Mediterranean diet to lose weight– one of the most popular weight loss methods today. It is not in vain that the method has earned the recognition of fashion lovers. 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 the inhabitants of Mediterranean countries. However, by following the basic principles of the diet, you will be able to 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 the help of it, a girl can prolong her youth by 7-10 years. It is not in vain that the inhabitants of countries that have used this 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 Diet". This indicates the aesthetic component of nutrition. By eating a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits, the girl will not only get rid of extra pounds, but also improve her overall appearance and condition. Even though the diet is gentle, it is still necessary 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. It is necessary to start losing weight by studying the basic principles on which the diet is based. We will talk more about the features of the method, cooking recipes and the rules that must be followed to accelerate weight loss.
The essence of the Mediterranean diet
Wanting to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method, followers of the diet always advise paying attention to the mortality rate of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean. This indicator is low. Experts say that this situation is largely due to the diet of the inhabitants of these countries. The diet is easy to follow. A girl who follows a weight loss method can easily follow the plan for a month or more. The Mediterranean diet is based on understanding the principles of proper nutrition. For this reason, it can become a permanent pattern in which a person eats food.
Nutrition has a whole series of positive effects on the human body:
- leads to normalization of blood pressure,
- helps improve 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 probability 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 the intake of red, orange and dark green vegetables and fruits to lose weight.
Note!You should only eat fresh vegetables and fruits.
In addition to eating plant foods, a person who wants to lose weight should 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 beforehand:
- the sugar will have to be replaced with honey,
- Daily fluid intake should be at least 6 glasses,
- You need to add olive oil to your regular diet,
- you need to eat meals that consist 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 by following a diet based on her 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 to improve your overall health. Thus, today there is a scheme developed specifically for people who suffer from diabetes. This method is therapeutic and preventive nutrition.
Variations of the Mediterranean diet may skip portions of meals. So, if a person suffering from diabetes decides to follow this method of nutrition, the greatest load will be during 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, containing only healthy foods. Basic principles such as using only fresh vegetables and fruits, eliminating refined carbohydrates, high intake of liquids, vegetable oils, the important use of seafood, also fresh, allow maintaining a good balance of nutrients, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
The Mediterranean is a traditionally 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 interior of the country 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, there would be many times fewer problems with cancer and cardiovascular pathology than today.
Permitted and prohibited products
If a girl's choice is the Mediterranean diet, creating a menu for each 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 your preparation.
According to the rules of the Mediterranean diet, a girl can eat:
- fruits, which you need to eat at least 3 servings a day,
- fish and seafood – no more than 4 times a week,
- yogurt, cheese or curd milk - 1 time a 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 find out in advance which foods can be eaten and which are prohibited. Despite the abundance of permitted foods, there are foods that are strictly prohibited. Violating the rule will make the girl regain the lost kilos.
The list of foods prohibited in 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 proportion.
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 following the Mediterranean diet, you must remember to drink plenty of fluids. Its main source must be water, which does not contain gases. Daily fluid intake is 1. 5 to 2 liters. The allowed volume should be divided into equal portions and drunk throughout the day. The Mediterranean way of losing weight is to completely abstain from numerous drinks.
For figure correction to be successful, it is prohibited to drink:
- soda,
- juices,
- lemonade,
- fruit drinks,
- compotes.
The Mediterranean method to lose weight does not prohibit the consumption of natural juices, but they must be drunk with caution. It must be remembered that these drinks contain a lot of fructose. If it reaches the human body without fiber, it will cause the formation of excess fat.
The method does not recommend the use of coffee, but it does not exclude it completely from the menu either. If a girl really likes this drink, she can drink it in the morning. However, sugar should not be added to coffee. Additionally, you should limit yourself to 1 small cup of beverage.
Rules of the Mediterranean diet
Unlike other methods of losing weight, the Mediterranean way of eating does not cause the girl to get tired quickly and may collapse. The figure correction scheme does not impose strict restrictions. All prohibitions are based on ideas about proper nutrition. However, there are still a number of rules.
