Mediterranean diet for weight loss– one of the most popular weight loss methods today. It is not in vain that the method has earned recognition from fashionistas. The method allows you to eat delicious food while losing extra pounds. If you carefully study the diet, it turns out that it is not a way to lose weight at all. The method is based on the traditional diet of residents of Mediterranean countries. However, by following the basic principles of the diet, you can get rid of extra pounds or keep your body in shape for a long period.
The Mediterranean diet does more than just help you lose weight. With its help, a girl can prolong her youth by 7-10 years. It is not in vain that the inhabitants of countries that have used such nutrition as a traditional diet since ancient times look fit and prosperous. It is not for nothing that the second name of the diet is "Aphrodite’s Diet". This indicates the aesthetic component of nutrition. By eating a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, a girl will not only get rid of extra pounds, but also improve her appearance and general condition. Despite the fact that the diet is gentle, you still have to follow a number of rules. However, this will not cause any difficulties for the fashionista. A variety of products will saturate a woman’s body with all the necessary substances. You need to start losing weight by studying the basic principles on which the diet is based. We’ll talk further about the features of the method, recipes for cooking and the rules that must be followed to speed up weight loss.
The essence of the Mediterranean diet
Wanting to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method, adherents of the diet always advise paying attention to the mortality rate of Mediterranean residents. This indicator is low. Experts say that this state of affairs has developed largely due to the diet of the inhabitants of these countries. The diet is easy to follow. A girl who adheres to a weight loss method can easily stay on the plan for a month or more. The Mediterranean diet is based on an understanding of the principles of proper nutrition. For this reason, it can become a permanent pattern based on which a person eats food.
Nutrition has a whole range of positive effects on the human body:
- leads to normalization of blood pressure,
- helps improve the quality of life,
- saturates the body with antioxidants,
- minimizes the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease,
- reduces the risk of diabetes mellitus,
- reduces the likelihood of emphysema,
- minimizes the likelihood of breast and rectal cancer,
- reduces the likelihood of developing chronic bronchial diseases.
The essence of the Mediterranean diet is that a person should increase their intake of red, orange and dark green vegetables and fruits in order to lose weight.
Note!You should eat only fresh vegetables and fruits.
In addition to eating plant foods, a person who wants to lose weight will have to eat a lot of fish and seafood. This diet is classic for Mediterranean people.
There are a number of other principles that you need to know in advance:
- sugar will have to be replaced with honey,
- The daily fluid intake should be at least 6 glasses,
- You need to add olive oil to your usual diet,
- you need to eat meals consisting of meat and carbohydrates,
- During the main meal you should drink 1 glass of red wine,
- The diet should include as many legumes, vegetables and fruits as possible.
Mediterranean people eat 4-5 times a day. If a girl wants to lose weight using a diet based on their traditional diet, she will have to increase the number of meals.
This is interesting!Today, there are several variations of the Mediterranean diet. Varieties allow you not only to lose excess weight, but also improve your overall health. So, today there is a scheme developed specifically for people suffering from diabetes. This method is a therapeutic and preventive nutrition.
Variations of the Mediterranean diet may omit portions of meals. So, if a person suffering from diabetes decides to adhere to this method of nutrition, the greatest load will be at lunch, and breakfast will be completely absent.
Expert opinion
With a high degree of probability, it can be argued that the Mediterranean diet is not a diet at all, but simply a normal diet, which contains only healthy foods. Basic principles such as using only fresh vegetables and fruits, eliminating refined carbohydrates, high fluid intake, vegetable oils, significant use of seafood, also fresh, allow you to maintain a good balance of nutrients, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
The Mediterranean is a traditional wine-producing region, so moderate consumption of natural red wine containing resveratrol reduces the risk of developing malignant tumors and increases life expectancy. Unfortunately, the Mediterranean diet in the outback is completely impossible, even if you eat in the best and most expensive supermarkets. To do this, you need to move at least to the sea in order to have at least some semblance in your diet of all those useful components that are contained in the diet. From a medical point of view, we can say that if all people ate this way, then there would be many times fewer problems with cancer and cardiovascular pathology than at present.
