The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and most rational nutritional systems. This is a set of eating habits that trigger the metabolism, help the body to work properly and gradually get rid of extra pounds. You will not lose 5 kg in a week on this diet, but a fast pace should not be the goal, otherwise you can easily damage the body. At some point, there will be a failure, a slowdown in metabolism - and you will gain more weight than you planned to lose.
The main rules of the Mediterranean diet: eat healthy foods, 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:tomato, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin, eggplant, spinach, onion, potato, carrot;
- Fruits and berries:seasonal;
- Nuts and seeds:almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pumpkin and sunflower seeds;
- Legumes and grains: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;
- Dairy 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:one glass once a week.
When planning your diet, you should follow the following proportions:
- 60% carbohydrates;
- 30% fat;
- 10% proteins.
What you can not eat in the Mediterranean diet - prohibited foods
Another advantage of the diet: it is forbidden to eat foods other than those with which an allergic reaction is possible. But to get results, you need to reduce or eliminate the consumption of chemical compounds: sugar, wheat flour, processed foods, refined oil, alcohol, soda, fast food, chocolate, ice cream, sausages, sweet bars, desserts, etc.
Red meat is allowed up to four times a month, eggs - up to four times a week.
7-day Mediterranean diet menu
Monday
Breakfast:whole grain bread, tomato, mozzarella slice;
Supper:cooked meat, salad, grapefruit;
Snack:Fruit salad;
Supper:whole grain bread, cheese with nuts, oranges.
Tuesday
Breakfast:muesli with berries and Greek yogurt;
Supper:100 grams of cooked fish, durum wheat pasta;
Snack:cottage cheese stew, tea;
Supper:fish cutlets, buckwheat, tomato and herb salad, a glass of dry red wine.
Wednesday
Breakfast:cottage cheese stew with berries and coffee;
Supper:seafood soup, a few slices of whole grain bread;
Snack:fruit salad with Greek yogurt;
Supper:Baked turkey with vegetable stew.
Thursday
Breakfast:omelette with vegetables, tomatoes and olives;
Supper:bulgur with baked fish and green peas;
Snack:yogurt or a few pieces of dried apricots;
Supper:a glass of kefir and a casserole of low-fat cottage cheese.
friday
Breakfast:millet porridge with vegetable milk with pumpkin and raisins, apples;
Supper:eggplant cooked with vegetable soup, garlic and greens;
Snack:a sandwich made of bran bread with curd cheese, tea without sugar;
Supper:white fish cooked with tomatoes, zucchini cooked with carrots.
Saturday
Breakfast:millet porridge with milk diluted with pumpkin and raisins, apples;
Supper:eggplant cooked with vegetable soup, garlic and greens;
Supper:white fish cooked with tomatoes, zucchini cooked with carrots.
Sunday
Breakfast:two-egg omelet with bell pepper;
Supper:white fish cooked with tomatoes, zucchini cooked with carrots;
Supper:a glass of kefir, cottage cheese with honey.
Contraindications
There are no serious contraindications, except for individual intolerance to the products. The diet contains the necessary healthy substances that ensure the proper functioning of the body.
Pros and cons of the Mediterranean diet
A fact that many consider a disadvantage: slow weight loss. But it is this diet that teaches you how to eat healthy without breaking the bank and worries about your favorite foods being haram. This way of eating becomes a way of life, metabolic problems are eliminated and the weight reaches the desired level.
If you like sweets or foods that are difficult to give up, remove them gradually. Every morning after breakfast we drank tea with sweets - do this every day, do not eat more than two sweets. Then organize morning tea parties twice a week and clean up completely. You will reduce the daily dose of sugar, the desire to eat will disappear, and the body will accept the situation without stress.
The diet has many advantages: it consists of a large amount of fresh fruits, fish, olive oil, which together with an active lifestyle have a positive effect on health.
Studies show that this type of diet reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. Dieters are less likely to suffer from overweight, high blood pressure and diabetes. The risk of Alzheimer's disease also decreases. 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, oil and nuts, a small amount of red wine.
If the person losing weight follows the rules and proportions, the diet is beneficial for the heart and blood vessels. It helps to prevent hypertension, atherosclerosis, reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, prevent excessive blood clotting, as well as the development of atherosclerosis, improve blood circulation and strengthen blood vessels. Dietary fiber regulates blood sugar levels. In addition: thyroid function and metabolic processes improve.