5 Healthy Benefits of Following a Mediterranean Diet Plan

The Mediterranean diet has been around for centuries, but if you don't live in countries where this diet is prevalent such as Greece or Italy, you may not realize the many benefits of eating healthy foods "Mediterranean" style. According to studies, the Mediterranean diet encourages healthy weight loss and helps to reduce risks of many life-threatening diseases. Below are five of the top benefits of following this diet.


1. Fast Weight Loss


One of the key benefits of the Mediterranean diet is fast weight loss. This is not from the results of a diet pill or a crash starvation diet, but from healthy, portion-controlled eating. Weight loss rates will vary, but some have reported losing an average of 10 pounds per month. Delicious diet recipes are often provided when following the Mediterranean diet that help to speed up the weight loss process without depriving you of much needed vitamins and nutrients. Losing weight alone can offer many health benefits.


2. Good Heart Health


The delicious diet recipes provided while following a Mediterranean diet are all designed to promote good heart health. The Mediterranean diet consists of healthy doses of olive oil, fruits and vegetables, and oily fish. With some participants, a moderate amount of wine is consumed with meals. All these help to lower cholesterol and keep the blood flow to the heart at a normal level, thus, reducing the risk of heart disease tremendously.


3. Lower Cancer Risks


Having too many toxins in the body can cause some types of cancer, such as breast cancer. Eating the types of healthy foods promoted in the Mediterranean diet such as fruits and vegetables will lower the amount of toxins in the body because these foods are natural antioxidants.


4. Prevent Gallstones


Those who have fallen victim to gall stones realize how painful they can be. With around 639,000 people being hospitalized per year with gallstones, many studies are being conducted to help find a cause and cure. The Mediterranean diet is rich in nuts, vegetable oil, and fish. Though gallstones are not always diet-related, consuming these foods can help to reduce the risk of gall stones or eliminate them altogether for some according to recent studies.


5. Lower Blood Pressure


The healthy foods in a Mediterranean diet can also work to lower and regulate blood pressure. Blood cholesterol levels can return to normal when eating less fatty foods and salt, and more healthy vitamins and minerals. Cooking procedures on a Mediterranean diet usually involve roasting or grilling rather than frying, so more nutrients are retained in the food during preparation, and there is much less fat consumption.


These are only a few of the benefits. The Mediterranean diet also offers many other benefits such as reducing the risks of blood clotting, diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and other life-threatening diseases. Don't deprive yourself. Start eating delicious diet recipes on the Mediterranean diet for healthy weight loss today.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about The Mediterranean Diet: 5 Benefits or Majon's Health and Beauty directory.

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Mediterranean Diet information

The Mediterranean Diet was brought about by a study conducted in the early 90's at the Harvard Medical School. The basis for the diet is that certain types of fats and carbohydrates are healthy for us, when they are consumed properly.

But then, what exactly is Mediterranean diet and how does it help one to lose weight ? the fact of the matter is that there is nothing as ‘ Mediterranean diet’. It is simply the way people eat in countries bordering the Mediterranean. While there are differences in the specific foods, but the study was conducted where people were given same groups of food containing same amount of calories. Olive oil was the main source of fat in the food that was used in the study. Actually their food contained more fat (40%) than recommended by USDA (30%) for Americans. Even then, the results were startling. Thus, it proves that it is the kind of fat and carbohydrates that they consume which is more important.

The use of olive oil is very important on the Mediterranean Diet. Olive oil is a mono saturated oil, which provides good fat content. Carbohydrates play a big role in the success of this diet they should be eaten in correct proportion to the other foods listed. Grain, fruits and vegetables constitute 60% of total carbohydrates.

Proteins
Proteins are the classification that includes all meats. About 2 pounds of meat should be consumed in a week. This meat should be balanced between 1 pound of red meat (suach as beef) and 1 pound of white meat (which is fish or chicken). Pork should be very limited and only consumed on a special occassion.

There are some excellent sources of dietary supplements that can also help, while you adjust to this new eating style. One such supplement is Hoodia Gordonii. Hoodia is great for helping to control your appetite...CONTINUE

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Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet

The people who live in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea have a significantly decreased incidence of heart disease, chronic diseases, and cancer, and the highest adult life-expectancy rate. All of these health benefits even though the traditional Mediterranean diet contains 40% of total daily calories from fat. How is this possible?

Olive oil, a staple of a Mediterranean diet, is a monosaturated fatty acid and counteracts animal fats. This type of fat does not raise blood cholesterol levels and is an excellent source of antioxidants. Monounsaturated fats are, in fact, required for the body in order to function effectively.

