Mediterranean Diet
Well, to begin with, there isn’t really any one Mediterranean Diet! There’s a whole swag of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The basic Mediterranean Diet has common characteristics even if the sourrounding countries differ in culture, language and recipes to some extent.
* an extensive intake of fruits, vegetables, bread and cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds
* olive oil is a source of mono-unsaturated fat – common to the Mediterranean area
* some dairy products, fish and even poultry are consumed in sparing to moderate amounts, and some red meat(not much)
* eggs are consumed in low to moderate amount say 1 to 4 eggs a week
* fortunately wine is acceptable but in low quantities ie. 1 – 3 glasses per day
A good question to ask is – Does a Mediterranean-style diet follow American Heart Association dietary guidelines?
Mediterranean-style diets are often close to US dietary guidelines, but not exactly.
People who follow the average Mediterranean diet eat less saturated fat than those who eat the average American diet. In fact, saturated fat consumption is well within US dietary guidelines. More than half the fat calories in a Mediterranean diet come from mono-unsaturated fats (mainly from olive oil). Mono-unsaturated fat doesn’t raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does.
The incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is lower than in the United States. Death rates are lower, too.
However there are some who feel this may not be entirely due to the diet. Lifestyle factors (ie. more physical activity and extended social family support structures) may also play a part. At this stage this is just a theory. However the research tells all – the diet has existed for umpteen years.
If you would like further proof of the mediterranean diet benefits resulting from research and qualified researchers you could try visiting http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/348/26/2599 or http://my.webmd.com/content/article/67/80070.htm. Both of these sites give good ‘food for thought'(excuse the pun).
“Olive oil plays a central role, but it is not alone,” says Dimitrios Trichopoulos, MD, PhD, of Harvard School of Public Health.
“It’s among the divine mix of several factors that, when used in combination, help provide strong evidence of something that is very important — eating the proper diet can significantly reduce your risk of early death.”
He and researchers from Greece studied some 22,000 adults, aged 20 to 86, from all regions of that country; most previous studies tracked only older people who were more likely to die during the study. The participants answered detailed questionnaires about their eating habits throughout the four-year study. Then they were rated on how closely they followed the key principles of the Mediterranean diet.
Sticking to the Mediterranean diet cut the risk of death from both heart disease and cancer. For every two points higher on this 0-to-9 scale — with top numbers going to those most closely following the Mediterranean diet — the death rate dropped by 25%.
The findings by Trichopoulos may also help explain why Asians, who typically use these other cooking oils, also have lower disease and death rates. Although they rarely use olive oil, they traditionally follow other principles of the Mediterranean diet — lots of produce, legumes, nuts, and minimally processed grains, with little saturated fat.
“The message remains the same, and is consistent with other findings: A diet lower in saturated fats and higher in monounsaturated fats, and potentially, polyunsaturates, will result in better health outcomes,” says Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, of Tufts University and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.
“If the main message that Americans get is to just increase their olive or canola oil consumption, that’s unfortunate because they will increase their caloric intake and they are already getting too many calories. What they need to do is eat more fruits, vegetables, and legumes and fewer foods rich in saturated fats.”
Some of this information has been referenced from The New England Journal of Medicine, June 26, 2003. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology, Vincent L. Gregory Professor of Cancer Prevention, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston. Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, senior scientist and director, Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Researcher Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston; spokeswoman, American Heart Association.
So in a nutshell, there is sound evidence that the Mediterranean Diet can help reduce heart disease, cancer, weight gain and of course reduce the risk of early death. However, it would be a mistake to think this outcome is based on the use of Olive Oil alone. The diet is diverse and allows for taste and creativity which is often lacking in most other diets. This alone warrants further investigation from those who seek a healthy, easy diet that has flavour and is fullfilling. Remember too that just as in all worthwhile diets, moderate level exercise should not be overlooked.
Recommended Free Ebooks:
http://www.freeeboooks.com/health-and-fitness/Body-Detox-Made-Easy.html
http://www.freeeboooks.com/health-and-fitness/Dr-Atkins-Low-Carb-Diet-Recipes.html
http://www.freeeboooks.com/health-and-fitness/Understanding-Diabetes-and-Glycemic-Index.html
Instagram: http://instagram.com/imjennim Disclaimer: This is my personal weight loss story. I’m not a dietician. Check out Blogilates: http://www.youtube.com…
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Categories: Diet Tags: Diet, Mediterranean
Prasouda Diet
Prasouda the diet, also known as the Mediterranean diet, is much more than just some food to eat, it’s actually a long-term style of life. The blend of an energetic lifestyle and nutrition of food present at that location with a stress-free approach, the Prasouda Mediterranean diet is one of the best approach to your body in shape, keeping your skin beautiful and your internal organs clean.
