The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and most rational nutritional systems. This is a collection of eating habits that stimulate metabolism, help the body function properly and gradually get rid of excess pounds. With this diet you will not lose 5 kg in a week, but a fast pace should not be the goal, otherwise you can easily harm the body. At some point there will be a failure, a setback in your metabolism - and you will gain more kilograms than you wanted to lose.
The basic rules of the Mediterranean diet: Eat healthy, eat in small portions. The diet is based on plant-based foods rich in fiber and protein. It is important to drink plenty of water: 6-8 glasses per day. And be sure to exercise - this is an important part of the diet.
Mediterranean diet: What you can eat - permitted foods
Products that make up the diet:
- Fresh vegetables:Tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, spinach, onions, potatoes, carrots;
- Fruits and berries:seasonal;
- Nuts and seeds:almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds;
- Legumes and grains:beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, oats, brown rice, corn, buckwheat, wholemeal bread, durum wheat pasta;
- Fish and seafood:salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, oysters, mussels;
- Bird:chicken, duck, turkey;
- Dairy products:cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt;
- Herbs and spices:garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, cinnamon, turmeric, pepper;
- Healthy fats:unrefined olive oil, olives, avocados;
- Red wine:one 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 on the Mediterranean diet - forbidden foods
Another plus of the diet: it is not forbidden to eat foods other than those to which an allergic reaction is possible. However, 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 whole wheat bread, tomatoes, mozzarella;
Dinner:baked meat, salad, grapefruit;
Snack:Fruit salad;
Dinner:Wholemeal bread, cheese with nuts, orange.
Tuesday
Breakfast:muesli with berries and Greek yogurt;
Dinner:100 grams of baked fish, durum wheat pasta;
Snack:cottage cheese casserole, tea;
Dinner:Fish cutlets, buckwheat, tomato and herb salad, a glass of dry red wine.
Wednesday
Breakfast:Cottage cheese casserole with berries and coffee;
Dinner:seafood soup, a few slices of whole wheat bread;
Snack:fruit salad with Greek yogurt;
Dinner:baked turkey with vegetable stew.
Thursday
Breakfast:Omelet with vegetables, tomatoes and olives;
Dinner:baked fish and bulgur with green peas;
Snack:yogurt or a few pieces of dried apricots;
Dinner:a glass of kefir and a casserole with low-fat cottage cheese.
Friday
Breakfast:Millet porridge with plant milk with pumpkin and raisins, apple;
Dinner:Vegetable soup, stewed eggplant with garlic and herbs;
Snack:Sandwich made from bran bread with cottage cheese, tea without sugar;
Dinner:baked white fish with tomatoes, stewed zucchini with carrots.
Saturday
Breakfast:Millet porridge with diluted milk with pumpkin and raisins, apple;
Dinner: Vegetable soup, stewed eggplant with garlic and herbs;
Dinner:baked white fish with tomatoes, stewed zucchini with carrots.
Sunday
Breakfast:Two-egg omelette with peppers;
Dinner:baked white fish with tomatoes, stewed zucchini with carrots;
Dinner:a glass of kefir, cottage cheese with honey.
Contraindications
There are no serious contraindications, except for individual intolerance to the products. The diet contains the necessary healthy substances that ensure the proper functioning of the body.
Advantages and disadvantages of the Mediterranean diet
A circumstance that many consider to be a disadvantage: slow weight loss. But it is this diet that teaches you to eat healthily, without any mishaps and worries that your favorite foods are forbidden. This eating behavior becomes a way of life, metabolic problems are balanced out and the 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 and eat no more than two sweets. Next, host a morning tea party twice a week and do a thorough cleanup. You reduce the daily dose of sugar, the urge to gasp disappears and the body perceives the situation without stress.
The diet has many benefits: it consists of a large amount of fresh fruit, fish and 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. Diet advocates are less likely to suffer from obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. The risk of Alzheimer's disease also decreases. The powerful medicinal effect is explained by the presence in the diet of a large number of healthy foods: fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, butter and nuts, as well as a small amount of red wine.
If a person losing weight follows the rules and proportions, the diet will have a positive effect on the heart and blood vessels. This helps prevent high blood pressure and atherosclerosis, lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, prevent excessive blood clot formation as well as the development of atherosclerosis, improve blood circulation and strengthen blood vessels. The fiber in the composition regulates blood sugar levels. In addition: The function of the thyroid gland and metabolic processes improve.