The Meditarean Diet-lifestyle

The Mediterranean diet was first publicized in 1945 by Ancel Keys, an American doctor who was stationed in Salerno, Italy. However, it didn’t receive too much attention until the 1990s, when more emphasis was placed on diets that promoted healthier eating habits and weight loss. The Mediterranean diet is enriched with flavorful cuisine that not only tantalizes the taste buds is good for you.

Before saying anything else about it, you must know that daily physical activity is required!!!!!!Jogging, gym or anything you want!The fat is not going to go away if you stay like a vegetable in front of the TV!!!

Key Components Of The Mediterranean Diet

• Plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Bread and cereal
• Nuts and seeds
• The use of healthy fats such as olive oil
• Red wine in moderation
• Consumption of fish regularly
• Minimal intake of processed foods

You will find this diet healthy and not hard to keep up with, it is more a way of life then a diet. It is heart healthy, it protects from asthma and allergies and you may even live longer(after a recent study in the U.S.. So why not?

• Make olive oil your primary source of dietary fat
• Incorporate an abundance of food from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables, breads, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds
• Eat low to moderate amounts of fish and poultry weekly
• Eat low to moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt daily
• Drink a moderate amount of wine (one to two glasses per day for men, one glass per day for women)

Here are some other easy tips: Substitute olive oil for butter. Snack on almonds instead of fat-free cookies. Spread avocado on a sandwich to replace the mayonnaise.

Now, a sum-up:

· An abundance of 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 (which often maximizes the health-promoting micronutrient and antioxidant content of these foods).

· Olive oil as the principal fat, replacing other fats and oils (including butter and margarine).

· Total fat ranging from less than 25 percent to over 35 percent of energy, with saturated fat no more than 7 to 8 percent of energy (calories).

· Daily consumption of low to moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt (low-fat and non-fat versions may be preferable).

· Weekly consumption of low to moderate amounts of fish and poultry (recent research suggests that fish be somewhat favored over poultry); from zero to four eggs per week (including those used in cooking and baking).

· Fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert; sweets with a significant amount of sugar (often as honey) and saturated fat consumed not more than a few times per week.

· Red meat a few times per month (recent research suggests that if red meat is eaten, its consumption should be limited to a maximum of 12 to 16 ounces [340 to 450 grams] per month; where the flavor is acceptable, lean versions may be preferable).

· Regular physical activity at a level which promotes a healthy weight, fitness and well-being.

· Moderate consumption of wine, normally with meals; about one to two glasses per day for men and one glass per day for women (from a contemporary public health perspective, wine should be considered optional and avoided when consumption would put the individual or others at risk.)