The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and most rational nutritional systems. This is a collection of eating habits that start the metabolism, help the body to function properly and gradually get rid of extra pounds. On this diet, you will not lose 5 kg in a week, but a fast pace should not be the goal, otherwise you can easily harm your body. At some point, there will be a failure, a standstill in the metabolism - and you will gain more weight 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 be sure to exercise - this is an important component of the diet.
Mediterranean diet: what you can eat - allowed foods
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 cereals:beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, oats, brown rice, corn, buckwheat, whole grain bread, durum wheat pasta;
- Fish and seafood:salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, oysters, mussels;
- bird:chicken, duck, turkey;
- Milk products:cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt;
- Herbs and spices:garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, cinnamon, turmeric, pepper;
- Healthy fats:unrefined olive oil, olives, avocado;
- 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 must not eat on the Mediterranean diet - forbidden food
Another plus for children: it is not forbidden to eat food except for those to which an allergic reaction is possible. But to achieve results, it is necessary to reduce or eliminate the consumption of chemical compounds: sugar, wheat flour, processed food, refined oil, alcohol, carbonated drinks, 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:slice of whole grain bread, tomato, mozzarella;
dinner:roast meat, salad, grapefruit;
snack:fruit salad;
dinner:whole grain bread, cheese with nuts, orange.
Tuesday
breakfast:muesli with berries and Greek yogurt;
dinner:100 grams of baked fish, durum wheat pasta;
snack:cottage cheese casserole, tea;
dinner:fish cutlets, buckwheat, tomato and herb salad, a glass of dry red wine.
Wednesday
breakfast:cottage cheese casserole with berries and coffee;
dinner:seafood soup, a couple of slices of whole grain bread;
snack:fruit salad with Greek yogurt;
dinner:roast turkey with vegetable stew.
Thursday
breakfast:omelette with vegetables, tomatoes and olives;
dinner:baked fish and bulgur with green peas;
snack:yogurt or a few pieces of dried apricots;
dinner:a glass of kefir and a pan of low-fat cottage cheese.
Friday
breakfast:millet porridge with vegetable milk with pumpkin and raisins, apple;
dinner:vegetable soup, stewed eggplant with garlic and herbs;
snack:bran sandwich with cottage cheese, tea without sugar;
dinner:baked white fish with tomatoes, stewed zucchini with carrots.
Saturday
breakfast:millet porridge with diluted milk with pumpkin and raisins, apple;
dinner:vegetable soup, stewed eggplant with garlic and herbs;
dinner:baked white fish with tomatoes, stewed zucchini with carrots.
Sunday
breakfast:two-egg omelet with paprika;
dinner:baked white fish with tomatoes, stewed zucchini with carrots;
dinner:a glass of kefir, fresh cheese with honey.
Contraindications
There are no serious contraindications, except for individual intolerance to the products. Nutrition contains the necessary healthy substances that ensure the proper functioning of the body.
Advantages and disadvantages of the Mediterranean diet
A fact that many consider a disadvantage: slow weight loss. But it is this diet that teaches you to eat healthy without spoiling and worrying that your favorite food is forbidden. This eating pattern becomes a way of life, metabolic problems are leveled off, and 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 drank tea with sweets - you do this every other day, without eating more than two sweets. Then organize morning tea parties twice a week and clean completely. You will reduce the daily dose of sugar, the desire to snack will disappear, and the body will perceive the situation without stress.
The diet has numerous advantages: it consists of a large amount of fresh fruit, fish, and olive oil, which in combination with an active lifestyle have a positive effect on health.
Research shows that this type of diet reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. Those who support the diet are less likely to suffer from excess weight, high blood pressure and diabetes. The risk of Alzheimer's disease is also reduced. The strong medical 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 small amount of red wine.
If a person losing weight follows the rules and proportions, the diet becomes beneficial for the heart and blood vessels. This helps prevent hypertension, atherosclerosis, reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, prevent excessive formation of blood clots, as well as the development of atherosclerosis, improve circulation and strengthen blood vessels. Dietary fibers in the composition regulate the level of sugar in the blood. In addition: the functioning of the thyroid gland and metabolic processes are improved.