Mediterranean Diet is a cusine
Mediterranean Diet is No Deprivation
Many diets are bland and uninteresting, with limited tastes and textures which make them hard to stick to. When you are dieting, you are usually doing so because you overindulged in delicious dishes which you found hard to resist. Dieting, therefore, is perceived as deprivation, punishment even, because you liked the taste of certain dishes too much. The allure of the Mediterranean Diet, therefore, is the variety it offers of fresh, tasty choices.
Whether hoping to shape up and pursue a healthier lifestyle or because of medical guidance, the diet is easy to follow with very basic guidelines:
• Cereals, Bread, Pasta and Potatoes
Half of your caloric intake should come from these foods and it is recommended they form the largest section of your main course. Add vegetables, salad or small amounts of meat, poultry or fish. Eat wholegrain varieties and all the types in this category combined to add fiber.
• Fruits & Vegetables
Think colorfully – red, yellow, orange and leafy green - with five portions daily. to ensure vitamins like beta carotene, A, C, and E and antioxidants which help protect against cardiovascular disease. If you also eat the seeds, nuts and pulps, you’ll provide your body with needed acids and fiber.
• The Main Course
Fish, abundant in the Mediterranean, should also be included in this diet a minimum of three times weekly. The fatty acid in fish oil will help fight different types of disease and ailments. Poultry and lean red meat are also allowed, but avoid fatty meat with higher levels of saturated fat.
• Dairy
As excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, calcium and protein, dairy products – even low-fat - are vital to the Mediterranean diet and are needed to ensure stronger, healthier bones. The higher levels of saturated fat or total fat in items like whole milk, butter, cream, and cheese should be avoided when possible.
• Olive Oil
The specific source of fat in the Mediterranean Diet is olive oil. Use it for baking, frying, stir fries, marinades and salad dressing.
• What You Should Strictly Limit or Avoid
Foods that are too fatty or too sugary should be avoided, as most diets dictate. However, if you simply are overwhelmed by a craving, small amounts of cakes, pastries, fried foods and chocolate may be allowed very sparingly.
mediterranean diet
Technorati Tags: mediterranean diet
