Mediterranean diet is not without its shortcomings. According to the American Heart Association, the Mediterranean diet plan has a relatively high proportion of calories from fat. However, unsaturated fat is the mainstay, it increases the risk of heart disease, but the fat is high in calories. , the total calorie intake will also invisibly soar, so the obesity rate in these countries has also increased.
As for the possible risks of the Mediterranean diet? The first is oil intake. Because of the emphasis on high-quality oil intake, people often choose olive oil. Still, olive oil is not suitable for high-temperature cooking, and it is easy to generate carcinogens and free radicals. The best way is a cold salad or low-temperature cooking.
In addition, it is easy to overeat calories and sugar. Bread will also have problems with sodium content, cream, sugar, artificial additives, and you must pay attention to the selection. Because of the flexibility of the Mediterranean diet, the recipes can vary a lot. You can spend a lot of time figuring out the menu if you’re not careful, which is probably the only downside of the Mediterranean diet.
Mediterranean diet recipes don’t require complicated cooking skills or over-seasoning. The easiest way to do it is to grill or steam it, add olive oil and lemon to a plate, and you’ll have a Mediterranean flavour.