The Mediterranean diet (lifestyle) has been around for many years, and it is still considered one of the top most effective diets in the world today.
The Mediterranean Diet is based on the traditional diet of people who lived around the Mediterranean sea. If you are already familiar with it, you’ll know it’s not a strict diet. There are some principles and guidelines you should follow and probably the best way to illustrate them is with the Medietrranean Diet Pyramid.
At the base of the Pyramid there are the foods you can enjoy every day: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, herbs, spices, nuts and healthy fats such as olive oil. At the next level, there are foods that you can eat twice or three times per week, such as seafood, fish, poultry or eggs. Finally, at the top of the pyramid there are the things you should eat just occasionally such as red meats and sweets.
Embracing the Med Diet is simple. You’ll probably find out that many of your favourite foods are included in it!
If you wish to move to a Mediterranean eating style, you’ll need to make several changes on your diet. Let’s start with these 3 basic steps:
- Eat lots of vegetables and fresh fruit. Salads, vegatables, stews, even healthy pizzas! Try to eat fresh fruit as desserts and avoid sweets.
- Change the way you think about meat. If you eat meat, have smaller amounts and try not to eat it every day, specially red meats.
- Use good fats. Include sources of healthy fats in daily meals, especially extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds and olives.
