Weight loss is often accompanied by health problems, hair loss, deterioration of the skin. But not in this case. The Mediterranean diet helps to lose weight, rejuvenate and improve overall fitness.
The essence of the Mediterranean diet
This is the only UNESCO approved diet that is recognized as a truly safe weight loss system. On the contrary, it is able to improve the general condition of the body, does not contradict the canon of proper nutrition, but has its own approach to compiling a diet. There are many foods in the classic Mediterranean diet that are banned by other weight loss systems.
At the heart of the diet is the daily consumption of the food present in the diet of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean. Among the Spaniards, Italians, Libyans, Moroccans, fat and obese people are rarely found. These countries have a low mortality rate from cancer and cardiovascular disease. They are at the forefront in terms of the life expectancy of the local population.
What are the benefits of the Mediterranean diet?
This system was not created by breeders, it was not compiled in laboratories, but was established over the centuries in some places. The Mediterranean diet menu does not contain artificial products, preservatives, semi - finished products, which will already have a positive impact on human health.
Benefits of this diet:
- Prevents diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lowers cholesterol, dissolves existing plaques, prevents the formation of blood clots, the development of atherosclerosis.
- Maintains clarity of mind, a positive influence on brain function. This diet can prevent Alzheimer's disease.
- Nutrition according to this system prevents cancer of the stomach, intestines and breast.
- It lowers blood sugar levels, prevents the development of diabetes, as well as insulin resistance.
- Increases immunity, helps the body recover faster after serious, long-term medications.
It is based on products that give strength and have a positive effect on an emotional background. It is believed that the Mediterranean miracle diet not only raises life expectancy, but also affects quality. Only an energetic, cheerful, active person can live 100% every day.
Basic principles of nutrition
It is worth dismissing the myth immediately that food according to this system is expensive. The Mediterranean cleansing diet is rich based on a variety of products. It is not necessary to eat only shrimp or delicate fish, you can always pick up a budget analog.
Basic principles:
- There is not enough intake of fats, these are not fried sausages or pan pasties. This is a useful extra virgin olive oil. You can safely water salads and other dishes without worrying about the calorie content of the daily diet.
- Lots of vegetables and fruits. The Mediterranean diet even allows grapes, bananas, forbidden by other systems. Plant foods should be included in every meal.
- Dairy products. It is worth focusing on natural yogurt, curdled milk, fermented baked milk. Fermented milk products do not need to be used with sugar, color, flavors in the composition. If you like, you can always add berries or honey.
- Fish and seafood. Like vegetables, this category is the basis of the diet. These products should be present in the daily menu.
- White meat. You do not need to use it often, 3-4 times a week is enough, less often. At the heart of chicken, rabbit meat, quail, you can sometimes lamb.
- Cereals. Brown rice, durum wheat pasta, buckwheat may be present in the diet of the Mediterranean diet, pearl barley is allowed. Legumes are essential.
- Red wine. You can drink up to two glasses a day, served with lunch or dinner. It is important to choose natural wine without preservatives and too much sugar in the composition.
- Eggs. Yes, but no 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.
- Bread and rye cakes are pastries made from wholemeal flour.
During a Mediterranean wellness diet, it is important not only to drink wine (although this is very enjoyable), but also clean water. The daily minimum is 1. 5 liters. Green tea, natural fruit drink on fresh berries, lemon water are welcome. Do not turn healthy drinks into a source of carbohydrates by adding sugar or honey. 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 gain on the Mediterranean (Mediterranean) diet gradually becomes stress-free for the body. With the right approach, a person will lose 3-4 kg per month, but it all depends on the initial data.
If you eat on the menu of the Mediterranean diet for weight loss for a long time, then very soon your old habits will be forgotten, other foods will replace your favorite dishes, the right diet will beway of life. The Mediterranean diet is not limited in time, it can be observed at any time, because the inhabitants of Morocco, Italy, Greece, Spain eat something like this.
List of prohibited products
The diet for weight loss in the Mediterranean diet can be taken independently, below are only approximate menu options. The main thing is to add prohibited products. This is especially true for refined sunflower oil, sugar, spices mixed with glutamate and other preservatives.
What is not a diet:
- sausages, ham, semi - finished products;
- pure sugar, limited honey;
- sweet drinks, sweets, ready - made desserts;
- any pastry made from white flour;
- lard, bacon, fatty meats and dairy products.
The easiest way to avoid mistakes with dishes is to cook your own food. In cafes and restaurants, cheap oils are most often used, not the freshest 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 on this system. Then you can adjust the diet to your work or study schedule, personal taste. In addition, it is not necessary to eat different dishes every day, you can cook something for some lunch or dinner.
