What is the Mediterranean Diet?

When people hear the word "diet" they seem to automatically assume that it means restrictive and unpleasant eating. Many fad diets of the day are very hard to follow. However, the so-called "Mediterranean Diet" is not one of those hard to follow fad diets. The Mediterranean Diet is not even really a diet, it is a style of eating that incorporates the traditional healthy living habits of people from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

The Mediterranean Diet focuses on small portions of healthy foods eaten throughout the day. It includes quite a large amount of vegetables, legumes, dried beans, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, yogurt and olive oil, as well as smaller amounts of fish and seafood, occasional poultry and minimal red meat. The food is fresh, unprocessed and unrefined. It is also low in saturated and trans fats. Small amounts of wine are also integral to the diet.

Olive oil is the principal fat in this diet and is an important monounsaturated fat source. It is used in almost everything and is used in place of other fats such as butter. One of the compounds in olive oil has been found to reduce inflammation, which could help prevent conditions like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's and even certain types of cancer. This diet is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which help to reduce heart disease and many other health problems. Heart disease and death from related causes is much less in Mediterranean countries than it is in America.

One of the downsides to this diet is that the total calories for meals can be fairly high. In fact, calories from fat in this diet are also very high because of the major use of olive oil. While the fats in olive oil are healthier, any fat in abundance will be unhealthy. Exercise, therefore, becomes an important part of this diet. Healthy exercise such as daily walking should be part of your lifestyle when you adopt this diet. Another downfall is the lack of strict guidelines and menus. You can get menus online and find books about the diet to help you, but in general this diet is a lifestyle change. It is not a fad diet that lets you change the way you eat for a month and loose 50 pounds. It is a long term commitment to a healthy eating style.

Some guidelines for adopting this lifestyle include using fruits for desserts instead of sweets, reducing the amount of cheese and butter that you eat and replace butter with olive oil wherever possible. You should also try to eat eggs 4 times a week, red meat only once or twice a month and use honey instead of sugar wherever you can. Drinking one glass of red wine or grape juice each day is also recommended as is at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. You will have a gradual weight loss and will feel better physically. The health benefits that are the most important, those concerning your heart health, are not generally noticeable right away. You should speak to a doctor before adopting any major changes to your diet or exercise plans.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-mediterranean-diet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_diet

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4644