Weight loss is often accompanied by health problems, hair loss, skin breakdown. But not in this case. The Mediterranean diet helps with weight loss, rejuvenates and improves overall well-being.
The essence of the Mediterranean diet
It is the only UNESCO-approved diet that is recognized as a completely safe weight loss system. On the contrary, it is able to improve the general condition of the body, does not contradict the canons of proper nutrition, but has its own approach to drawing up a diet. The classic Mediterranean diet contains many foods that are prohibited by other weight loss systems.
The essence of the diet is the daily use of foods that are in the diet of the Mediterranean population. Among the Spaniards, Italians, Libyans, Moroccans, fat and fat people are rare. These countries have low mortality rates from cancer and cardiovascular disease. They lead the way in terms of life expectancy of the local population.
What are the benefits of the Mediterranean diet?
This system was not invented by nutritionists, was not assembled in a laboratory, but was shaped over centuries in certain places. The Mediterranean diet menu does not contain artificial products, preservatives, semi-finished products, which will already have a positive effect on human health.
Benefits of this diet:
- Prevents heart disease, blood vessels, lowers cholesterol, dissolves existing plaque, prevents the formation of blood clots, the development of atherosclerosis.
- Maintains clarity of mind, positively affects brain function. This diet can prevent Alzheimer's disease.
- Nutrition according to this system prevents gastric, colon and breast cancer.
- Reduces blood sugar levels, prevents the development of diabetes, as well as insulin resistance.
- Improve immunity, help the body recover more quickly after serious illness, long-term treatment.
It is based on products that give strength and positively affect the emotional background. It is believed that the Mediterranean miracle diet not only increases life expectancy, but also affects quality. Only energetic, cheerful, active people can live every day 100%.
Basic principles of nutrition
It should be immediately debunked the myth that food according to this system is expensive. The diet on the Mediterranean cleansing diet is rich based on a variety of products. It is not necessary to eat only delicious shrimp or fish, you can always take a budget analogue.
Basic principles:
- There is not enough fat intake, these are not fried sausages or pasties from the pan. This is a useful extra virgin olive oil. You can safely drizzle on salads and other dishes without worrying about the calorie content of everyday meals.
- Lots of vegetables and fruit. The Mediterranean diet allows even grapes, bananas, to be banned by other systems. Plant foods should be included in every meal.
- Dairy products. Need to focus on natural yogurt, condensed milk, fermented baked milk. There is no need to use fermented milk products with a composition of sugar, dyes, flavors. If you want, you can always add berries or honey.
- Fish and seafood. Like vegetables, this category is the basis of the diet. These products should be in the daily menu.
- White meat. You don't need to use it often, 3-4 times a week is enough, less often. In the heart of chicken, rabbit meat, quail, you can sometimes lamb.
- Cereals. Brown rice, durum wheat pasta, buckwheat may be in the diet of the Mediterranean diet, pearl barley is allowed. Legumes are a must.
- Red wine. You can drink up to two glasses a day, served with lunch or dinner. It is important to choose natural wines without preservatives and excess sugar in the composition.
- Egg. Yes, but not more than one per day
- A variety of natural spices, all kinds of fresh and dried herbs are welcome. You can eat nuts and seeds.
- Rye bread and cakes are pastries made from whole wheat flour.
During the Mediterranean health diet, it is important not only to drink wine (although this is very pleasant), but also clean water. The daily minimum is 1. 5 liters. Green tea, natural fruit drinks with fresh berries, lemon water are welcome. Just don't turn healthy drinks into carbohydrates by adding sugar or honey. The taste buds need to be cleaned.
Weight loss rate, duration
This system does not promise to lose 15 kg in a month or 40 kg in six months. Weight on the Mediterranean diet (Mediterranean) is lost gradually without stress on the body. With the right approach, a person will lose 3-4 kg per month, but it all depends on preliminary data.
If you eat on the Mediterranean diet menu for weight loss for a long time, then soon your old habits will be forgotten, other foods will replace your favorite dishes, the right diet will become a lifestyle. The Mediterranean diet is not time-limited, it can be observed at any time, because the inhabitants of Morocco, Italy, Greece, Spain eat something like this.
List of prohibited products
Diets for weight loss in the Mediterranean diet can be built independently, below are only approximate menu options. The main thing is not to add prohibited products. This is especially true for refined sunflower oil, sugar, mixed spices with glutamate and other preservatives.
What not to diet:
- sausages, ham, semi-finished products;
- pure sugar, limited honey;
- sweet drinks, sweets, ready-made desserts;
- any pastries made from white flour;
- lard, bacon, fatty meats and dairy products.
The easiest way to avoid mistakes with dishes is to cook your own meals. In cafes and restaurants, cheap oil is most often used instead of fresh vegetables, low-quality meat and fish.
Mediterranean diet for weight loss: a menu for every day
Here is an example of how you can eat in this system. Then you can adjust your diet to suit your work or study schedule, personal taste. In addition, there is no need to eat a different dish every day, you can cook something for several lunches or dinners.
