Weight loss is often accompanied by health problems, hair loss, and skin deterioration. But not in this case. The Mediterranean Diet helps to lose weight, rejuvenate and improve overall well-being.
The essence of the Mediterranean diet
This is the only diet recognized by UNESCO as a truly safe weight loss system. On the contrary, it can improve the general condition of the body, does not contradict the rules of proper nutrition, but has its own approach to compiling a diet. The classic Mediterranean diet contains many foods that other weight loss systems prohibit.
The essence of the diet is the daily use of the foods that are present in the diet of the Mediterranean people. Among the Spaniards, Italians, Libyans, Moroccans, fat and obese people are rarely found. These countries have low mortality rates from cancer and cardiovascular diseases. They lead in terms of life expectancy for the local population.
What Are the Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet?
This system was not invented by nutritionists, it was not put together in laboratories, but has evolved in specific places over the centuries. The menu of the Mediterranean diet does not contain artificial products, preservatives, semi-finished products that already have a beneficial effect 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, has a positive effect on brain function. This diet can prevent Alzheimer's disease.
- A diet according to this system prevents stomach, colon and breast cancer.
- Lowers blood sugar levels, prevents the development of diabetes and insulin resistance.
- Increases immunity, helps the body recover faster after serious illnesses, long-term medication.
It is based on products that give strength and positively affect the emotional background. The Mediterranean Miracle Diet is believed to not only increase life expectancy, but also affect quality. Only an energetic, happy, active person can live each day 100%.
basic principles of nutrition
It is worth immediately debunking the myth that food is expensive according to this system. The nutrition of the Mediterranean cleansing diet is rich and based on a variety of products. It is not necessary to eat only shrimp or delicacy fish, you can always buy budget analogues.
Basic principles:
- Fats are not absorbed sufficiently, these are not sausages or pies from the pan. 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 fruit. The Mediterranean diet even allows grapes, bananas, which are forbidden by other systems. Plant-based foods should be included in every meal.
- Dairy products. It is worth focusing on natural yogurt, sour milk and fermented baked milk. No need to use fermented milk products with sugar, coloring, flavorings in the composition. You can always add berries or honey if you like.
- Fish and seafood. Like vegetables, this category is the foundation of the diet. These products should be present 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 use lamb.
- Grain. Brown rice, durum wheat noodles, buckwheat can be included 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 wine without preservatives and excess 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 baked goods made from wholemeal flour.
During the Mediterranean wellness diet, it is important not only to drink wine (although it is very pleasant), but also clean water. The daily minimum is 1. 5 liters. Green tea, natural fruit drink based on fresh berries, lemon water are welcome. Just don't turn healthy drinks into a carbohydrate source by adding sugar or honey. Taste buds need to clear.
weight loss rate, duration
This system does not promise to lose 15 kg in one month or 40 kg in six months. Weight on the Mediterranean (Mediterranean) diet gradually disappears without stress on the body. With the right approach, a person loses 3-4 kg per month, but it all depends on the starting data.
If you eat on the menu of the Mediterranean diet for weight loss for a long time, your old habits will very soon be forgotten, other foods will replace your favorite dishes, proper nutrition will become a way 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 that.
List of prohibited products
The diet 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 applies in particular to refined sunflower oil, sugar, spice mixtures with glutamate and other preservatives.
What not to diet:
- sausage, ham, semi-finished products;
- pure sugar, limited honey;
- sweet drinks, sweets, prepared desserts;
- any pastry made from white flour;
- Lard, bacon, fatty meat and dairy products.
The easiest way to avoid making mistakes in dishes is to cook your own food. Most often, in cafes and restaurants, cheap oils are used, not the freshest vegetables, poor-quality meat and fish.
Mediterranean diet for weight loss: menu for every day
Here is an example of how you can eat with this system. Then you can adjust the diet to suit your work or study schedule and personal tastes. In addition, it is not necessary to eat different dishes every day, you can cook something for several lunches or dinners.
