The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and most rational nutritional systems. This is a collection of eating habits that trigger the metabolism, help the body work properly and gradually get rid of extra pounds. On this diet you will not lose 5 kg in a week, but a fast rate should not be the goal, otherwise you can easily harm the body. At some point, there will be failure, a setback in metabolism - and you will gain more kilograms than you planned to lose.
Basic rules of the Mediterranean diet: eat healthy food, eat in small portions. The diet is based on plant foods rich in fiber and protein. It is important to drink a lot of water: 6-8 glasses a day. And make sure you exercise - this is an important component of the diet.
Mediterranean diet: what you can eat - allowed food
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:legumes, beans, lentils, chickpeas, oats, brown rice, corn, buckwheat, whole grain bread, durum wheat pasta;
- Fish and seafood:salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, oysters, clams;
- Birds:chicken, duck, turkey;
- Dairy product: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:a glass once a week.
When planning your diet, you must adhere to the following proportions:
- 60% carbohydrates;
- 30% fat;
- 10% protein.
What you can not eat on the Mediterranean diet - prohibited foods
Another advantage of the diet: it is not forbidden to eat foods other than those that may cause an allergic reaction. But to achieve results, you need to reduce or eliminate the use of chemical compounds: sugar, wheat flour, processed foods, refined oils, 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:slices of whole grain bread, tomato, mozzarella;
Dinner:grilled meat, salad, grapefruit;
Snacks:fruit salad;
Dinner:whole grain bread, cheese with nuts, oranges.
Tuesday
Breakfast:muesli with berries and Greek yogurt;
Dinner:100 grams of grilled fish, durum wheat pasta;
Snacks:cottage cheese casserole, tea;
Dinner:cut fish, 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 grain bread;
Snacks: fruit salad with Greek yogurt;
Dinner:roast turkey with vegetable stew.
Thursday
Breakfast:omelette with vegetables, tomatoes and olives;
Dinner:grilled fish and bulgur with green beans;
Snacks:yogurt or a few slices of dried apricots;
Dinner:a glass of kefir and low-fat cottage cheese casserole.
Friday
Breakfast:cereal porridge with vegetable milk with pumpkin and raisins, apples;
Dinner:vegetable soup, boiled eggplant with garlic and herbs;
Snacks:sandwiches made from bran bread with curd cheese, tea without sugar;
Dinner:grilled white fish with tomatoes, boiled zucchini with carrots.
Saturday
Breakfast:cereal porridge with liquid milk with pumpkin and raisins, apples;
Dinner:vegetable soup, boiled eggplant with garlic and herbs;
Dinner:grilled white fish with tomatoes, boiled zucchini with carrots.
Sunday
Breakfast:two-egg omelet with bell pepper;
Dinner:grilled 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 product. The diet contains the necessary healthy substances that ensure the proper functioning of the body.
The pros and cons of the Mediterranean diet
A fact that many consider a weakness: slow weight loss. But it is this diet that teaches you to eat healthily without distractions and worries that your favorite foods are forbidden. This eating pattern becomes a way of life, metabolic problems are leveled, and body weight reaches the desired level.
If you like sweets or foods that are hard to give up, remove them gradually. Every morning after breakfast we drink tea with sweets - do this every day, eat no more than two sweets. Next, organize afternoon tea parties twice a week, and clean up completely. You will reduce the daily dose of sugar, the desire to snap will disappear, and the body will see a state without stress.
The diet has many advantages: it consists of a large amount of fresh fruits, fish, olive oil, which, in combination with an active lifestyle, has a positive effect on health.
Research shows that this type of diet reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. Supporters of the diet are less likely to be overweight, have high blood pressure, and diabetes. The risk of Alzheimer's disease is also reduced. The strong medicinal effect is explained by the presence of a large number of healthy foods in the diet: fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, butter and nuts, and a little red wine.
If a person loses weight according to the rules and proportions, the diet becomes beneficial for the heart and blood vessels. It helps prevent hypertension, atherosclerosis, reduces bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol, prevents the formation of excessive blood clots, as well as the development of atherosclerosis, improves blood circulation and strengthens blood vessels. Dietary fiber in the composition controls blood sugar levels. In addition: thyroid gland function and metabolic processes improve.