Is the Mediterranean Diet Right for You?

April 2017 | Reading time: 3 minutes

Want to live a long, healthy life and lose those extra pounds? Tired of counting calories and starving yourself? Then you should tweak your eating habits and make better food choices. The Mediterranean diet can reportedly help you slim down and add years to your life while keeping diseases at bay.

This eating plan is based on the dietary patterns of Spain, Greece, and Italy, promoting a healthy approach to nutrition. Most meals consist of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, seafood, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Meat, dairy, and eggs are only consumed occasionally.

How Does the Mediterranean Diet Work?

The Mediterranean diet has been around for decades, offering a myriad of benefits. It’s ideal for those looking to build healthier eating habits, lose weight, and prevent illnesses. It’s not just a diet, but a way of life that promotes health and well-being. Eating the Mediterranean way can increase longevity, reduce cancer risk, improve brain function, and boost your energy.

Dieters are encouraged to eat local and seasonal produce, wild-caught fish, whole grains, and small amounts of meat. No foods are off limits as long as you watch your portions. You can even enjoy a glass of red wine for dinner. This eating plan follows the current U.S. dietary guidelines, emphasising whole, natural foods. Most meals are rich in complex carbs, monounsaturated fats, and lean protein, which helps prevent nutritional deficiencies and supports optimal health.

What Are the Benefits?

Thousands of studies confirm the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. This eating plan not only promotes weight loss, but also helps prevent stroke, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson’s, depression, and colorectal cancer. In the long run, it may improve eye health, relieve chronic pain, and increase fertility. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risk of death from heart disease by nine percent, the risk of cancer by six percent, and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by 13 percent.

The foods allowed on this plan are low in sugar and trans fats, which helps protects against diabetes and improves insulin response. Salmon, mackerel, avocado, walnuts are chock-full of essential fats that lower inflammation and fight oxidative stress. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that slow down ageing and scavenge free radicals. On top of that, you can try a multitude of recipes to keep your diet varied and prevent boredom.

This is part of series on the various diets you can try following a fat management treatment at VIVO Body Studio.