Permitted and prohibited products
If a girl’s choice is a Mediterranean diet, then creating a menu for every day will not be difficult. It is necessary to select dishes in accordance with ideas about proper nutrition. Today, experts have compiled a list of products that can be used in the daily menu. This will greatly simplify its preparation.
According to the rules of the Mediterranean diet, a girl can eat:
- fruits, which you need to eat at least 3 servings per day,
- fish and seafood – no more than 4 times a week,
- yogurt, cheese or curdled milk - 1 time per day,
- 1 glass of red wine – 2 times a day,
- lean meat – 2-5 times a week,
- vegetables – 2 times a day,
- eggs – 2-4 pieces per week,
- red meat – 1-2 times a week.
If a girl likes the Mediterranean diet, she should figure out in advance which foods can be eaten and which are prohibited. Despite the abundance of permitted food, there is food that is strictly prohibited. Violating the rule will result in the girl regaining the lost kilos.
The list of foods prohibited on the Mediterranean diet includes:
- sausages and semi-finished products,
- fast food,
- refined vegetable oil,
- refined cereals,
- foods containing hydrogenated fats.
In addition to the set of products, it is necessary to observe their ratio.
According to the established rules, the daily menu of a fashionista should look like this:
- 50% carbohydrates,
- 30% fat,
- 20% proteins.
It is not recommended to deviate from the established scheme.
Mediterranean Diet Drinks
When you decide to lose weight using the Mediterranean diet, you need to remember to drink plenty of fluids. Its main source should be water, which does not contain gases. The daily fluid intake is 1. 5-2 liters. The allowed volume must be divided into equal portions and drunk throughout the day. The Mediterranean way of losing weight involves completely abstaining from a number of drinks.
In order for figure correction to be successful, it is forbidden to drink:
- soda,
- juices,
- lemonade,
- fruit drinks,
- compotes.
The Mediterranean method of losing weight does not prohibit the consumption of fresh juices, but they must be drunk with caution. It should be remembered that such drinks contain a lot of fructose. If it ends up in the human body without fiber, it will lead to the formation of excess fat.
The method does not endorse the use of coffee, however, it does not exclude it from the menu completely. If a girl really likes this drink, she can drink it in the morning. However, sugar should not be added to coffee. In addition, you must limit yourself to 1 small cup of drink.
Mediterranean diet rules
Unlike other methods of weight loss, the Mediterranean way of eating does not lead to the fact that the girl gets tired quickly and may break down. The figure correction scheme does not set strict restrictions. All prohibitions are based on ideas about proper nutrition. However, a number of rules still exist.
If a girl wants to lose weight using the Mediterranean method, she must:
- eat a lot of vegetables and fruits,
- drink 1. 5-2 liters of liquid per day,
- eat carbohydrate foods for breakfast and protein foods for dinner,
- Before cooking cereals, soak for at least 1 day,
- cook meat and vegetables by steaming, oven or grilling,
- it is better to give preference to eating fresh foods,
- replace all cooking fats with olive oil,
- replace sugar with honey,
- You can drink tea and coffee, but in small quantities,
- alcohol can be consumed, but only in the form of red wine and no more than 1-2 glasses per day.
If a girl decides to consume honey, she must remember that it should not be added to tea or spread on baked goods. This will cause the product to become a carcinogen. Such a diet will not be beneficial.
Sample menu for the week
The Mediterranean diet involves a healthy diet. By adhering to it, the girl will be able to eat tasty and healthy food. The Mediterranean method involves creating your own daily diet. However, doing it right can be difficult. For this reason, experts have developed an approximate scheme designed for 14 days. It makes it clear what foods you can eat. Following it, the girl will not only lose weight, but also improve the general condition of the body.
