Skip to main content

Accepting New Clients

Different Types of Diets Part 2 - The Mediterranean Diet

 



What Is The Mediterranean Diet?


In 1993, the Harvard Medical School released the results of research that studied the diets of those countries bordering on the Mediterranean. Their findings suggested that fat and carbohydrates were NOT the main culprit in obesity and heart disease, but rather that the RIGHT fats and carbohydrates should be the base for a healthy diet. The study pointed to low rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease throughout the region as proof of their contention. 

  

Exactly what is the Mediterranean diet and can it help you lose weight? There actually is no 'Mediterranean' diet - it's a compilation of the way that people in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea eat. Despite the differences in actual specifics, all of those studied based their diets on the same proportions of food groups and calories, and all included olive oil as their main source of fat. In fact, their diets contained far more than the recommendations made by the USDA - 40% rather than the 30% recommended for most healthy Americans. Still, the evidence was irrefutable. Therefore, it must have been the KIND of carbohydrates and fats that made the difference. 

  

The Mediterranean diet consists of the following guidelines: 

  

60% Of Total Carbohydrates From Grains, Fruits And Vegetables 


Those include whole rice, fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain breads and cereals, polenta, pasta (made with whole grain, not refined white flour) 

  

Sparing Use of Red Meat, Fish And Poultry 


The typical adult Mediterranean consumes about 15 ounces of red meat and poultry per week. Another 5-15 ounces of fish per week account for the bulk of their meat protein intake. Compare that to the typical American diet which might include a 1 pound steak for dinner one night, a 1/2 pound chicken breast the next, and on and on. 

  

Olive Oil 


Olive oil is not a miracle oil. It is, however, mono-unsaturated - a good fat. Mono-unsaturated fats help lower cholesterol rather than raising it, and are healthy ways to add fats to your diet (and yes, even though we think of fat as a dirty word, your body does need some, or it can't use many of the vitamins you feed it!) 

  

The other important component of the Mediterranean lifestyle was activity. The typical Mediterranean day includes walking rather than driving, physical activity in the fields or the home and recreation. Physical activity is vital in helping the body to lose weight, and to maintain your new weight once you reach it. 

  

The secret to losing weight with the Mediterranean diet is to base your meals on healthy carbohydrates - leafy green vegetables, brightly colored vegetables, whole grains and meals. Use meat sparingly - no more than 3-6 ounces per day. Derive dietary fat from vegetable sources - or from fish oil. Exercise regularly to rev up your metabolism. The Mediterranean diet isn't a weight loss regimen. It's a new way of eating that will help you reach your goal weight and stay there when you get there.


Popular posts from this blog

Different Types of Diets Part 1 - Atkins Diet

  What Is The Atkins Diet? The Atkins weight loss diet is based on one simple principle: Your body burns both carbohydrates and fat for calories. If you reduce the amounts of carbohydrates available, it will burn more fat and you will lose weight.     According to Atkins, calories are unimportant. The key to losing weight is to restrict the carbohydrates that you eat and force the body to turn to its stored fat as an energy source. As proof of this, proponents of the Atkins Diet point to the following facts derived from research:     * When the body doesn't have enough carbohydrate, it will use ketenes derived from fat as energy.  * You can eat more food and lose more weight on a low carbohydrate diet than you can on a low fat diet.  * You crave less food when you eat fewer carbohydrates.  * By eating fewer carbohydrates, people tend to eat fewer calories without counting them.  * The greater the difference between fat and carbohydrate, the greater the weight loss.    

Lifestyle Dynamic Journey - Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L.A., is the second-most populous city in the United States (after New York City), the most populous city in California and the county seat of Los Angeles County. Situated in Southern California, Los Angeles is known for its mediterranean climate, ethnic diversity, sprawling metropolis, and as a major center of the American entertainment industry. Nicknamed the "City of Angels", Los Angeles is a global city with a diverse economy in entertainment, culture, media, fashion, science, sports, technology, education, medicine and research. Los Angeles includes Hollywood and leads the world in the creation of television productions and recorded music; it is also one of the leaders in motion picture production. (Thanks Wikipedia ) The city of Angels! Known for Hollywood stars, beautiful people, and making movies. Home to the rich and famous! Just like all other cities, Los Angeles has regular people

Lifestyle Dynamic Journey - Les Halles Park Ave

Brasserie Les Halles  is a  French   brasserie  style restaurant located on 15 John Street (between Broadway & Nassau Street; in the Financial District) in  Manhattan  in  New York City .   Previous locations were on Park Avenue South in Manhattan, in  Tokyo , Miami, and Washington, D.C. Carlos Llaguno was the executive chef, his predecessor having been author and television host  Anthony Bourdain . The restaurant serves simple and classic French dishes such as escargot, foie gras, and steak tartare, which is prepared to order at tableside, and is renowned for its pommes frites. The original Park Avenue location featured a butcher shop that specializes in French cuts of meat. The Park Avenue location is featured prominently in the book  Kitchen Confidential  by Anthony Bourdain, who also detailed many of Les Halles's recipes in  Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook . The Downtown New York branch occupies the site of the former John Street Theatre, "Birthplace of