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What Is The Mediterranean Diet

January 26th, 2010 AverageWeightForWomen No comments

The popularity of the Mediterranean Diet began with a rather simple equation: the people of Greece and Southern Italy tended to eat a diet rich in fat, yet had less cardiovascular disease than people in the U.S.How could this be?
The answer seems to lie in the Mediterranean’s reliance on the monosaturated fat known as olive oil.Olive oil forms the basis of Mediterranean cooking – it is the key ingredient in preparing everything from pasta to steak.Olive oil is also considered an antioxidant, so it can be effective in the fight against cancer.
However,following the Mediterranean Diet can be a challenge.While 40 percent of one’s total calories are derived from fat, dieters can only eat small portions of red meat.Even fish and poultry are de-emphasized, as are milk and milk products.
However,unlike other diets, the Mediterranean Diet allows you to eat a fair amount of bread and potatoes, and you can eat eggs as often as every other day.You can even drink wine in moderate amounts.
It should be pointed out that the Mediterranean Diet offers little in the way of saturated fat or trans fat.This means that dieters have to avoid certain oils as well as margarine,peanut butter, cakes and cookies.Dieters are also encouraged to cut the total amount of fat they eat each day.
A study conducted in France showed that people who had had at least one heart attack who planned their meals according to a Mediterranean diet were less likely to suffer from subsequent heart attacks than those who followed a typical diet recommended by the American Heart Association.
Another study conducted last year indicated that those who used the Mediterranean diet, exercised, and abstained from smoking were less likely to die than those who followed a traditional diet.
However, not all the foods found in a typical Mediterranean Diet are considered healthy choices. For instance,cheese-rich lasagna and ravioli can be roadblocks to weight loss.In addition,tiramisu and canolli can also cause an individual to pack on the pounds.
A number of dieticians recommend taking the best elements of the Mediterranean Diet and incorporating them into your lifestyle in order to achieve good health and weight loss.This means emphasizing vegetables in your diet, along with whole grains and nuts.
You might be surprised to learn that the average Mediterranean consumes red meat less than twice a week.If you’re following the Mediterranean path, you should also ban the butter and sugary snacks and opt for fruit when selecting a dessert.
But there are also other parts of the Mediterranean lifestyle which should be considered when you are attempting to lose weight.Mediterraneans tend to walk and bike a great deal, which contributes to their calorie-burning.In addition, meals tend to be a leisurely affair.As a result, the body has time for proper digestion.
A typical Mediterranean menu would include cereal and banana for breakfast; minestrone soup and a slice of garlic bread for lunch; and pasta primavera and berries for dinner.One of the great advantages to the Mediterranean Diet is that it is a feast for the senses the colors are bold, the flavors are enticing, and the aroma is unbeatable.
In addition to helping people lose weight, the Mediterranean Diet has been credited with improving longevity for people within the Mediterranean Basin.
Therefore, the diet is considered a healthy, life-giving alternative to a number of other diets that are on the market today.But perhaps the diet’s biggest selling point is the fact that dieters say it helps to satisfy their cravings – while enabling them to lose weight.
Therefore, a number of people see the Mediterranean Diet as the ultimate un-diet,a weight management plan that doesn’t scrimp on taste.

Is the Mediterranean Diet Really Effective in Helping Lose Weight?