An approximate daily meal plan, developed in compliance with the principles of the diet, is presented in the table below:
| Day of the week | Eating | Sample menu |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Breakfast | Oatmeal + fruit or berries You can add a little honey to the porridge as a sweetener, but only after it has cooled. |
| Dinner | Fish or vegetable soup Salad + sour cream or butter or yogurt |
|
| Dinner | Boiled or baked fish + vegetables + some stewed beans | |
| Tuesday | Breakfast | Wheat or millet porridge + baked pumpkin and apples |
| Dinner | Chicken + vegetable salad with pumpkin seeds or chicken + cream soup | |
| Dinner | Stewed chicken + vegetables or fish | |
| Wednesday | Breakfast | Baked potatoes + butter + vegetables |
| Dinner | Buckwheat soup + tomatoes + meatballs | |
| Dinner | Baked turkey cutlets with pumpkin + vegetable salad with sour cream | |
| Thursday | Breakfast | Macaroni + cheese sauce |
| Dinner | Cauliflower Casserole + Beef Rice Soup | |
| Dinner | Lasagna + vegetables + chicken, kefir | |
| Friday | Breakfast | Stewed rice + vegetables |
| Dinner | Vegetable soup + salad with boiled fish | |
| Dinner | Cottage cheese casserole + apples + pumpkin, kefir | |
| Saturday | Breakfast | Oatmeal + dried fruits + honey, kefir cocktail + flaxseed + banana or berries |
| Dinner | Fish soup and stewed vegetables | |
| Dinner | Fish + vegetables, flatbread | |
| Sunday | Breakfast | Eggs + slice of bread + cheese |
| Dinner | Pasta + rabbit meat | |
| Dinner | Omelette + vegetables | |
| Week 2 repeats the previous week |
Dish recipes
Today there are recipes for the Mediterranean diet adapted to other countries. This will allow the girl to follow a diet and eat tasty food. The foods that are allowed to be eaten are varied.
A girl can cook:
- Minestrone soup.To prepare you will need: 100 g of spinach, 85 g of green peas, 6 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 liters of chicken broth, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 potatoes, 2 zucchini, 2 eggplants, ¼ head of cabbage, a pinch of salt. To prepare the soup, you need to heat the oil in a container, and then fry the onions, celery, carrots and cabbage in it. Then you need to chop the remaining vegetables, pour the broth into the pan, add spices and cook until done.
- Pasta with seafood.Ingredients: 300 g cherry tomatoes, 200 g seafood cocktail mixture, 200 g rye pasta, bunch of basil, olive oil. Boil the pasta, fry the tomatoes and basil a little in oil. The "sea cocktail" needs to be thawed and then boiled in lightly salted water for 10 minutes. Next, mix seafood with vegetables and serve with pasta.
- Bluefin tuna with tartar sauce.Ingredients: 400 g bluefin tuna, 50 ml olive oil, 50 ml soy sauce, 30 g tomatoes, 30 g walnuts, 20 g onions, 20 ml vinegar, 10 g green onions, 8 asparagus tails, 1 lemon. Squeeze lemon juice and mix it with soy sauce. Place tuna in the resulting mixture and leave it to soak for 2 hours. Finely chop the tomatoes, green onions and onions, add to the tuna and mix. Place the finished fish and vegetables on a plate. Garnish the dish with asparagus, which must first be fried in a frying pan with vinegar, olive oil and chopped walnuts.
The recipes are not particularly difficult to prepare. To bring them to life, you do not need special skills. Dishes based on adapted recipes can be prepared in a regular kitchen. By preparing delicious Mediterranean food for yourself every day and following the rules, a girl can lose weight without effort. Following a Mediterranean diet will not be a burden.
Reviews from those who have lost weight
- "It was no coincidence that I chose this diet, because I heard about it not only from my friends, but also from my mother. The main advantage of nutrition is that you don’t need to choose low-calorie analogues for your favorite foods. Even my favorite Italian pasta and all kinds of cereals, which I am partial to, are not prohibited. The result of the diet will satisfy even skeptics - it is quite possible to get rid of 4-6 kg. "
- "The first diet that almost pushed me away from any attempts to lose weight was low-calorie. Now I even remember my torment with a shudder - not only was I starving, but I also felt disgusting, I was constantly irritated. The Mediterranean diet saved me - pleasant cuisine, wonderful health, excellent results (minus 10 kg in 2 months). "
- "I was pleased with the diversity and low number of prohibitions in the Mediterranean diet. There was no need to rush hysterically in search of low-calorie foods. It was possible to reduce not only the waist, but also the hips, the folds on the stomach disappeared, cellulite almost completely disappeared, and this in just a month and a half! "