Weight management, delicious foods and a healthy heart and body are all important, but you may not know how to implement these factors into your lifestyle habits. If this is true for you, the Mediterranean diet is a choice for maintaining or improving your health with long-term benefit. It is more of a lifestyle change than a diet, and you can easily begin with basic information.
Mediterranean Diet Background
The Mediterranean diet is based on the eating habits of individuals living in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, such as Italy and Greece. It is a way of life in these countries that caught the attention of the American health research industry in the 1990s because of the low incidence of heart disease, cancer and neurological disorders in the region. Research since then has confirmed that a Mediterranean style of eating reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome, an obesity-related condition, artery blockage related to cholesterol and blood pressure, brain disorders and many other chronic medical problems. Choose this style of nutrition for the numerous health benefits but also because it does not involve restrictive dieting, starvation, difficult meal preparation or complicated food combinations.
Mediterranean Food Pyramid
Familiarize yourself with the Mediterranean diet pyramid before you shop and stock your kitchen. The key food items you consume on this diet are fresh foods from the following food groups: fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and dairy. Packaged and processed foods, including junk foods like potato chips, sugar-filled snack cakes and microwave meals, are not encouraged in this diet. This does mean you are subject to preparing and cooking simple meals. Olive oil is your main tool in cooking and serves to replace butter, margarine, lard and shortening. Clean your pantry of the non-Mediterranean style foods so you can begin your healthy diet with minimal temptation.
Grocery List
Write a grocery list to include any fresh vegetables and fruits of your liking, especially leafy greens, citrus, berries and apples. Add whole grains, not white processed grains, to your grocery list, plus nuts, seeds and beans, which are staples of the diet. Fish, chicken, eggs and low-fat dairy are your main protein sources, but you can add a lean red meat to meals a few times a month. Finish your grocery list with herbs, spices, water and red wine. Red wine with one meal per day is encouraged because it can increase arterial health, but do not add wine if you have a drinking problem or do not already enjoy moderate wine consumption.
Meal Plan Content
Counting calories is not emphasized in this diet, but if you are concerned about your weight, remain cognizant of your daily calorie intake by reading nutrition labels. Plan to eat three small meals and two between meals each day. Fish, poultry and dairy are protein sources you can disperse in your meals throughout the week. Twice a week, include fish like salmon, tuna or herring as part of your main meal. Consume poultry and eggs two or three times a week and add low-fat versions of dairy like cheese or yogurt once a day. Add beans to your main meals once a day as an alternative to the animal-based protein source. All of your main meals should include a serving of vegetables and a whole grain. Eat fresh fruit as a dessert or snack item after your meals and one serving of nuts once a day. Drink water with meals and throughout the day. Add one or two 5 oz. servings of red wine with your afternoon or dinner meal.
Sample Meals
Start every day with a nutritious breakfast. One cup of vanilla flavored Greek yogurt, sprinkled with fresh cinnamon, a side of wheat toast and 1 cup of fresh blueberries gives you energy and fiber for digestion. Try a midmorning snack of apple slices with a handful of almonds. Prepare a spinach and arugula salad topped with carrots, sweet red peppers and a sliced boiled egg. Add 1 tsp. of mixed olive oil with basil as your dressing and a side of steamed basmati rice flavored with garlic and pepper. Snack on pomegranate and figs in the afternoon or raw vegetables like celery and cucumbers drizzled with olive oil. Prepare 1 cup of whole-wheat pasta topped with fresh cut zucchini, mushrooms and olives, spiced to flavor, a 3 oz. baked salmon patty, one wheat roll and one glass of red wine for dinner.
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