Many of the diet fads that you require specific health supplements and additional products to buy full compliance with the diet program. However, the Prasouda Diet is completely zero cost. You do not see dealers trying to sell you their products, to see that everything you need can be found in the food you could generally buy and consume. One of the main features of this unique diet plan is undoubtedly the high daily allowance of extra virgin olive oil. Many cases the cooking of food you want butter or oil, make sure to switch to olive oil. A staple of this diet consists of high daily allowance of fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to whole grains and legumes. Carbohydrates are acceptable given that they are not refined. You can use a large amount of fish that contain omega-3 have, consume moderate amounts of meat and other saturated fats and have four or five eggs per week. Excessive intake of milk, yogurt and cheese (especially fresh goat cheese) is acceptable as long as you decide on items with high saturated fats. Red wine in moderation is good for your overall health, and you can be sure one or two small glasses a day with your food. When you snack, choose nuts if you consume together to buy lots of excellent fat with protein.
One of the key components in Prasouda Mediterranean diet is not really the food itself, but the additional active lifestyle that includes plenty of exercise. The answer to better health should be to your entire body with all the essential nutrients it needs in order to function better and a lot of practice to ensure you’re working your cardiovascular system, lungs and all muscle. You do not even have to do heavy physical condition, but only just start going for walks by you or your friends if you do not require that type of gear and everyone is able to do it. Walk in a very comfortable pace initially and then the difficulty increase as you start, for example by running a lot faster, walking uphill and then run for a longer period of time. Other low impact physical exercise to start walking, swimming laps, cycling and yoga exercise. It is certainly not a matter just what kind of activity you decide to get involved in as long as you are moving or slimming.
Remember that it is a way of life, one that individuals within the Mediterranean region have been familiar with for a while. Take time to enjoy your meals with other people in your life. Spend some time in conversation over dinner with your family and friends. If you slow down to enjoy dinner with others you’ll find yourself taking a lot less, because your body will quickly feel full without taking in much of calories. Do you find yourself feeling better about yourself because you consume fewer calories and healthier products, which in turn will allow you to lose weight and feel healthy, that is the purpose of the Mediterranean diet.
Information just like this will help you discover some latest prasouda diet news that you will love, and also some of the best new and fast in use prasouda diet informations.
Diet Vs Diet
Americans spend tens of billions of dollars a year in their quest for losing weight, and getting fit. As I’ve said before, there are a number of different approaches to dieting, and a number of these approaches will produce results. The key is in finding an approach that works for YOU, and one you can be CONSISTENT with.
Listed here, for you, are some of the most popular diets available today, some information about them, and the results of some studies done by some of the top universities in the country. The studies followed groups of people following one of the specific diets listed, and compared the weight loss results of each group of dieters after extended periods of time. So which diet will shed the most pounds after a year? Keep on reading to find out…the results may surprise you!
The Diets:
Atkins Diet (low carb)
A high protein diet, encourages some form of meat at every meal, and restricts carbohydrates.
Calorie Breakdown:
20% Carbs
30% Protein
50% Fat
Weight Watchers (low fat)
Emphasizes portion control. Encourages grains, fruits, vegetables, and modest servings of meat.
Calorie Breakdown:
50% Carbs
20% Protein
30% Fat
Zone Diet
40/30/30 ratio theoretically stabilizes hormones that trigger hunger and weight gain.
Calorie Breakdown:
40% Carbs
30% Protein
30% Fat
Mediterranean Diet
Prescribes grains, vegetables, and sources of healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts.
Calorie Breakdown:
45% Carbs
20% Protein
35% Fat
Ornish Diet (Low fat vegetarian)
Recommends eliminating nuts, meat, and fish.
Calorie Breakdown:
70% Carbs
20%Protein
10% Fat
THE RESULTS:
Low Carb vs. Low Fat vs. Mediterranean
Pounds lost at six months: Low carb 14 lbs, WW 10lbs, Mediterranean 10 lbs
Final loss (two years): Low carb 12 lbs, WW 7 lbs, Mediterranean 10 lbs
Low Carb vs. Low Fat vs. Zone vs. Ornish
Pounds lost at six months: Low carb 14 lbs, WW 9 lbs, Zone 6 lbs, Ornish 6 lbs
Final loss (one year): Low carb 10, WW 6 lbs, Zone 4 lbs, Ornish 5 lbs
Low Fat vs. Exercise
Pounds lost at six weeks: WW 6 lbs, Exercise 2 lbs
Final loss (three months): WW 9 lbs, Exercise 3 lbs
So what does this mean for you?
Well, by looking at the numbers, you can see that all of the diets produced results. And, with the exception of the subjects following the Mediterranean diet, the dieters tended to gain some of the weight they had lost back over the long term. This is most likely because they failed to follow the diet as strictly over time as they had in the beginning.
This is a problem most dieters have with most diets…consistency. Everyone charges out of the gate ready to cut down on carbs, fat, or to consume the magic ratio, only to find that after a period of time this way of eating is something they can’t maintain over the long term. It’s not a change they’re willing to make with the rest of their life.
My advice to you is the same as always…choose something that’s right for YOU. Choose foods you like, eliminate the refined ones, and consume in MODERATION in combination with EXERCISE. The above diets work because they control the amount, and in most cases, the type of food being eaten. As should be evident from the results, the control part is much more important than the type of food being eaten.
So take control of what you eat. If one of theses diets works for you, then GREAT! Pick it, and stick with it. If none of them float your boat, no problem. Choose the foods that work for you, control how much you eat, and be consistent. Combine your efforts with some exercise, commit to sticking with it for at least a year, and watch what happens.
James Steffy, CSCS
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