1. It's Delicious
Not only does the Mediterranean diet benefit your health, you'll enjoy many of the delicious foods you can eat on the diet. Most of your diet will consist of fruits and vegetables, but you also eat generous amounts of fish, pasta, rice and breads. However, instead of flavoring the grains with butter, you'll eat them plain or dipped in olive oil. On a Mediterranean diet, you can also drink wine at meals. Since many diets forbid alcohol, you'll enjoy this added benefit. Dieters don't drink large amounts of wine, but can have a glass or two with dinner. Wine can provide beneficial effects, like reducing the risk of blood clots and giving a boost of antioxidants. However, you don't have to consume wine as it's an optional part of the diet.
2. Promotes Heart Healthy Choices
Although the Mediterranean diet may not help you lose weight, you will reap the benefits by keeping your heart healthy. A Mediterranean diet contains many foods that lower your cholesterol. In addition, it focuses on substituting healthy fats in lieu of trans and saturated fats. Healthy fat sources include olive oil, nuts and fatty fishes. These items contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which have the ability to lower triglycerides and works as an anti-inflammatory agent by stabilizing the lining of the blood vessels. Since it's low in saturated fat, you'll reduce your risk of heart disease as well. People who live in Mediterranean countries have a much lower incidence of heart disease than people in the United States.
3. Easy to Follow Eating Habits
A key benefit of a Mediterranean diet involves the easy way you can incorporate the eating habits into your lifestyle. You'll only need to make a few small changes and substitutions to start following the diet. Instead of eating a lot of red meat, you'll substitute chicken and fish. If you do eat red meat occasionally, just consume lean cuts. When cooking, you'll use canola or olive oil as an alternative to butter and vegetable oil. Snack on nuts instead of foods high in saturated and trans fats. Try to fill your plate with a lot of vegetables and fruits at meals. Dieters typically serve fruit platters as dessert as a substitute for sugary cakes and pastries. You should also choose lower fat versions of any dairy products you consume. With these small changes, you'll notice an overall improvement in your health.
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