Whether you are looking for a diet to help you lose weight or improve your heart-health parameters, the ketogenic Mediterranean diet may be a good option. Ketogenic diets are low-carb eating plans that restrict your carbohydrate intake, while a Mediterranean diet emphasizes the consumption of healthy fats and slowly digestible carbohydrates. Combining both ways of eating could give you the best of both worlds.
Ketogenic Diets
A ketogenic diet refers to a diet that induces ketosis, a metabolic pathway by which you burn fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. A carbohydrate intake between 20 and 40 g a day is required for most people to put your body into ketosis. Many critics of low-carb diets argue that ketosis is a dangerous condition. However, it is important not confuse ketosis, which is a perfectly normal metabolic pathway, with ketoacidosis, a truly dangerous condition linked with type 1 diabetes. Ketogenic diets strictly limit carbohydrate intake, by restricting grains, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, milk, yogurts, legumes, fruits and sugar, and rather promote the consumption of an adequate amount of protein, non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats.
Mediterranean Diets
The Mediterranean eating pattern was first observed back in the middle of the 20th century. Researchers noted that people living along the Mediterranean coast lived longer and were less likely to develop chronic disease, which was attributed to their diet. Although the diet may vary from one region of the Mediterranean to another, it is mainly based on whole, plant-based and unprocessed foods. The foundation foods of the Mediterranean diet are monounsaturated fat-rich olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds; high-fiber carbohydrates from veggies, fruits, whole grains and legumes; an abundance of protein and fish; limited amounts of red meat and sugar; and the regular consumption of red wine.
Ketogenic Mediterranean Diets and Health
A study published in the October 2008 issue of the "Nutrition Journal" showed that obese participants following a Spanish ketogenic Mediterranean diet for 12 weeks lost a significant amount of weight, from 239.5 lbs. down to 208.3 lbs., in addition to significantly improving their blood pressure, total, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, triglycerides levels and blood sugar control. The researchers of this study concluded that ketogenic Mediterranean diets are safe and effective for improving various health parameters while losing weight.
Ketogenic Mediterranean Foods
A ketogenic Mediterranean diet allows a variety of food options. Because carbohydrates need to be limited to between 20 to 40 g a day, only non-starchy veggies are allowed, such as leafy greens, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, cauliflower and asparagus, and all other carbohydrate-rich foods are excluded. To make this low-carb eating plan more Mediterranean, the consumption of a minimum of 2 tbsp. of olive oil is recommended every day, along with the consumption of 6.7 to 13.5 fl oz. of red wine and at least four weekly servings of omega-3 rich fish.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Mediterranean Diet: Choose this Heart-healthy Diet Option
- The Advanced Mediterranean Diet: The Traditional Mediterranean Diet
- The Advanced Mediterranean Diet: Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet
- The Advanced Mediterranean Diet: Diabetic Mediterranean Diet
- Nutrition Journal: Spanish Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet: A Healthy Cardiovascular Diet for Weight Loss
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