January 26th, 2010 AverageWeightForWomen No comments

Mediterranean diet is probably one of the most popular diets. The foundation of this diet came from the people who live in the Mediterranean area. Mediterranean diet is a high-energy diet that is based in carbohydrate and low fat. The chief element of this diet is bread. People who are living in the Mediterranean are known to have low risk of having illnesses and chronic diseases. This diet is focused on the consumption of vegetables, whole grains, beans, fruits, rice, seeds and pasta. In preparing Mediterranean diet menu, olive oil plays a major part. The diet recommends consuming dairy products such as yogurt and cheese in low amounts. Protein from animals should be taken in lower amounts than protein from plants.
The Food Guide Pyramid recommends the Mediterranean diet. It has a balanced nutrition that may have many benefits. This is why most people in the area have low risk of having heart illness. Agriculture and active lifestyle is one of the major components of having good health.
However, if you want to lose weight, Mediterranean diet is not the answer because it is not a weight loss program. This diet is simply a traditional eating lifestyle of the people in the Mediterranean including sixteen countries. Moreover, diets are different depending on the location of regions and countries. Another important ingredient in a Mediterranean diet is the presence of seafood. It is a fact that eating seafood several times a week can be beneficial. Seafood is a good source of omega-3 or fatty acids that is good for your heart. With this in mind, if you are allergic to seafood, you do not have a chance to try Mediterranean diet.
Researches agree that Mediterranean diet is better and healthier that any other diet such as North European and American diet due to the consumption of more fruits and vegetables.
It is definitely a lifestyle and honestly, it does not help in losing weight. This diet is not only into eating healthy but living healthy. People in the Mediterranean are generally optimistic and they have a strong family bond. Besides having a healthy lifestyle, they take time in relaxing and enjoying.
If you want to lose weight fast, it is better to find another kind of diet because Mediterranean diet is a lifelong process. You need to change your way of living and eat foods that may not be your nature. It is difficult to maintain these diets especially if you live in a place wherein fresh fruits, vegetables and seafood are unlikely.
Losing weight requires a low-calorie diet and exercise. You cannot reach your goal of losing weight if you stick with this diet particularly if you want to lose weight fast. Overweight people who want to lose weight immediately are hopeless with this diet.
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Know Your Best Diet Plan for Weight Loss in Right Way

December 1st, 2009 AverageWeightForWomen No comments

For those trying to loose weight, choosing from the numerous weight loss programs can be quite a daunting task. The best solution to this problem is to decide not on a diet but a nutritional change of life. Dieting for a month or a year will not help if you return to old eating habits. Instead try and choose a diet that can be a consistent way of eating for years to come.

Know about some diet plans below and choose the best for you:

Atkins

The Atkins diet focuses on a high protein low carbohydrate diet. Because carbohydrates are used for energy, eliminating their intake forces the body to use fat stores. If breads, rice, and potatoes favorites then this might not be the right lifestyle choice.

South Beach

The South Beach diet also restricts carbohydrates. The South Beach diet does not allow consumption of bad fats. In addition this diet does not strictly count carbohydrates and allows carbs with a low glycemic index.

The Zone Diet

The Zone Diet plan is based on eating the correct combination of foods, 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbohydrates. For those who can enjoy the bad foods in extreme moderation this way of eating might work well.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet focuses more on keeping the heart healthy than losing weight. It focuses on eating a lot of vegetables and fruits and some nuts and wine and using good oils for cooking. Fish is encouraged while red meat is discouraged. Keep in mind weight loss will be slow.

Macrobiotic Diet

This diet is low fat, high fiber and is mostly vegetarian. In this meal plan whole grains make up about 50% of each meal. Vegetables make up about 30% and beans make up about 10% of the diet. Fish is allowed in very small amounts and meat, poultry and eggs are not permitted. This is a very restrictive diet and might not be a good lifestyle choice.

Gluten Free

A Gluten Free diet is mostly for those allergic to wheat. It avoids all foods containing gluten or from gluten cereals like wheat, rye or barley. In addition this does not promote weight loss.

Detox Diets

Most detox diets are liquid diets whose purpose is to rid the body of harmful chemicals and toxins. There are some special formulated liquids to aid in this type of diet and some people just drink hot water with lemon for a few days and consume nothing else. Obviously there is weight loss but this is not a long term nutritional plan.

While choosing a new nutritional lifestyle is advantageous to weight and health, good fitness programs should also be included. Aerobic activity and weight trains should be included in a fitness routine.