The Mediterranean Diet Plan

The popularity of the Mediterranean Diet began with a simple equation: the people of Greece and other Mediterranean countries tended to eat a diet rich in fat, yet had less cardiovascular disease than people in the U.S. or other countries. How is this possible? The answer seems to lie in the Mediterranean's reliance on the mono-saturated fat known as olive oil. Olive oil is the basis of Mediterranean cooking. It is the key component in preparing everything from steak to pasta to steak. Olive oil is also considered an antioxidant, so it can be effective in the fight against cancer.

Yet, following the Mediterranean Diet Plan can be challenging. While 40 percent of someone's total calories are derived from fat, someone following the Mediterranean Diet can only eat small portions of red meat. Even fish and poultry are de-emphasized, as are milk and milk products. Unlike other diets, the Mediterranean Diet allows you to eat a reasonable amount of bread and potatoes, and you can eat eggs as often as every other day. You can even drink wine in moderate amounts.

The Mediterranean Diet offers little in the way of saturated fat. This means that if you follow the Mediterranean Diet Plan you have to avoid certain oils as well as margarine, peanut butter, cookies and cakes. Dieters are also encouraged to cut down on the total amount of fat they eat each day.

A study showed that people who had at least one heart attack and then planned their meals according to the Mediterranean diet were less likely to suffer from a next heart attack than those who followed a typical diet. Another study indicated that those who used the Mediterranean diet, exercised and gave up smoking were less likely to die than those who followed a traditional diet.

However, not all the foods in a typical Mediterranean Diet are considered healthy choices. For instance, cheese-rich lasagna and ravioli can be roadblocks to weight loss.

It is recommended to take the best elements of the Mediterranean Diet and incorporate 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. The average Mediterranean eats red meat less than twice a week. If you're following the Mediterranean Diet Plan, you should also say no to butter and sugary snacks and choose fruit when selecting a dessert.

Read more about Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan on : www.dietforyou.org