Another staple of their diet, fish, is high in omega-3 fatty acids, something that most people do not get enough of. Because fish is such an important part of their diet, red meat is eaten very sparingly. This increases good health as omega-3 fats are considered to be essential to human nutrition.

It is also thought that a Mediterranean diet is healthier than the North European and American diet because, in addition to olive oil, more grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts are consumed. There is also much less processed food that is eaten, a large contributor to the poor eating habits of Americans.

The diet itself, instead of counting calories, focuses on a different approach to dieting. It is not concerned primarily with which foods are the best to eat, but how to eat them. Mediterranean style means eating food slowly and savoring the taste of the food.

FEATURES OF A MEDITERRANEAN DIET

Diets can vary between the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. However, there are some common denominators within all of these diets:
*High consumption of olive oil.
*High consumption of fruit, legumes, and vegetables.
*High consumption of grains, pasta, rice, bulgar, couscous, beans, nuts and seeds.
*High consumption of garlic. Garlic lowers your cholesterol level and protects you against cancer.
*Moderate consumption of grilled and steamed fish.
*Low consumption of lean red meat and lean pork.
*Low consumption of eggs and dairy products.
*Low consumption of red wine.
*Regular exercise is an important part of the Mediterranean lifestyle.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF A MEDITERRANEAN DIET

Food that is eaten in the Mediterranean area has many health benefits. It has high quantities of:
*MONOUNSATURATED FATS – lowers cholesterol, reduces heart disease, protects against breast and colon cancer. It provides essential fatty acids for healthy skin and the development of body cells.
*ANTIOXIDANTS – act as scavengers, helping to prevent cellular and tissue damage that results in many chronic diseases and cancer.
*CAROTENOIDS – naturally occurring compounds that produce the red, yellow, and orange colors found in many fruits and vegetables and prevent a wide range of diseases.
*PHYTOCHEMICALS - plant chemicals that have disease preventive properties, protect our cells and reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer.
GUIDELINES FOR EATING THE MEDITERRANEAN WAY
Plan your meals a week ahead. Try to include a wide variety of foods in your menu plan.
*Replace butter and other fat with extra virgin olive oil in cooking and baking. Season your olive oil with garlic and/or herbs and spices.
*Instead of dessert, eat a plateful of fresh fruit.
*Eat lots of whole grains and beans.
*Replace white potatoes with sweet potatoes.
*Eat meals full of color! Add a variety of vegetables by eating salads and soups.
*Limit processed foods.
*Add fish to your diet twice a week and cut down on red meat.
*Drink lots of water, never sugar-sweetened sodas.

What are the benefits of a Mediterranean diet? The health benefits include reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and stroke and an increase in life expectancy. Do your own research to see if the Mediterranean diet will work for you.
Chris Chenoweth, author of the DO-IT-YOURSELF HOME, HEALTH & MONEY GUIDE, writes articles pertaining to diet, exercise, health, and business.

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The Mediterranean Diet - High In Fat But Healthy

The Mediterranean Diet is based on the foods people of the Mediterranean region have been eating for centuries. Studies have shown that in addition to a lower incidence of obesity, countries like Greece and Italy actually have a lower incidence of chronic disease and a longer life expectancy than our “modern” society. The real kicker is that these countries consume, on average, a whopping 40% of their calories from fat – about double the amount recommended by most health experts today!

What’s their Secret?

No one knows for sure! But many nutritionists and health practitioners have decided that it’s more important to learn from the success of the eating habits of these regions than it is to answer the question of why it works the way it does.

Recent research suggests that olive oil does even more than lower the levels of LDL, the bad boy of cholesterol. In fact, more and more studies are backing up the belief that olive oil also contains antioxidants that discourage clogging of the arteries and other chronic diseases – even cancer!
The diet is centered around healthy fats like olive oil, as well as food items such as nuts and avocados that have high levels of healthy fats. The Mediterranean Diet also recommends eating healthy grains, including pasta, bread, and legumes. Participants are encouraged to eat fish several times a week, augmented by lean protein, while red meat is limited.

What the Site Has

What it doesn’t have is testimonials, sales pitches, and product pitches. In fact, the site is unusually devoid of anything resembling a sales pitch. Instead, The Mediterranean Diet site is truly informational, dispensing the basic guidelines of the eating plan and leaving the rest to you! Since the recommendations fall exclusively under the “real” food category, you can hit the ground running with the basic details of this easy-to-follow- plan!

The Mediterranean Diet site does have a few subtle references to Mediterranean food companies, but these seem geared more toward restaurants that might want to increase their usage of these types of products than to the average consumer.

