While many people have lost many pounds on the Mediterranean diet, weight loss is not the primary benefit. The main advantage of eating a diet modeled after that of the cultures living in the Mediterranean Basin is the improvement in health that's very possible. These people have a low occurence of chronic diseases and high life expectancy rates. The fact that it's also possible to lose weight by eating this way should be looked upon as a nice side benefit.
It's a little difficult to pinpoint exactly what foods one should be eating on the Mediterranean diet. The sixteen countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea eat somewhat varying diets. But we can pinpoint many similarities. All these people eat a diet high in vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, and nuts and seed. They also limit poultry and red meat and eat fish regularly, but not every day. They usually include a moderate to low amount of dairy products, and one thing they all have in common is high consumption of olive oil. Most drink wine in moderation and engage in regular physical activity.
Due to interest in the Mediterranean diet, food researchers have even come up with a Mediterranean diet pyramid. Olive oil plays such an important role in this way of eating that the pyramid classifies olive oil as a food group rather than a condiment. So you may be wondering, since olive oil is a fat, and fat is high in calories, how do I lose weight on a Mediterranean diet?
Portion control is the answer. Unfortunately, in the US, we've become accustomed to supersizing everything. This makes us feel like we're getting a good deal for our money, but it wreaks havoc on our waistline and our health. Going back to more traditional portion sizes will allow anyone carrying extra pounds to slowly shed them while reaping the health benefits of this type of eating.
You can see that the diet has many healthy components. However, as far as researchers can tell, the biggest reason for the health benefits experienced by people eating this way is the inclusion of olive oil, preferably of the extra virgin variety. Olive oil is mainly a monounsaturated fat, which has been found to be the healthiest type of oil. Research has shown extra virgin olive oil reduces overall cholesterol levels and also reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol. It also can lower blood pressure, help to ward off breast cancer, improve blood sugar control, help with inflammation such as in arthritis, prevent bone loss, protect us from free radical damage and more.
But adding large amounts of olive oil to the typical standard american diet (SAD) is not the way to go. While you will probably see some health benefits, adding olive oil to the many sources of fat in the standard diet will just result in excess weight, which causes many medical problems and will probably cancel out any benefits from the olive oil.
To get started on the Mediterranean diet, start concentrating on food from plant sources such as vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds. Limit red meat to a couple of times a month. Have fish a few times a week, and poultry once or twice. Enjoy eggs in moderation. Replace sweets with fresh fruit. Use olive oil liberally, and eliminate all other fats. Limit consumption of cheese and yogurt and try to eliminate all other dairy foods. Finally, if you enjoy wine, one or two glasses a day is fine for men, and one glass per day for women. Don't forget - for weight loss, limit serving sizes.
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