The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and most rational nutritional systems. It is a collection of eating habits that activate the metabolism, help the body function properly and gradually get rid of extra pounds. With this diet you will not lose 5 kg in a week, but the fast pace should not be the goal, otherwise you can easily damage the body. At some point, failure will occur, a setback in metabolism, and you will gain more kilograms than you planned to lose.
The basic rules of the Mediterranean diet: eat healthy foods, eat in small portions. The diet is based on plant foods rich in fiber and protein. It is important to drink lots of water: 6-8 glasses a day. And be sure to exercise - this is an important component of the diet.
Mediterranean diet: what to eat - permitted foods
Products that make up the diet:
- Fresh vegetables:tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes, aubergines, spinach, onions, potatoes, carrots;
- Fruits and berries:Seasonal;
- Nuts and seeds:almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds;
- Legumes and cereals:beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, oats, brown rice, corn, buckwheat, wholemeal bread, durum wheat pasta;
- Fish and seafood:salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, prawns, oysters, mussels;
- Bird:chicken, duck, turkey;
- Dairy products:cheese, low-fat ricotta, Greek yogurt;
- Herbs and spices:garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, cinnamon, turmeric, pepper;
- Healthy Fats:unrefined olive oil, olives, avocado;
- Red wine:a glass once a week.
When planning your diet, you must observe the following proportions:
- 60% carbohydrates;
- 30% fat;
- 10% proteins.
What you can't eat in the Mediterranean diet: prohibited foods
Another advantage of the diet: it is not forbidden to eat foods other than those to which an allergic reaction is possible. But to achieve results, you need to reduce or eliminate the consumption of chemical compounds: sugar, wheat flour, processed foods, refined oil, alcohol, soda, fast food, chocolate, ice cream, sausages, sweet bars, desserts and so on.
Red meat is allowed up to four times a month, eggs up to four times a week.
Mediterranean diet menu for 7 days
Monday
Breakfast:slice of wholemeal bread, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella;
Dinner:baked meat, salad, grapefruit;
Snack:fruit salad;
Dinner:wholemeal bread, cheese with nuts, orange.
Tuesday
Breakfast:granola with berries and Greek yogurt;
Dinner:100 grams of baked fish, durum wheat pasta;
Snack:cottage cheese casserole, tea;
Dinner:fish cutlets, buckwheat salad, tomatoes and herbs, a glass of dry red wine.
Wednesday
Breakfast:cottage cheese casserole with berries and coffee;
Dinner:seafood soup, a couple of slices of wholemeal bread;
Snack: fruit salad with Greek yogurt;
Dinner:Baked turkey with vegetable stew.
Thursday
Breakfast:omelette with vegetables, cherry tomatoes and olives;
Dinner:baked fish and bulgur with peas;
Snack:yogurt or a few pieces of dried apricots;
Dinner:a glass of kefir and a saucepan of low-fat cottage cheese.
Friday
Breakfast:millet polenta with vegetable milk with pumpkin and raisins, apple;
Dinner:vegetable soup, aubergines stewed with garlic and aromatic herbs;
Snack:bran bread sandwich with cottage cheese, tea without sugar;
Dinner:Baked white fish with tomatoes, stewed courgettes with carrots.
Saturday
Breakfast:millet porridge with milk diluted with pumpkin and raisins, apple;
Dinner:vegetable soup, aubergines stewed with garlic and aromatic herbs;
Dinner:Baked white fish with tomatoes, stewed courgettes with carrots.
Sunday
Breakfast:two-egg omelette with pepper;
Dinner:baked white fish with tomatoes, stewed courgettes with carrots;
Dinner:a glass of kefir, cottage cheese with honey.
Contraindications
There are no serious contraindications, with the exception of individual intolerance to the products. The diet contains the necessary healthy substances that ensure the correct functioning of the body.
Pros and cons of the Mediterranean diet
A fact that many consider a disadvantage: slow weight loss. But it is precisely this diet that teaches you to eat healthily without despondency and worries that your favorite foods are forbidden. This eating pattern becomes a lifestyle, metabolic problems are resolved and weight reaches the desired level.
If you like sweets or foods that are difficult to give up, gradually eliminate them. Every morning after breakfast we drank tea with sweets: do this every other day, eating no more than two sweets. After that, have morning tea parties twice a week and clean thoroughly. You will reduce the daily dose of sugar, the urge to rush will disappear and the body will perceive the situation without stress.
The diet has many advantages: it consists of a large amount of fresh fruits, fish, olive oil, which, combined with an active lifestyle, have a positive effect on health.
Research shows that this type of diet reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. Supporters of the diet are less likely to suffer from excess weight, hypertension and diabetes. It also decreases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The strong medical effect is explained by the presence of a large number of healthy foods in the diet: fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, butter and nuts and a small amount of red wine.
If a person losing weight follows the rules and proportions, the diet becomes beneficial for the heart and blood vessels. This helps to prevent hypertension, atherosclerosis, reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, prevent excessive formation of blood clots, as well as the development of atherosclerosis, improve blood circulation and strengthen the blood vessels. Dietary fiber in the composition regulates blood sugar levels. In addition: improves the functioning of the thyroid gland and metabolic processes.