Mediterranean style diets recognize the importance of including a wide variety of foods into your daily meal plans. Each meal is based primarily on plant based foods; with protein items added as a side dish rather than as the main focus of your meal. According to an article published in Medline Plus, following this type of diet may reduce your cholesterol, triglycerides and decrease your risk of heart disease and other health problems.
Permitted and Restricted Foods
Fruits and vegetables, preferably fresh, as well as whole grains, nuts, olive oil, beans and seeds are the mainstay of each meal. Olive oil, nuts, and plant sources such as avocado deliver the main source of fat in this diet. Fish and seafood are allowed at least twice a week, or more often if you desire. You can enjoy other protein sources such as cheese, poultry and yogurt in moderate portions. Limited foods include red meat, sweets and desserts, eggs and butter.
How to Follow a Mediterranean Style Diet
The basis of your meals will be fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Try to fit between seven and ten servings of fruits and vegetables each day. You can add fresh fruit to all your meals, and use carrot sticks, celery sticks or any other crunchy vegetable as a snack. Incorporate whole grains into your cooking, and switch to whole grain bread, cereals and pasta if you haven't already. Nuts and seeds are also an important part of this diet as part of your morning cereal or your evening salad.
As you follow this eating plan, you will be eliminating butter and margarine from your food, replacing it with monounsaturated fat, olive or canola oil. Feel free to experiment with a wide variety of herbs and spices to liven up the taste of your food and reduce your salt intake.
Your main source of protein is from seafood and fish. Once or twice a week, you can enjoy grilled fish, or fresh or water-packed tuna or salmon. Poultry is permitted, as long as it is grilled using healthy olive or canola oil. Low-fat dairy products are allowed occasionally as well.
Benefits of Following a Mediterranean Style Diet
A study published in the September 2008 issue of the "British Medical Association Journal" and posted in the PubMed website shows that following a Mediterranean-style diet reduces most of the health risks faced today. The conclusions of this Italian research study found that following a Mediterranean style diet reduced overall mortality from all major diseases.
Lifestyle Change
The Mediterranean diet is not necessarily a weight loss plan, although you can lose weight following it. Instead, some researchers cite the regimen for the benefits it has on health. In the November 2010 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," for instance, researchers at the University of Florence confirmed that following a Mediterranean style diet consistently provides protection from degenerative and chronic diseases.
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