The Mediterranean diet for weight loss involves minimally processed foods. Cooking, boiling, salting for a long time reduces the amount of nutrients. And simple cereals, soups, salads do not take much time to cook.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | avocado toast with mozzarella, tomato, tea | cottage cheese casserole with banana, tea | eggs, mozzarella and 10 pieces of cherries | cereal bread, cheese slices, 2 cucumbers | brown rice with cheese and spices | pasta with shrimp and cheese | Omelet with green beans and tomatoes |
| Snack | orange | A glass of tomato juice | fruit salad with yogurt | soft curd | wine | Orange juice | a pineapple |
| Dinner | stewed vegetables with chicken, lots of greens | cream soup with prawns | vegetable stew with meat, tomato juice | soup with clams and cheese | fresh tomato gazpacho, a piece of grilled fish | Broccoli soup with fried prawns | brown rice, squid in cream, vegetable juice |
| afternoon tea | apples, cottage cheese | smoothies with vegetables | a glass of yogurt | vegetable salad with olives | fruit salad with nuts and yogurt | tuna toast, any juice | a piece of bread, salted fish, tea |
| Dinner | pasta with seafood and cheese, vegetables | brown rice pilaf with chicken and vegetables | grilled fish with rice, vegetable salad | grilled chicken, carrot and cheese salad | pasta with green beans, scallops | fish soup with tomatoes, vegetables | pasta with shrimp, cherry tomatoes and cream |
Remember that all diet dishes are prepared with olive oil, it is also used for dressing salads, you can add lemon juice, various spices. You can also include a glass of red wine with any meal.
According to the classic Mediterranean diet, the amount of food is unlimited, but it is important not to overeat. Most menu options have five. You can add an extra dinner or remove a second breakfast, which is also a snack.
Mediterranean diet for weight loss: a menu for every day
Many people say that the Mediterranean diet is very expensive, and the quality of frozen seafood leaves a lot to be desired. It's also hard to find real olive oil. But in this case, it can be replaced with other raw fats. Flaxseeds, walnuts, suitable flax oil, from pumpkin seeds. You can use edible coconut oil for your diet.
Don't forget that the Mediterranean diet (menu for the week below) involves frugal cooking. Oil can be consumed in any quantity, but only for refueling. You can lubricate the product before baking or in the oven. You can not use it for frying, it is better to cook diet food in a dry frying pan or grease it with the thinnest layer.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Fried zucchini with garlic and sour cream sauce | raisin casserole | oatmeal with nuts | cheese sandwich, poached egg, tea | Pumpkin porridge with rice | muesli with yogurt | sandwiches with fish |
| Snack | banana | Pomelo | ruby | Apple | vegetable salad | fruit juice, eggs | pumpkin puree |
| Dinner | fish soup without potatoes from any fish, rye bread | boiled vegetables, toast, a piece of boiled meat | vegetable soup, a piece of fish, a piece of bread | pasta with cheese and squid, vegetables | cream soup with chicken and vegetables, tortillas | cabbage soup in fish stock with beans | stewed vegetables with beans, slightly salted herring |
| afternoon tea | yogurt | fruit and milk smoothies | cottage cheese with apple | fruit salad | cucumber and herbal smoothie | cottage cheese with nuts | tomato juice |
| Dinner | Greek salad with cheese and olives | fish cakes (steamed, baked), coleslaw | macaroni and cheese, carrot salad with beans | fish stuffed with vegetables, cucumber salad with sour cream and dill | buckwheat with chicken, tomatoes | chicken soup with cream, coleslaw | grilled vegetables, a piece of spear |
Here, there is practically no seafood in the Mediterranean diet, but if you wish, you can sometimes include it in your diet. For example, add shrimp to a salad or snack with an ocean cocktail.
Mediterranean diet: recipes from the menu for the week
Above in the diet menu there are many interesting dishes, which are also simple and quick to prepare. They are great for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here are the most interesting recipes.
Cream soup with chicken and vegetables
On the Mediterranean diet, cream soup is often the menu during the week. They are good for the stomach, well saturated and easy to prepare. Here is a basic recipe with vegetables.
Material:
- 300 grams of chicken fillet;
- 300 g of broccoli (you can cauliflower);
- 100 grams of carrots;
- 100 grams of onions;
- 200 g of zucchini or pumpkin;
- 150-200 ml of cream;
- spices to taste.
Cook:
- Cut the chicken, dip in 800 ml of boiling water, then add the carrots and onions and boil for 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, five minutes later the broccoli, a pinch of salt. Cook covered over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Grind the chicken with vegetables, add spices to taste. Thin the soup with cream, bring to a boil again and you're ready to serve!
In winter, you can use frozen mixed vegetables for such a soup. Also, it is not necessary to thin the dish with cream, at first you can pour a little more water.
Macaroni with cheese and squid
This dish is on the menu above for every day to lose weight on the Mediterranean diet. Buying squid in the store is not a problem now, but it is prepared very simply and quickly.
Material:
- 1 squid;
- 200 grams of pasta;
- 150 ml of 10% cream;
- 0. 5 tsp olive oil;
- 70 grams of cheese.
