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Mediterranean Diet

Read the newspaper headlines and hear what our government officials are saying: America is in crisis, a food crisis.  As obesity rates increase and more and more people are looking for ways to change their eating habits, the American diet industry is booming.  However, as many people notice, this problem is not found in many parts of the world.  As many people will tell you who have traveled to such countries as Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey will tell you, there are parts of the world where people look like they are eating a healthy diet.

For this reason, more and more people are turning to the Mediterranean Diet.  The mediterranean diet patterns itself on what people in the Mediterranean basin (Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Southern Italy, Spain, and Turkey) regularly eat.  You could say that the Mediterranean diet is a Copy of Mediterranean Diet.  By following the eating habits of people in these countries, proponents of the mediterranean diet will insist that you will lose weight and help your body become healthier.

The Mediterranean Diet was first publicized by Ancel Keys, an American doctor who observed what people were eating around him while he was stationed in Southern Italy.  However, the mediterranean diet first gained popularity in the 1990s.  It is a fascinating diet as it goes against the grain of how nutrition should work.  While the Mediterranean Diet is heavy in fats, it has been linked with reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The Mediterranean Diet can be considered a lifestyle diet, in the sense that it doesn’t have a rigid eating schedule.  Generally the Mediterranean Diet Menu consists of foods such as: bread, cereals, fish, fruit, vegetables, and wheat.  These foods tend to high in monounsaturated fat and dietary fiber, while containing a low level of saturated fat.  The Mediteranean Diet emphasizes regular consumption of red wine, although in small amounts.  Additionally, the Mediterranean Diet emphasizes the use of olive oil.

Many nutritionists point to the heavy use of olive oil to being the reason why the Mediterranean diet can be considered healthy.  Olive oil has been attributed to lowering blood cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure.  Additionally, olive oil tend to contain more antioxidants than other types of oil.  While olive oil has many nutritional benefits, proponents of the Mediterranean Diet point to the variety of the Mediterranean Diet Menu to being the reason for its success.  Nutritionists feel that the regular consumption of fish that contain Omega-3 fatty acids as being the primary reason for the effectiveness of the Mediterranean Diet, while others claim that the inclusion of grains is the reason.

Regardless of why the Mediterranean Diet is so effective, this healthy eating plan has been linked with reducing low LDL cholesterol levels in your body and reducing the risk of heart disease.  However, critics question whether the Mediterranean Diet provides you with the necessary amounts of nutrients that your body requires.

The great thing about the Mediterranean Diet is that it isn’t a set dieting plan but rather a healthy eating plan.  If you are interested in this type of Diet, it is highly recommended that you try out some Mediterranean Diet recipes and see if this is the right thing for you!

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