If a girl wants to lose weight with the Mediterranean method, she must:
- eat lots 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 them for at least 1 day.
- steam, bake or grill meat and vegetables,
- 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 should remember that it should not be added to tea or spread on baked goods. This will cause the product to become carcinogenic. Such a diet will not be beneficial.
Sample menu for the week.
The Mediterranean diet involves healthy eating. Following it, the girl will be able to eat tasty and healthy food. The Mediterranean method consists of creating your own daily diet. However, doing it right can be complicated. Therefore, experts have drawn up an approximate scheme designed for 14 days. Make it clear what foods you can eat. After this, the girl will not only lose weight, but also the general condition of the body will improve.
An approximate daily meal plan, developed in accordance with the principles of the diet, is presented in the following table:
| Weekday | Eating | Sample menu |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Breakfast | Oats + fruits 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 | |
| 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 + Meat 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 + nuts + honey, kefir cocktail + flaxseed + banana or red fruits |
| Dinner | Fish soup and stewed vegetables | |
| Dinner | Fish + vegetables, flatbread | |
| Sunday | Breakfast | Eggs + slice of bread + cheese |
| Dinner | Pasta + rabbit meat | |
| Dinner | Omelet + vegetables | |
| Week 2 repeats the previous week. |
Dish recipes
Nowadays there are Mediterranean diet recipes adapted to other countries. This will allow the girl to follow a diet and eat tasty food. The foods that are allowed to be consumed are varied.
A girl knows how to cook:
- Minestrone soup.To prepare you will need: 100 g of spinach, 85 g of 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 the spices and cook until cooked.
- Pasta with seafood.Ingredients: 300 g cherry tomatoes, 200 g seafood cocktail mix, 200 g rye pasta, bunch of basil, olive oil. Boil the pasta, fry the tomatoes and basil a little in oil. The "sea cocktail" must be thawed, and then boiled in slightly salted water for 10 minutes. Next, mix the seafood with the vegetables and serve with pasta.
- Red tuna with tartar sauce.Ingredients: 400 g of red tuna, 50 ml of olive oil, 50 ml of soy sauce, 30 g of tomatoes, 30 g of walnuts, 20 g of onion, 20 ml of vinegar, 10 g of chives, 8 tails of asparagus, 1 lemon. Squeeze the lemon juice and mix it with soy sauce. Place the tuna in the resulting mixture and let it soak for 2 hours. Finely chop the tomatoes, chives and onion, add to the tuna and mix. Put the finished fish and vegetables on a plate. Garnish the dish with asparagus, which must first be fried in a pan with vinegar, olive oil and chopped walnuts.
The recipes are not particularly difficult to prepare. To bring them to life, you don't need special skills. In a normal kitchen, dishes can be prepared based on adapted recipes. If she prepares a delicious Mediterranean meal every day and follows the rules, a girl will be able to lose weight effortlessly. Following a Mediterranean diet will not be a burden.
Reviews of 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 do not need to choose low-calorie analogues for your favorite foods. Even my favorite Italian pasta "and all kinds of cereals, which I like, are not prohibited. The result of the diet will satisfy even skeptics: it is quite possible to get rid of 4 to 6 kg. "
- "The first diet that almost kept me from any attempt to lose weight was low-calorie. Now I even remember my torment with a shudder: I was not only starving, but also felt disgusting, I was constantly irritated. It saved my life. Mediterranean diet: pleasant cuisine, wonderful health, excellent results (less 10 kg in 2 months). "
- "I am satisfied with the diversity and low number of prohibitions in the Mediterranean diet. There was no need to hysterically rush in search of low-calorie foods. It was possible to reduce not only the waist, but also the hips, the folds on the abdomen disappeared, The cellulite disappeared almost completely, and this in just a month and a half! "