Cook:
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions, but cook for a minute less. Drain into a sieve.
- Heat a frying pan, lightly grease with oil.
- We clean the squid, remove the ridge, cut it into pieces. Pour in and fry for a minute, making sure to stir with a spatula.
- Pour the cream over the squid, bring to a boil, start half of the grated cheese, let it dissolve and salt.
- We put the pasta, stir quickly, let the dish boil and turn off. Leave it for ten minutes under the lid.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese when serving.
In the same way, you can cook sauce with shrimp or other seafood for the diet. The only point is that you need to use low-fat cream so as not to add to the calorie content of the dish.
Greek salad with cheese and olives
This salad is a great substitute for lunch, dinner on a diet, especially in the summer. It fully meets dietary requirements.
Material:
- 2 cucumbers;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 0. 5 red onions;
- 1 pepper;
- 15 ml of lemon juice;
- 1 pinch of pepper;
- 100 grams of feta cheese;
- 2 tablespoons oil (olive);
- 10-12 olives.
Cook:
- Cucumber diced. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and chop them as well. Cut the onion into very thin half rings. Pour into a salad bowl.
- Cut the pepper into thin strips and dice the feta, olives, add to other products.
- Mix lemon juice with oil, add salt, pepper. Pour over the salad. Stir when served.
You can add any vegetables, use cherry tomatoes in place of regular tomatoes, or replace olive oil with Greek yogurt. It also makes a great sauce.
Mediterranean diet for parents
It was mentioned above that the Mediterranean diet helps prevent Alzheimer's disease. It has a positive effect on the brain, will be a savior from senile dementia. Also, nutrition according to this system has a great effect on other internal organs, but in old age it is recommended to stop drinking wine, and also change the composition of some dishes. Here is an example of a Mediterranean diet menu for a week for parents. It meets all the requirements of an aging organism.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | oatmeal with raisins | Cheesecake from the oven, fruit puree | Steamed omelette with green beans | millet porridge with pumpkin | fried pumpkin, sour cream | omelet with fish fillet | fruit cottage cheese |
| Snack | pumpkin puree | orange | Apple juice | a portion of soft curd | vegetable salad | Beijing cabbage salad with olives, lemon, spices | salad with carrots, walnuts |
| Dinner | boiled vegetables, sliced fish meat | vegetable soup, a piece of fish | buckwheat soup without potatoes | puree chicken soup, black bread | soup with rice and tomatoes, compote | Casserole with cauliflower and cheese | cauliflower soup, bread |
| afternoon tea | Cheese hut | a glass of kefir | banana and yogurt smoothie | tomato juice | Cheese hut | veggie smoothie with greens | any fruit |
| Dinner | soba with sliced fish and tomato sauce | stewed vegetables with fish | vegetable salad, chicken pieces | grilled fish, vegetable puree | boiled chicken with pasta | fish aspic, 10 olives, 1 tomato | chicken pieces, brown rice, tomato juice |
Mediterranean Diet Review
First review, female, 34 years old
For the second year now that I've been eating this diet, I'm used to it, I don't want red meat, I refuse animal fats, but I add chia seeds to my main meal, I use quinoa instead of rice. During this time my weight dropped from 82 to 57 kg. It is gradual, not all at once. I noticed her clothes became looser, her belly was much smaller, besides, the scales pleased me.
Second review, female, 25 years old
Everything started strange for me, at first I looked at the menu for a week with a recipe for weight loss on the Mediterranean diet from a friend, only then I began to learn what kind of system it is. I like it right away because everything is simple, you don't need complicated cooking, just for me. In general, we sat down with a friend, he supported me, but he was the first to leave the race. I went on a diet of the fifth month, my health improved markedly, agility appeared, I began to sleep well, lost 9 kg. But the initial weight is small (67 kg at 164 cm).
Third review, female, 47 years old
I've never had a weight problem, but menopause came very early. From the age of 44, I began to gain weight rapidly, as a result, +20 kg in a year. The endocrinologist told me about the diet, I really liked the idea of \u200b\u200bsuch a diet, but I adapted it a little for myself, for example, I refuse wine. I can't drink it, my body doesn't tolerate it well, constant heartburn. But I allow myself pomegranate juice.
Fourth review, female, 38 years old
I heard about the Mediterranean "miracle" diet from a doctor, decided to study this diet, and smoothly switched to it. I have no Monday, no schedule. I just gradually turned ordinary food into systemic dishes. My goal is to improve health, because there are many chronic diseases and hereditary risks. In parallel, I lost 11 kg.
Diet Contraindications
Despite the high scores, awards and a lot of positive feedback, the Mediterranean system has contraindications.
Who Should Not Diet:
- people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, a lot of fiber can provoke attacks of pain;
- people who have suffered serious illness, surgical operation.
Also, do not follow this diet if you are intolerant to fish or seafood. Everyone should evaluate in advance how closely his diet is, whether he can follow such a diet on the Mediterranean diet menu for a long time.