The website is packed full of interesting reading. There’s an entire page detailing the health benefits of olive oil. Did you know that the therapeutic benefits of olive oil were first mentioned by Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine? Or that olive oil was used to maintain skin and muscle suppleness, heal abrasions, and soothe the burning and drying effects of sun and water? It’s true! Olive oil is mentioned in thousands of historical texts as an irrefutable health and beauty supplement

The site also thoroughly explains the way cholesterol works in the body – both good and bad. And while it might not seem important, it’s compelling to realize that this is an eating plan that dates back centuries, and that before we messed everything up with our out-of-control portions and trans-fatty fast foods, civilizations the world over lived long and healthy lives by following this type of diet.

Copyright 2006 Market Signal Systems LLC
Robert Z. Martinder has been enthusiastic about diet and weight loss for the past 30 years. He is a regular contributor to Diet-Handbook.Com, a site that provides expert information about diet and weight loss. You can get more information at the following URL: www.diet-handbook.com

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Artichokes and the Mediterranean Diet

Artichokes are a winter vegetable of the Mediterranean diet with a reputation for being healthy. However, here we are more interested in their culinary virtues, in their slight-bitter nutty-like flavor that makes them delicious and special.

Their physical appearance is also special, and at first, artichokes may puzzle inexperienced non-Mediterranean home cooks.

To tell you the truth, I remember once feeling put off by the artichokes I saw in a Ghent food store. They looked completely inedible to me. They were huge and had a brownish-green color, the leaves were all open and hollow to the touch, and as dry as if they had been exposed to the desert sun for weeks. Now you know how an artichoke shouldn't be when you buy it.

You could hardly call those Belgian artichokes flowers. Indeed, the flowers are what we eat. They are the edible part of the artichoke plant, or more accurately, the unopened flower head of this enigmatic thistle plant.

Let's clarify things. When buying artichokes, choose compact and tightly packed ones. The leaves should be closed, or they are too old and useless for cooking any decent Mediterranean dish based on artichokes. A little darkening in the outer leaves is no big deal, but accept only a little. Artichokes shouldn't feel too light in your hands either; this is another sign that they were harvested too long ago.

Artichokes in the Mediterranean landscape

Artichokes are native to the Mediterranean basin, and every spring they shoot up their deep blue and purple colors in the Mediterranean fields. Together with wild asparagus and mushrooms, green and purple artichokes are used in a variety of dishes that connect us to a Mediterranean cuisine understood as the landscape in a pan, a Catalan cuisine motto and the motto of my web site, as my readers know.

In my homeland of Mediterranean Catalonia, we are very fond of those three plant foods, and have many traditional dishes that use them. I don't know about wild mushrooms, but artichokes and asparagus are considered an aphrodisiac, which makes artichokes even more appealing.
Now you can find acceptable artichokes all winter, but it is in the spring when they are at their best. In the northern part of the Mediterranean, artichokes are harvested from February to March. In the southern Mediterranean, the harvest lasts longer, beginning in December or even November.

Some meal ideas with artichokes

Simply boiling them in water with a pinch of salt and a dash of vinegar is the quickest and easiest method. In this case, do not use an aluminum or iron pot, because they turn an ugly dark color.

You can saute them, stuff them with rice or shrimps, grill them, and roast them in the oven. For those who love eating raw vegetables, the heart leaves certain varieties of small purple artichokes can be eaten raw in a salad.

One recipe I find particularly delicious is rice with artichokes. Their slight bitter flavor and the sweetness of the rice make for a surprising contrast. An artichoke omelet is another great culinary idea, and in some coastal and champagne producing regions south of Barcelona, it often accompanies a superb traditional salad dish called xato.

Combined with chicken or rabbit, artichokes are also extraordinary. If you like to blacken the rice of your paella, add some artichokes and fava beans to it. But grilling artichokes in the open air is unsurpassable in its simplicity. It's an open air celebration, another excuse to "go grilling" with your friends, as they say in the Catalan region surrounding the Ebre (Ebro) River, about 125 miles (200 km) south of Barcelona.

Season the whole artichokes generously with extra virgin olive oil and some salt, and put them on the grill. Traditionally, while you are busy eating the barbecued meat, the artichokes are grilling. Once they are done, pull off the outer burned leaves, and eat the tender ones and the delicious heart, where the olive oil has concentrated.

Here's another simple dish with artichokes suitable for preparing outdoors: Do your best to get small heirloom purple artichokes, pull off a few outer leaves, cut the artichokes in half lengthwise, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle some salt, and grill them. Toast two slices of country-style bread, and put the grilled artichokes in between. You will not believe how delicious it is until you try it.

The drawback of artichokes

Sommeliers find artichokes very frustrating. The taste of artichokes is so persistent, and it lasts for so long in the mouth that they don't find any wine that is right for them.

