Every day you wake up with new diets, more names on the blacklist of banned products and new superfoods. Don't worry, we're going to make it easy for you. We are going to explain the benefits and keys of a super ideal diet for health, to lose weight and that, in addition, you know well: the Mediterranean diet.
Mediterranean diet: what is it?
You don't have to embrace distant cultures. The Mediterranean diet is ours, the same as always. The one formed by fruits and vegetables, cereals and legumes. The one with olive oil as the captain of healthy fats, which you also find in nuts or oily fish such as sardines or anchovies. Also, the list of ingredients you need is already in your fridge or at the local market. What we were saying, the healthiest and easiest to follow. To make it even easier to follow, at the end of the article you will find a free weekly Mediterranean diet menu downloadable in jpg and pdf format. You're welcome!
These foods are cooked, as our grandmothers already did, with healthy and tasty preparations . There is no Mediterranean cuisine without a good stir-fry that gives flavor or without the stews over low heat, with the chup chup. Steamed vegetables and grilled meat and fish are other weapons in the arsenal of the Mediterranean diet. Isn't it true that your grandmother used to put a salad in the center of the table and a pot type plate for each one? Let's get back that healthy habit.
A diet with zero kilometer products (traditional in our country and seasonal) ideal for health and, with some simple adjustments, to lose weight. We don't say it. The Mediterranean diet is one of the most recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Health benefits of the Mediterranean diet
We are talking about the Mediterranean diet but, in reality, it is more about a change in your habits than a strict diet. A new way of eating that will only bring good things to your body. And it is that studies such as PREDIMED (Prevention with Mediterranean Diet) have reached very interesting conclusions for the heart and brain.
- Strengthen your heart. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to the unsaturated fatty acids in nuts or oily fish combined with the nitrates in vegetables. The PREDIMED study points out, for example, that countries that consume a lot of fish like Spain and Japan show low mortality from cardiovascular diseases.
- Lower your cholesterol. It reduces the amount of "bad" blood in the blood due to the abundant consumption of fish and vegetables and, also, because less red meat is eliminated or eaten.
- Help your ideal weight. The Mediterranean diet is very varied and with a low caloric intake. If you combine it with physical exercise, you can get closer to your ideal weight. Fighting overweight also removes many diseases that are worsened by poor physical shape.
- Good for diabetes. The body's glucose levels are regulated by the presence of complex carbohydrates on menus such as whole grains or high-fiber foods. A substudy of the PREDIMED project has also observed that people who eat whole grains have a higher concentration of insulin in their blood. Key factors for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
- Boost memory. The Mediterranean diet improves cognitive function with foods that enhance memory such as, again, nuts with their fatty acids or blue fish.
- Avoid mental deterioration. Green leafy vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants, prevent cell breakdown. Eating at least one serving a day of these types of vegetables helps delay the cognitive decline associated with aging, as suggested by a study published in the journal Neurology.
- You sated. The main problem of many when we want to lose weight is that we are always hungry. In the Mediterranean diet, carbohydrates and fiber are satiating. Here is a list of satisfying foods.
Keys to the Mediterranean diet
- Not all fats are bad. By now, you know perfectly well that there are fats that are good and in this diet the healthy fats come from olive oil and fatty acids such as Omega 6 in nuts.
- Olive oil, the king. Most of the fat you will consume will be beneficial and will come from the oil. Of course, it must be extra virgin since during the refining process a large part of its antioxidant compounds are lost.
- Protagonism of vegetables and fruits. Choose the ones you like the most. You should eat at least two servings a day, but they can be more. Don't forget that one of the servings should be raw. When it comes to fruit, you should take 3 or 4 pieces or their equivalent.
- Goodbye red meat, hello fish. The first one that should disappear (or be reduced to almost zero) is red meat. Fish should win, specifically 2 to 3 servings of oily fish a week like sardines, tuna or salmon.
