Mediterranean Diet
0.0The Mediterranean Diet is a weight loss program that is claimed to have helped individuals live healthier lives for centuries. According to various studies and reports, the Mediterranean Diet decreases the risks and odds of developing heart disease, as the program promotes the implementation of healthy foods and exercise.
How Does the Mediterranean Diet Work?
The Mediterranean Diet focuses on the incorporation of various traditional foods around the world, including foods from origins such as:
- Spain
- France
- Italy
- The Middle East
- Greece
By encouraging dieters to change their dietary eating habits, the Mediterranean Diet also teaches dieters how to make other positive lifestyle changes. Among changes in eating habits, dieters also learn how to incorporate regular exercise habits, while also learning the values of family and social bonds.
The Mediterranean Diet and Food
The Mediterranean Diet strives to teach dieters how to value sharing a meal with others. In sharing meals, the diet also encourages individuals to focus their recipes on healthier and varied food options. By incorporating healthy foods from around the world, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on the incorporation of specific dietary elements and foods, such as:
- Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables
- Increased consumption of bread, cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds
- Incorporation of olive oil
- Incorporation of dairy products in moderation
- Moderate consumption of fish and poultry
- Minimal consumption of red meat
- Eggs incorporated into one’s diet up to four times per week
- Moderate consumption of wine
The Mediterranean Diet and Research Statistics
According to reports, individuals who engaged in the Mediterranean experienced a variety of benefits:
- The Journal of American College Cardiology revealed that the diet helped improve heart and decreased inflammation
- Wageningen University, located in the Netherlands, published their study of the Mediterranean Diet in Journal of the American Medical Association, which revealed the following statistics regarding the incorporation of Mediterranean concepts into one’s diet:
- 23% reduced risk of death when eating Mediterranean foods
- 37% reduced risk of death by exercising for 30 minutes per day
- 65% reduced risk of death if following all of the combined elements of the
Mediterranean Diet program
- The University of Athens reported that the Mediterranean diet had a 33% reduced risk of death caused by heart disease.
Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
- The diet is a long term and sustainable plan
- The diet incorporates a variety of foods and food groups
- The program has been scientifically reported and researched
- The program is designed to improve one’s overall health
- Unlike many other diets, the program allows for a moderate consumption of alcohol
- Hardly any food groups are considered to be “off-limits,” as dieters can choose from a great array of options and food categories
- Dieters do not need to count calories or follow difficult rules / regulations