The Mediterranean diet for weight loss consists of minimal processed foods. Prolonged cooking, stewing, marinating reduces the amount of nutrients. And simple cereals, soups, salads do not require much time to cook.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | avocado toast with mozzarella, tomatoes, tea | cottage cheese casserole with banana, tea | egg, mozzarella and 10 pieces of cherry | cereal bread, a slice of cheese, 2 cucumbers | brown rice with cheese and herbs | pasta with shrimp and cheese | Omelet with green beans and tomatoes |
| Snack | Orange | Glass of tomato juice | fruit salad with yogurt | soft curd | grape | Orange juice | pineapple |
| Dinner | stewed vegetables with chicken, a large bunch of greens | creamy soup with shrimp | vegetable stew with meat, tomato juice | soup with mussels and cheese | fresh tomato gazpacho, a piece of grilled fish | broccoli soup with fried shrimp | brown rice, cream squid, vegetable juice |
| afternoon tea | apple, cottage cheese | smoothies with vegetables | glass of yogurt | vegetable salad with olives | fruit salad with nuts and yogurt | tuna toast, no juice | slice of bread, salted fish, tea |
| Dinner | pasta with seafood and cheese, vegetables | brown rice pilaf with chicken and vegetables | baked fish with rice, vegetable salad | baked chicken, carrot and cheese salad | pasta with green beans, mussels | fish stew 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 seasonings. You can also include a glass of red wine with any meal.
According to the classic Mediterranean diet, the number of meals is infinite, but it is important not to overeat. Most menu options have five. You can add an extra dinner or enjoy 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 much to be desired. It is also difficult to find real olive oil. But in this case, it can be replaced by other refined fats. Suitable linseed seeds, walnut, hemp oil, from pumpkin seeds. You can use edible coconut oil for the diet.
Don't forget that the Mediterranean diet (menu of the week below) involves less cooking. Oil can be consumed in any quantity, except for refueling. You can grease the product before grilling or in the oven. You can not use it for frying, it is best to cook meals for diet in a dry frying pan or grease it lightly with the thinnest layer.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | zucchini fritters with garlic and sour cream sauce | raisin casserole | oatmeal with nuts | cheese sandwich, boiled egg, tea | pumpkin porridge with rice | muesli with yogurt | sandwich with fish |
| Snack | banana | grapefruit | garnet | Apple | vegetable salad | fruit juice, egg | pumpkin puree |
| Dinner | fish soup without potatoes from any fish, rye bread | stewed vegetables, toast, a piece of cooked meat | vegetable soup, a piece of fish, a slice of bread | pasta with cheese and squid, vegetables | cream soup with chicken and vegetables, tortilla | cabbage soup in fish broth with beans | stewed vegetables with beans, slightly salted herring |
| afternoon tea | yogurt | fruit and milk smoothie | cottage cheese with apple | fruit salad | cucumber and herb 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 nuts | fish stuffed with vegetables, cucumber salad with sour cream and dill | buckwheat with chicken, tomatoes | chicken stew with cream, coleslaw | grilled vegetables, a piece of pike |
Here, there is almost no seafood in the Mediterranean diet menu, but if you want, you can sometimes include them in the diet. For example, add shrimp to a salad or snack with a sea 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 morning, afternoon and evening meals. Here are the most interesting recipes.
Soup cream with chicken and vegetables
On the Mediterranean diet, cream soups are often on the menu all week. They are good for the stomach, saturate well and are easy to prepare. Here is a basic recipe with vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 300 g chicken fillet;
- 300 g of broccoli (you can cauliflower);
- 100 g carrots;
- 100 g of onion;
- 200 g zucchini or pumpkin;
- 150-200 ml cream;
- spices to taste.
Cooking:
- Cut the chicken, dip in 800 ml of boiling water, then add carrots and onions and boil for 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, other broccoli five minutes later, lightly salt. Cook covered over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Grind chicken with vegetables, add spices to taste. Dilute the soup with cream, bring to a boil again and you're ready to serve!
In winter, you can use a frozen vegetable mix for such a soup. Also, the dish does not need to be diluted with cream, you can pour a little more water first.
Macaroni with cheese and squid
This dish is on the menu above for every day for weight loss on the Mediterranean diet. Buying squid in the store is not a problem now, but it is prepared very simply and quickly.
Ingredients:
- 1 squid;
- 200 g pasta;
- 150 ml 10% cream;
- 0. 5 olive spoons;
- 70 g cheese.
Cooking:
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions, but cook for less than a minute. Drain into a colander.
- Heat up a frying pan, lightly brush with oil.
- We clean the squid, remove the ridge, cut into strips. Pour and fry for literally a minute, be sure to stir with a spatula.