The Mediterranean diet for weight loss includes minimally processed foods. Prolonged cooking, stewing, marinating reduces the amount of nutrients. And plain granola, soups and salads don't 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 | Egg, mozzarella and 10 pieces cherry | Cereal bread, cheese slice, 2 pickles | brown rice with cheese and herbs | Pasta with shrimp and cheese | Omelette with Green Beans and Tomatoes |
| snack | orange | A glass of tomato juice | Fruit salad with yoghurt | soft cottage cheese | grape | orange juice | a pineapple |
| dinner | braised vegetables with chicken, a large bunch of vegetables | 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, squid in cream, vegetable juice |
| Afternoon tea | apple, cottage cheese | Vegetable smoothies | glass of yogurt | Vegetable salad with olives | Fruit salad with nuts and yogurt | Tuna toast, any juice | a 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 and various spices. A glass of red wine should also be included with every meal.
According to the classic Mediterranean diet, the number of meals is unlimited, but it is important not to overeat. Most menu options have five. You can add an extra dinner or remove the second breakfast, which is also a snack.
Mediterranean diet for weight loss: 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 with other unrefined fats. Suitable linseed, walnut, hemp oil, from pumpkin seeds. You can use edible coconut oil for the diet.
Do not forget that the Mediterranean diet (menu for the week below) involves an economical way of cooking. Oil can be consumed in any amount, but only for refueling. You can grease the product before grilling or in the oven. You can not use it for frying, it is better to cook meals for a diet in a dry pan or lightly grease it with the thinnest layer.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| breakfast | Zucchini Fritters with Garlic Sour Cream Sauce | Raisin Casserole | Oatmeal with Nuts | Cheese sandwich, boiled egg, tea | Pumpkin mash with rice | Muesli with yoghurt | Sandwiches with fish |
| snack | banana | Grapefruit | garnet | Apple | vegetable salad | fruit juice, egg | pumpkin puree |
| dinner | Fish soup without potatoes from fish, rye bread | stewed vegetables, toast, a piece of boiled 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, lightly 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, tomato | Chicken stew with cream, coleslaw | grilled vegetables, a piece of pike |
Here there is practically no seafood on the menu of the Mediterranean diet, but if you wish, you can sometimes include it in the diet. For example, add shrimp to a salad or have a snack with a sea cocktail.
Mediterranean diet: recipes from the weekly menu
At the top of the diet menu there are many interesting dishes, which, moreover, are easy and quick to prepare. They are great for morning, afternoon and dinner meals. Here are the most interesting recipes.
Cream soup with chicken and vegetables
With the Mediterranean diet, cream soups are often on the weekly schedule. They are good for the stomach, filling and easy to prepare. Here is a basic recipe using vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 300 g chicken fillet;
- 300 g broccoli (you can use cauliflower);
- 100 grams of carrots;
- 100 grams of onion;
- 200 g zucchini or pumpkin;
- 150-200 ml of cream;
- spices to taste.
Cook:
- Cut the chicken, dip in 800ml of boiling water, then add carrots and onions and cook for 10 minutes.
- Put the zucchini, another five minutes later broccoli, lightly salt. Cook covered on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Grind chicken with vegetables, add spices to taste. Dilute the soup with cream, bring to the boil again and it's ready to serve!
In winter, for such a soup, you can use a frozen vegetable mix. In addition, it is not necessary to dilute the dish with cream, you can pour a little more water at 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 very easy and quick to prepare.
Ingredients:
- 1 squid;
- 200 grams of pasta;
- 150 ml cream 10%;
- 0. 5 teaspoons olive oils;
- 70 grams of cheese.
Cook:
- Cook the noodles according to the instructions, but cook a minute less. Pour into a sieve.
- Heat frying pan, brush lightly with oil.
- We clean the squid, remove the comb and cut into strips. Pour and fry for literally a minute, while be sure to stir with a spatula.
- Pour the cream over the squid, bring to the boil, add half the grated cheese, dissolve and salt.
- We put the pasta, stir quickly, let the dish boil and turn it off. Leave to rest under the lid for ten minutes.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese when serving.