- Lean meats Bet on lean meats. Better still if they come from poultry such as chicken or turkey. But beware, it is not mandatory that they be present at all meals.
- Always nuts. The other great healthy fat in the Mediterranean diet along with olive oil. They provide a large amount of fiber and antioxidants.
- Do not set aside the cereals. Like fats, they have a very bad reputation. In the Mediterranean diet, bread is essential to provide us with fiber, but you have to choose a whole grain such as rye or oats. White flours have passed away.
- Without fear of legumes. Take 3 servings a week. They have a high protein content with the advantage of not providing saturated fat. Use them as a main dish, you don't always need meat.
Mediterranean diet to lose weight? Yes
You are reading that the Mediterranean diet is so good and that, basically, it is what we already eat in this part of the world. We imagine that you wonder, well, why don't you lose weight? Without realizing it, the lifestyle we lead today has taken us away from the real foundations of Mediterranean food and has changed it in some points.
To lose weight, you just have to go back to the roots, recover from your grandmother's recipe book those dishes that are already light and that you will surely master. By adjusting the portions and some ingredients you will have enough. In addition, the Mediterranean diet allows you, choosing well, to be able to eat in a restaurant or make vermouth on Sunday. Here are some tips and examples that you can apply to your Mediterranean diet.
- Fill up on veggies. Accompany all meals with a good salad. Also, put vegetables everywhere, not just as a first course. Let it be the garnish for the second, accompany the filling of the mid-morning mini or as an ingredient in a smoothie in the afternoon.
- The fruit, for dessert. Another myth that the Mediterranean diet takes away. Fruit for dessert is not fattening. Not only that, but it is the healthiest option to finish the meal.
- Peck with head. Take a moment to think about the healthy snacks that you will take to work or what you will snack on while you cook. Our land has very good options such as lupins (very rich in fiber and with few calories) or you can make some vegetable chips (cut very thin and roasted in the oven).
- Boost the vermouth. If you are going to have vermouth, don't feel guilty. Make it a main meal and choose with a good eye what you order. Avoid caloric tapas such as French fries or cured cheese and bet, for example, on anchovies. And if the beer is 0% or you have a sparkling water with a lemon wedge, all the better.
- The mini ham. Iberian ham contains good fats. Specifically, the main monounsaturated fatty acid that it contains is oleic acid, the same in olive oil. Without abusing it, take it in a mini mid-morning one day a week. It will be the luxury that will give you strength.
- Prepare your jam. The problem is the added sugar of the purchased version. You can make it at home with very ripe fruit and cinnamon or accompanied by a date, over very low heat. You won't miss the sugar.
- Reduced rations. When we want to lose weight, the key to the Mediterranean diet is to eat the same but reduce the amount. This helps our mind, since we have the feeling of continuing to "eat everything." To lose weight, you will have to adjust the amounts of fruit, reduce the consumption of nuts by half a handful each day and limit the bread to small or specific portions such as the mid-morning mini for a couple of days.
Recover from your grandmother's recipe book those light dishes that you already master
- Buy less and cook more . When you go to stay away as much as possible from highly processed products such as industrial pastries and preparations. They are a bomb for your health and your weight. Buy ingredients and cook yourself at home.
- A good rest . For the benefits of the Mediterranean diet to take hold, you need to accompany it with regular exercise and a good rest. At this point, she helps you herself. Eat foods rich in tryptophan at night, which help you sleep better. For example, whole grains, spinach, or plums.
- Eat calmly . Try to make all your meals by taking your time to savor the food. Sitting and unhurried. It will help you feel more satisfied. These mindfulness exercises will help you eat with less craving.
Mediterranean diet: a weekly menu
And finally, here is a weekly Mediterranean diet menu downloadable in jpg and pdf . It's free and you can print it to put on your fridge. You just have to click on the buttons and download the format that you like the most.
Mediterranean diet: weekly menu in jpg
Mediterranean diet: weekly menu in pdf
