Mediterranean Diet
Review
What Exactly is the Mediterranean Diet?
The Mediterranean diet is not a specific diet plan or diet
program. Rather, it's a collection of eating habits that are
traditionally followed by the people of the Mediterranean region.
The Mediterranean diet has attracted interest due to the
traditionally lower rates of diet-related disease (e.g. heart
disease and cancer) within the region.
Mediterranean Diet - In a Nutshell
- Heavily Dependent on Plant Foods
- Low in Saturated Fat - Rich in Monounsaturated Fat
- Low to Moderate Consumption of Dairy Products
- Limited Consumption of Fish, Poultry and Red Meat
- Moderate Consumption of Wine With Meals
What Does the Mediterranean Diet Consist of?
Here are the basic elements of a Mediterranean-style diet.
- Emphasis on food from plant sources, including fruits and
vegetables, potatoes, breads and grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.
- Emphasis on a variety of minimally processed and, wherever
possible, seasonally fresh and locally grown foods.
- Olive oil (rich in monounsaturates) as the principal fat. Almost
no butter, margarine, or other fats. No trans-fats or hydrogenated
fats.
- Total fat contributing 25-35 percent of calories - saturated fat
no more than 8 percent of calories.
- Daily consumption of low to moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt.
Frequently from goats and sheep - even camels.
- Regular consumption of small amounts of fish and poultry.
- Fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert.
- Very small amounts of red meat, eaten occasionally.
- Moderate consumption of wine with meals; about one to two glasses
per day for men and one glass per day for women.
Mediterranean Diet - Other Important Elements
To the above diet food guidelines must be added three very
important non-food elements.
- Sunshine.
- Regular Physical Exercise.
- Reduced stress.
To what extent these non-food elements contribute to the
healthfulness of the Mediterranean diet, remains unknown.
Mediterranean Diet - A Traditional Style of Eating
Although some people living within the Mediterranean region still
follow this traditional Mediterranean diet, many do not. So the
idea that such a diet is still the norm throughout Mediterranean
countries is a myth. Nonetheless, studying the Mediterranean diet,
with it's emphasis on fruits, vegetables and other healthy
carbohydrates, it is clearly far-removed from the high-protein,
low-carb diets which seem to be the current fashion.Diet
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