In the same way, you can cook sauce with shrimp or other seafood for a diet. The only point is that you need to use low-fat cream so as not to increase the calorie content of the dish.
Greek salad with cheese and olives
This salad is a great substitute for lunch and dinner during a diet, especially in summer. It fully meets the requirements of nutrition.
Ingredients:
- 2 cucumbers;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 0. 5 red onion;
- 1 pepper;
- 15 ml lemon juice;
- 1 pinch of pepper;
- 100 g feta cheese;
- 2 tablespoons oil (olive);
- 10-12 olives.
Cook:
- dice cucumbers. De-seed the tomatoes and also dice them. Cut the red onion into very thin half rings. Put in a salad bowl.
- Cut the peppers into thin strips and dice the feta, olive quarters and add to the remaining products.
- Mix lemon juice with oil, salt, pepper. Pour over the salad. Stir when serving.
You can add any veggies you like, 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 prevents Alzheimer's disease. It has a positive effect on the brain, will be a salvation from senile dementia. Diet according to this system also has a great impact on other internal organs, but in old age it is recommended to give up wine, and also to change the composition of some dishes. Here is a sample menu for a week of 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 | Cheesecake from the oven, fruit puree | Steamed omelet with green beans | Millet porridge with pumpkin | Pumpkin donuts, sour cream | Omelet with fish fillet | Cottage cheese from fruits |
| snack | pumpkin puree | orange | Apple juice | Portion of soft cottage cheese | vegetable salad | Peking cabbage salad with olives, lemon, herbs | Salad with carrots, walnuts |
| dinner | stewed vegetables, chopped fish cutlet | Vegetable soup, a piece of fish | Buckwheat soup without potatoes | Chicken soup puree, brown bread | Soup with rice and tomatoes, compote | Casserole with cauliflower and cheese | Cauliflower Soup, Bread |
| Afternoon tea | cottage cheese | a glass of kefir | Banana Yogurt Smoothie | tomato juice | cottage cheese | Vegetable smoothie with leafy greens | every fruit |
| dinner | Buckwheat with fish cutlets and tomato sauce | Vegetable stew with fish | Vegetable salad, chicken cutlet | baked fish, vegetable puree | stewed chicken with noodles | Fish jelly, 10 olives, 1 tomato | Chicken cutlet, brown rice, tomato juice |
Reviews of the Mediterranean Diet
First review, female, 34 years old
I've been on this diet for the second year, I've gotten used to it, I don't want red meat, I don't eat animal fats, but I've included chia seeds in my main diet, I use quinoa instead of rice. In all that time my weight has dropped from 82 to 57 kg. It was gradual, not all at once. I noticed that the clothes are becoming looser, the stomach is much smaller, I also liked the scales.
Second review, female, 25 years old
It all started out strange for me, first for a week I saw a menu of recipes for weight loss on a Mediterranean diet from a friend, only then I started to think about what the system was. I immediately liked that everything is simple, you don't have to cook anything complicated, just for me. In general, we sat down with a friend, she supported me, but she was the first to leave the race. I was on the fifth month of the diet, my health improved noticeably, vivacity appeared, I began to sleep well, lost 9 kg. But the initial weight was 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 gained weight rapidly, as a result +20 kg in one year. The endocrinologist told me about the diet, I liked the idea of such a diet, but I adjusted it a little for myself, for example, I refused wine. I can't drink it, the body doesn't take it well, constant heartburn. But I treat myself to pomegranate juice.
Fourth review, female, 38 years old
I heard about the Mediterranean "miracle diet" from a doctor, decided to study this diet and switched to it smoothly. I had no Mondays, no schedules. I just gradually switched from the usual diet to systemic dishes. My goal wasit to improve health, as there are many chronic diseases and hereditary risks. At the same time, I lost 11 kg.
Diet contraindications
Despite good grades, awards and a lot 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 attacks of pain;
- People who have suffered serious illnesses, surgical interventions.
Also, do not follow this diet if you cannot tolerate fish or seafood. Everyone should weigh in advance how close the diet is, whether they can long adhere to such a diet on the menu of the Mediterranean diet for weight loss.