- Pour cream into the squid, let it boil, start with half of the grated cheese, let it dissolve and salt.
- We lay the pasta, stir quickly, let the dish boil and turn it off. Leave for ten minutes under the program.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese when serving.
Similarly, you can cook a sauce with shrimp or other seafood for a diet. The only point is that you must use a low-fat cream so that the calorie content of the dish does not rise.
Greek salad with cheese and olives
This salad is a great substitute for lunch, diet dinner, especially in summer. It fully meets the requirements of the diet.
Ingredients:
- 2 cucumbers;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 0. 5 red onions;
- 1 pepper;
- 15 ml of lemon juice;
- 1 pinch of pepper;
- 100 g feta cheese;
- 2 tablespoons of oil (olive);
- 10-12 olives.
Cooking:
- dice cucumbers. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and cut them too. Cut the red onion into very thin half rings. Pour into a salad bowl.
- Cut the pepper into thin strips and feta dice, olive quarters, add the rest of the products.
- Mix lemon juice with oil, add salt, pepper. Pour over the salad. Stir when serving.
You can add any Greens, use cherry tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes, or substitute Greek yogurt for olive oil. It also makes a great sauce.
Mediterranean diet for the elderly
It has already been mentioned above that the Mediterranean diet helps prevent Alzheimer's disease. It has a positive effect on the brain, which will be saved 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 give up wine, and also change the composition of some dishes. Here is a sample menu for a week of the Mediterranean diet for the elderly. It meets all the requirements of an aging organism.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | oatmeal with raisins | cheesecakes from the oven, fruit puree | steam omelette with green beans | millet porridge with pumpkin | pumpkin fritters, sour cream | omelet with fish fillet | Fruit cottage cheese |
| Snack | pumpkin puree | Orange | apple juice | some soft curd | vegetable salad | Beijing cabbage salad with olives, lemon, herbs | salad with carrots, walnuts |
| Dinner | stewed vegetables, minced fish cutlet | vegetable soup, a piece of fish | buckwheat soup without potatoes | chicken puree soup, black bread | soup with rice and tomatoes, compote | Casserole with cauliflower and cheese | cauliflower soup, bread |
| afternoon tea | house cheese | glass of kefir | banana and yogurt smoothie | tomato juice | house cheese | vegetable smoothie with leafy greens | no results |
| Dinner | buckwheat with fish cutlets and tomato sauce | vegetable stew with fish | vegetable salad, chicken cutlet | baked fish, vegetable puree | stewed chicken with pasta | aspic fish, 10 olives, 1 tomato | chicken chop, brown rice, tomato juice |
mediterranean diet reviews
First review, female, 34 years old
For the second year now I have been eating on this diet, I have become accustomed to it, I do not want red meat, I have rejected animal fats, but I have added chia seeds to the main diet, I use quinoa instead of rice. All the while my weight has been reduced from 82 to 57 kg. It was gradual, not obvious at the same time. I noticed that the clothes become looser, the stomach is much smaller, besides, the scales made me happy.
Second review, female, 25 years old
It all started weird for me, at first I saw a menu for a week with recipes for weight loss on a Mediterranean diet from a friend, but then I started studying what kind of system it was. I immediately liked that everything is simple, you do not need to cook anything complicated, just for me. We generally sat down with a friend, she supported me, but she was the first to leave the race. I went on the fifth month of the diet, my health improved significantly, vitality appeared, I started to sleep well, I lost 9 kg. But the initial weight was small (67 kg at 164 cm).
Third review, female, 47 years old
I never had weight problems, but menopause came very soon. From the age of 44, I started to gain weight quickly, as a result, +20 kg in a year. The endocrinologist told me about the diet, I really liked the idea of such a diet, but I adapted it a bit for myself, for example, I refused wine. I can not drink it, the body does not tolerate it well, always heartburn. But I allowed pomegranate juice myself.
Fourth review, female, 38 years old
I heard about the "miracle" Mediterranean diet from a doctor, decided to study this diet, and gently changed it. I had no Mondays, no schedules. I gradually changed the routine to systemic dishes. My goal was to improve health, because there are many chronic diseases and hereditary risks. At the same time, I lost 11 kg.
Diet contraindications
Despite high marks, awards and lots of positive feedback, the Mediterranean system has contraindications.
Who Should Not Diet:
- people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, an abundance of fiber can provoke pain attacks;
- people who have suffered serious illnesses, surgical operations.
Also, do not follow this diet if you are intolerant to fish or seafood. Anyone should consider in advance how close the diet is, whether it can adhere to such a diet on the Mediterranean diet menu for weight loss for a long time.