A Mediterranean Diet Is Based on Good Carbohydrates and Fats
In 1993, the Harvard School of Medicine conducted a research on the diets of people living in and around the Mediterranean Sea region. The findings of the research suggested that their diets were formed on the basis of good carbohydrates and fats. This explained the reason why the region had the lowest rates of diabetes, obesity, and heart complications unlike in other areas. There is really no Mediterranean diet parse but it is a combination of the eating habits of people living in the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
Note that the studies conducted based their diets on equal proportions of calories and food groups. But one thing that was common in all is olive oil as the primary source of fat. Actually, the diet contained 10% more fat than recommended by the USDA i.e. 40% instead of the recommended 30% but even so, the evidence is indisputable. As such, it is believed that it was the kind of fats and carbs the Mediterranean people took and not the quantity. A typical Mediterranean diet consists of 60% total carbs from fruits, veggies, and grains such as whole grain cereals and breads, pasta, polenta, and whole rice.
An Adult Takes Around 15 Ounces of Poultry & Red Meat A Week
The Mediterranean’s also used red meat, poultry and fish very carefully wherein an adult takes around 15 ounces of poultry and red meat a week and 5-15ounces of fish a week. If this is compared to a typical American diet which can include ½ pound chicken breast one night and a pound of steak the other night, there is a clear disparity. As for the olive oil, it is a mono-unsaturated fat that is healthy and good for human consumption.
Olive Oil Helps Reduce The Levels of Cholesterol
Despite the fact that people think of fats as bad, olive oil has proven so effective in that it helps reduce the levels of cholesterol in the body, instead of raising it as many other kinds of fats do. Note that the body needs some degree of fat, lest it is unable to use up the vitamins that you consume.
The other thing that characterizes a typical Mediterranean lifestyle is regular physical activities. A typical day in the Mediterranean Sea region entails a lot of walking instead of driving as well as physical activity through recreation and tending to daily home chores. As we all know, physical activity is paramount to a healthy body as it helps one lose weight by burning off unwanted calories and fats.
Ensure You Get Your Dietary Fat From Fish Oil or Vegtables
Boiled down, the secret that lies with the Mediterranean diet is to ensure you consume healthy fats and carbs in form of brightly colored and leafy green veggies, fresh fruits, and whole grains. One should also be careful on the protein intake which should be no more than 6 ounces a day. Ensure you get your dietary fat from fish oil or vegetable sources and make sure you engage in lots of physical movement and activity to help improve and boost your metabolism action.
Note that the Mediterranean diet isn’t a weight loss program parse but a way of healthy eating and living that helps one attain their weight loss goal and keep the weight off.