I admit that whenever I eat grilled artichokes I commit a sin. I pair them with a strong red wine like Priorat or an unpretentious house red wine, although I know that it breaks the laws of wine connoisseurs. But that's what people did before sommeliers had their say, so... no drawbacks with artichokes after all.

Here's a very little known recipe for artichokes you eat with knife and fork, not using your fingers: Artichoke recipe from the Mediterranean Catalan Roussillon

Núria helps you explore delicious Mediterranean diet recipes, undiscovered Catalan cuisine, and hidden wine countries from the inside. Visit http://www.mediterranean-food-recipes.com/ to keep up to date on the fascinating world of the Mediterranean cuisine, and experience the joy of cooking.

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What Exactly is the Mediterranean Diet?

By its name alone, the Mediterranean diet attracts a lot of current and would be dieters due to its exotic name. But what is it exactly? One concern of the Mediterranean diet is that it allows 40% fat consumption compared to the 30% of the American Heart Association. Let's go into more detail as it seems a waste to just let it go without giving it a fair reading.

The Mediterranean diet evolved from the respective diets of countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin. Among the countries surrounding the basin are the south of France, southern Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. Originally introduced by American doctor Ancel Keys, the diet failed to gain popular recognition until the 1990's. Based on scientific data, people around the Mediterranean basin had lower rates of cardiovascular disease compared to Americans who, for all intents and purposes, consumed the same relative amount of fat. One possible explanation is the presence of olive oil and red wine. Olive oil lowers cholesterol levels in the blood while red wine contains flavonoids. Flavonoids are anti-oxidants that also help the body when dealing with allergenic material, viruses and cancer causing agents.

Another contributing factor to a European's better health could be the fact that they tend to walk more than Americans do. Questions have also been raised as to whether the Mediterranean diet contributes enough iron and calcium to the diet. Green vegetables and goat cheese have been found to contribute these nutrients respectively.

The thing about the Mediterranean diet is that its foods are often rich and tasty thanks to olive oil. Normally, margarine and hydrogenated oils lack the flavor that olive oil gives out. Another part of the diet is regular but moderate consumption of red wine. Saturated fat consumption is low as opposed to high amounts of monounsaturated fat and dietary fiber. This is due to the fact that the diet includes big servings of fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, olive oil and fish.
In comparing the food pyramid of the United States against the Mediterranean diet, people of the Mediterranean consumed fruits, vegetables and grain just as Americans do. The main difference lies in the fact that Americans consume more red meat. Consumption of cold water fish is also prominent in the Mediterranean diet. This results in reduced risks of heart disease, cancer and improved immune system functions. Compared to the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) pyramid, the Mediterranean diet contains little saturated and trans fat that raise cholesterol in the blood. The USDA's pyramid does not differentiate from healthy and unhealthy fats.

Characteristically speaking, the Mediterranean diet has high consumption of olive oil. Breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables likewise have a high rate of consumption in the diet. Fish and poultry as well as wine are moderately consumed while eggs and red meat are rated as very low in consumption.

The problem with most diets is that they tend to be extreme. Some diets, like the vegetarian diet, limit a person to just eating fruits, tofu, yogurt and vegetables. Other diets would require high protein intake while severely limiting intake of the other food groups. Like a user friendly computer, the Mediterranean diet does not go to extremes to achieve a desired result. The diet allows for consumption of tasty foods. This allows the dieter to actually enjoy the gastronomic delights normally prohibited by other diets. A solid testament to this fact rests on the presence of wine in the diet.

The most surprising aspect of the Mediterranean diet is that fat is regarded as a healthy dietary component. Keep in mind that it is the fat that gives food most of its flavor. Two substances, omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats, are considered to be healthy and are not restricted in the diet. Olive oil, canola oil and nuts are good sources of monounsaturated fat while fish, vegetables and nuts contain the healthy omega-3 acids. Saturated fats and trans fat, on the other hand are considered to be unhealthy as they contribute to heart disease. Red meat, butter cheese and milk are sources of saturated fat while processed foods contain hydrogenated oils from which trans fat comes from.

From what has been written so far, and from all the sources and references where this article was taken from, the Mediterranean diet comes highly recommended by health professionals. The Mediterranean diet maintains a healthy but tasty, smorgasbord of delicious foods with which you can maintain a healthy diet without the need to sacrifice flavor and variety. While we appreciate the people who struggle and strive to come up with healthy diets, good food carries more weight in our stomachs.

Author Ray Darken - Ray often writes for and works with The Mediterranean Diet. If this link is not working you can paste this one into your browser safe-and-easy-weightloss.com or if you'd like more news and broader access to diet and nutrition information try Diet Reviews & Tips. If this link isn't working, you can paste this one into your browser diet-reviews-and-tips.com

What Exactly is the Mediterranean Diet?