The Mediterranean approach to eating is widely accepted as one of the healthiest diets in the world. In this case, the word “diet” refers to a particular cuisine, but experts have found that this same method of eating can provide rapid and healthy weight loss!
The Mediterranean diet combines cuisines from southern France, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, and southern Italy. Made up mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, heart-healthy oils and fats, nuts and beans, and lean protein, this diet enables you to eliminate unhealthy processed foods with little effort.
Obesity has the power to shorten your life span by five to twenty years! The Mediterranean diet can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, without the deprivation associated with most diets. Amazing health benefits have been attributed to this particular diet. These benefits include a decrease in the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, and even cancer!
Consider for a minute the ten power foods of the Mediterranean diet: almonds, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, olive oil, and whole grains. Imagine the enjoyment you can get out of incorporating these nutrient-rich foods into your meals!
Most weight loss plans avoid fats of all kinds. The Mediterranean diet encourages you to use extra-virgin olive oil. The addition of this heart-healthy oil provides a sense of taste and satisfaction that we associate with “comfort foods.” You will be eating foods so rich in flavor that you will be satisfied with less, and shocked when the weight starts falling off.
The Mediterranean diet is not about counting calories or fat grams. If you eat the right foods in reasonable portions, and combine that with daily activity, you will experience rapid and healthy weight loss! You will discover that you are not really “dieting” but that you have simply changed your way of eating. Unhealthy processed foods will no longer hold any appeal for you. You will be tempted and enticed instead by fresh, nutritious foods that are full of color and flavor!
There are many Mediterranean diet books available and delicious, free Mediterranean diet recipes are easy to find. To get started, you simply need to focus your meals on fresh produce, olive oil, whole grains, and lean protein. Make it a point to learn more about this healthy cuisine and enjoy a long and healthy life!