About the Mediterranean Diet

About the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is a model for diet restriction shows the red meat eating, and large quantities of fruit and vegetables, olive oil and fish. It is based on the traditional diets of people in the regions of Europe and Africa, the Mediterranean Sea (eg Greece, Italy, Spain, Morocco and Tunisia).

The Mediterranean diet was essentially the diet of Cretans (people on the Greek island of Crete), and generally reflects the diet of a large part of Southern Europe and Northern Africa, in spite of the different regions of the Mediterranean region have slightly different dietary habits. For example, in Morocco, couscous and pastries are consumed instead of bread and pasta in Italy and Turkey, beef and lamb are most commonly consumed, in the southwest of Europe. But what connects the majority in the Mediterranean Sea is the production of olive oil and the dependence on fish, fruit and vegetables as a source of food. In the 1950s, scientists have discovered that the population of these countries have a lower heart disease and generally live longer than most people in North America and Europe.

The Mediterranean diet was developed by the combination of the various components of the diet in Mediterranean countries with modern nutritional information. The food is popular in the 1990s after scientists encouraging evidence for his claims about the benefits for persons who are at high risk for heart disease. Apparently looking for that part of the Mediterranean diet, which is good for the body than the others. Studies have shown that all the components work together with others, a number of benefits for health, support for your inquiry.

In 1993 a number of health facilities, Mediterranean diet, the pyramid solid options that the people with the Mediterranean diet can be. Unlike the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Guide Pyramid, the pyramid of the Mediterranean diet no information on the quantity of each food consumed. On the contrary, shows the frequency with which each group of foods in the diet of a person. It is in food daily, weekly and monthly.

My Pyramid

In the Mediterranean diet, food, all days:

*Bread, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta, potatoes and cereals. Bread, whole beans, pasta and rice are more aware of whole grains contain more nutrients.

*Fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes and nuts. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. servings of fruit and vegetables consumed daily over the Mediterranean diet. This figure is slightly higher than the USDA recommendation of 5 servings per day. The Mediterranean diet is the emphasis on the importance of eating seasonal and local costs of production of fruit and vegetables, which often attempt to maximize the promotion of health and antioxidant micronutrients such feed. In addition, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes are consumed daily. Following the Mediterranean diet, the most valuable are the nutrition labeling of tree nuts (eg walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts).

*Olive oil and other vegetable oils. Olive oil is the most important characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, as it is the only element in the diet of most people in the Mediterranean region. Followers of Mediterranean diet suggests that most sources of saturated fatty acids (eg butter, margarine, lard) should be the oil that is rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and healthy low-saturated fat is unhealthy. Madonna and extra vierge olive oil are healthy because they are less for the processing and delivery of antioxidants. These types of olive oil are also tasty. Besides oil, other vegetable oils such as canola oil are. In the Mediterranean diet, fat around 40 percent of calorie intake as compared to only 25 percent to 35 percent, as recommended by the American Heart Association.

*Cheese and yogurt. Low-fat cheese (eg mozzarella, feta cheese) and yogurt with low fat consumed each day. High fat content of dairy products like milk and cheese are rich in fat, can be avoided.

*Alcohol. The Mediterranean Diet promotes drinking quantities of alcohol, usually wine every day. The diet recommends no more than one alcoholic drink per day for women and no more than two alcoholic drinks per day for men. One drink is equal to:

or 12 oz (350 ml [ml]) of beer or wine cooler
or 4 oz (150 ml) of wine
or 1 / 5 ounces (45 ml) 80-Alcohol


It is important, not the introduction of alcohol in your diet for health benefits - many of the benefits of red wine can also be purchased drinking purple grape juice. It is important for people to discuss the risks and benefits of alcohol with a doctor before you change your diet.

The food per week in the Mediterranean diet:

*Fish (three to five times per week).

*Poultry (one to three times per week). The fish is usually better than poultry.

*Eggs. Buds (including those in baking and cooking) are at zero to four per week. Protein consumed freely.

*Sweet. In the Mediterranean diet, the fruits are usually consumed after dinner instead of sugar, sweets, treats. Consumed sweets are often sweetened with honey instead of refined sugar.

Traditionally, red meat is rare in the Mediterranean diet due to the abundance of fish and poultry in the region. The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid that red meat be consumed only in very rare - only a few times per month.

The Mediterranean diet is a little different than the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which was approved by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA). Some of these differences are the following:

*Fat. The Mediterranean diet, the absorption of fat from olive oil and nuts (a good source of mono-unsaturated fats), but not through the butter or margarine (a bad saturated fat). In the guidelines, all fats are combined into a single group (including the Heart Health mono-unsaturated fats) and the recommended size, a low-fat diet.

*Meat. The guidelines do not distinguish between red meat (high content of saturated fatty acids) and white meat and fish (with high protein content and low fat).

*Nuts and beans. The guidelines combine meat, beans and nuts in a category. Loose nuts and beans to eat the recommended daily intake of meat.

Despite these differences, there are many of the recommendations of the Mediterranean diet are the guidelines established by the USDA, which has the Mediterranean food pyramid (as well as Asia and Latin America, the food guide pyramid) as an alternative, which may be used alone or in combination with the traditional USDA food pyramid.

About the Mediterranean Diet