Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is structured after traditional lifestyle habits of those in the Mediterranean area. This diet is for people who like to cook, enjoy Mediterranean cuisine, and are interested in making a permanent lifestyle change. This diet has few restrictions. People following this diet are allowed to eat all of the things they enjoy, in moderation. This diet focuses on spending time on preparing and enjoying small, tasty meals. Instead of making drastic changes to your lifestyle, this diet teaches people to use low-fat and low-cholesterol foods that are full of flavor and will leave them feeling fulfilled. The Mediterranean diet is designed to improve a persons overall health.

The Mediterranean diet focuses a lot on plant proteins for nourishment. It is considered to be a low-fat, high energy diet. There is a lot of bread in this diet, mostly eaten in the form of pita bread. One major factor that helped to create this diet is that the people of the Mediterranean region have a low rate of chronic disease and illness. In this diet you must eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, pasta, rice, and seeds. Olive oil is also a main ingredient in a lot of Mediterranean recipes. Dairy products are consumed in minimal amounts, and usually in the form of cheese and yogurt. You do eat some animal proteins, but not even close to as much as you do plant proteins. As I mentioned before, this plan has very few dietary restrictions. Those who choose to follow this plan are allowed to eat all of the things they enjoy, in small amounts. Physical activity is not required as part of this plan, but it is always a good idea to do some kind of exercising. This diet will cause a steady pace of weight loss, this helps dieters gradually reduce their food intake, while building healthy eating habits that avoid high-calorie and high-carb foods. Studies have shown that this type of diet is better for your health and easier to maintain than some fad diets.