If you have read anything at all about dieting at any point, you will probably have heard of the Mediterranean Diet. But do you know what it is and what kinds of foods it focuses on?
It is known by this name purely because it is the way of life for many people who live in some of the Mediterranean countries. We’re talking about places such as Spain, Italy and Greece.
Typically speaking this diet was adhered to by people in the poorer areas of the country several decades ago. But it is now recognised as being a very healthy diet to live on. This is evidenced by the low incidence of disease in these areas, as well as the fact that those people living on it tend to be of a healthy weight.
One of the main ingredients with this diet is olive oil. Whereas people in Western countries tend to use butter and margarine in cooking, the Mediterranean diet focuses on using olive oil – and lots of it.
Despite the fact that olive oil is a fat, it is known to be a healthy fat and it can reduce the risk of heart disease. But this is not the only ingredient that this diet is comprised of.
In addition to this they eat a lot of fruits and vegetables – which again we know are good for us – and also they focus more on fish than on meat. The Mediterranean diet still includes meat but only in lean cuts and in strict moderation. It is far more likely that people on this diet will eat lots of fish.
Legumes, fruits, vegetables and other naturally occurring products are all staple parts of the Mediterranean diet.
This lose weight diet is often said to be the best one you could be on. The fact that olive oil is used plentifully - and practically substitutes for all other fats - is very good news, since it is known to be good for you.
If you want to get your risk of heart disease down you should definitely try this diet. Surveys of those regions which use this diet have continually come back to state that their levels of heart disease are extremely low. Obviously this isn’t just down to the olive oil – eating lots of fruits and vegetables are another good reason for this, as is cutting down on red meat intake.
It’s good to know that we have a good diet to follow and we can see the results indicated by those who live in these areas. If you want to follow the Mediterranean diet yourself, you should definitely think about looking for some good recipes and bringing some of the above ingredients into your home.