Mediterranean Diet: Easy-to-follow Meal Plans, Heart Health and Lifestyle Benefits, Simple Mediterranean Diet Guide With Foods, Recipes and Tips, a Research-based Dietary Review of What Is It

The Mediterranean diet review: includes sample meal plans with recipes, and a research-based nutritional evaluation of what it is.

Hoping to lose some pounds? If so, wine, cheese and meats are on the menu tonight, right?

I don’t know about you, but a diet plan that recommends alcohol consumption on a regular basis seems like it first needs to pass a breathalyzer before making it to my dinner table. But, before we jump to conclusions, let’s do some research and figure out what the Mediterranean diet plan is all about.

First, the reason for the name of the Mediterranean diet is that the drinks and food promoted in the diet are those that have been traditionally eaten by people in countries around the Mediterranean Sea.

The Science

The Traditional Mediterranean Diet Plan Study

The traditional Mediterranean diet has been shown to increase longevity when compared to people who did not follow the diet.

Using a ten-point scale to measure adherence to the diet, a two-point increase was related to a 25 percent reduction in total mortality among the participants. These results appeared in the June 26, 2003, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Benefits

Mediterranean Diet Benefits

Within the traditional Mediterranean diet is an abundance of vegetables, legumes, nuts, fruits, and cereals.

There is also a lot of olive oil used and a steady supply of fish and dairy products (mainly in the form of yogurt and cheese). On top of this are small amounts of red meat and the moderate use of alcohol, in the form of wines during mealtimes.

The traditional Mediterranean diet has often been called the healthiest diet in the world.

The New Mediterranean Diet Plan Benefits

The new Mediterranean weight loss plan is more than a diet, it is a lifestyle choice that you make and stick with. This is one of the major differences with this diet over most others.

The lifestyle includes things such as an active life, less stressful attitudes and great nutrition as seen in the traditional Mediterranean diet.

♥ Studies have also shown that this diet is great for promoting the health of your heart.

It is also a good choice for people who like to drink alcohol, as a moderate amount can be consumed on this diet, usually wine.

Foods to Eat

Foods to Eat on the Mediterranean Diet Plan

The Mediterranean diet comes with its own version of the Food Pyramid to help users balance the ingredients of their diet over the course of the week. This will help to ensure that you are eating the right quantities for weight loss.

The Mediterranean diet plan, according to many, is filled with all kinds of very tasty foods that won’t make you feel hungry (like many other diets).

You can also eat more of these foods, as they are not as high in calories compared to the foods typically in American diets.

♥ This is the main reason that the diet may work, calories. Here's why.

Simple Guide

Simple Mediterranean Diet Guide

The Mediterranean diet embraces its own food pyramid guidelines, opposed to the traditional food pyramid we were raised on.

The key elements of the Mediterranean diet embraces:

♥ Red Wine, in moderation.

♥ Main diet focuses on plant-based foods.

♥ Eating fish and poultry at least once a week.

♥ Eating red meat no more than once a month.

♥ Using olive oil.

♥ Using herbs in lieu of salt.

Sample Menu Plan

Easy-to-follow Mediterranean Diet Plan Sample

Simple Mediterranean diet menu and recipes.

Day 1

♥ Breakfast:

Yogurt with granola, blueberries and almonds.

♥ Lunch:

Honey Dijon glazed chicken breast, sautéed zucchini, and cantaloupe.

Honey Dijon glazed chicken breast.	Mediterranean diet recipe.
Directions: Combine Dijon mustard and honey, add pepper if desired. Glazed chicken and grill or broil until juices run clear, about 6 min. each side.	Ingredients: 1 chicken breast. 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard. 1 teaspoon honey. Fresh ground pepper, optional.

 

♥ Snack:

Mozzarella and tomato salad with whole wheat toast.

♥ Dinner:

Salmon with salsa, brown rice, asparagus salad and berries.

Salmon with salsa.	Mediterranean diet recipe.
Directions: Grill salmon until it flakes with a fork. Combine all veggies to make salsa. Top with desired amount of salsa.	Ingredients: 1 piece of salmon. 1 tomato, diced. 1 onion, diced. 1 jalapeno seeded and diced. 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped.

 

Brown rice & asparagus salad.	Mediterranean diet recipe.
Directions: Mix all ingredients. Chill at least 1 Hour.	Ingredients: 1 cup cooked brown rice. 1/8 cup garbanzo beans. 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped. 1/4 cup sautéed asparagus. 1 jalapeno seeded and diced. 1/4 cup olive oil.

 

Day 2

♥ Breakfast:

Peppers and eggs, Triscuits with honey and berries.

Peppers & eggs.	Mediterranean diet recipe.
Directions: Sauté peppers in olive oil. Cook eggs as desired. Top with peppers.	Ingredients: 2 eggs. 2 tablespoons diced peppers, if you want heat, use jalapeno or green chilies, for mild, use a bell pepper.

 

♥ Lunch:

Grilled tuna steaks with baked sweet potato, balsamic green beans, slivered almonds, and fruit.

Grilled tuna steaks.	Mediterranean diet recipe.
Directions: Combine oil and rosemary. Grill tuna steaks until it flakes with a fork. Drizzle with rosemary infused oil.	Ingredients: Tuna steak. Rosemary sprigs, chopped. 1 cup olive oil.

 

Balsamic green beans with slivered almonds.	Mediterranean diet recipe.
Directions: Sauté green beans in olive oil 3 min. Remove from heat and combine with vinegar and oil. Top with almond slivers.	Ingredients: 1 cup green beans. 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. 2 tablespoons olive oil, additional 2 tablespoons to sauté. 1 tablespoon almond slivers.

 

♥ Snack:

Whole grain toast with Swiss cheese & tomato slices of tomato. Serve with strawberries.

♥ Dinner:

Peppered chicken tenderloins, quinoa and herb tomatoes with mozzarella and fresh basil.

Peppered chicken tenderloins.	Mediterranean diet recipe.
Directions: Rub chicken with oil and sprinkle it with peppercorns. Grill or broil until juices run clear.	Ingredients: 2 chicken tenderloins. 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Crushed peppercorns, to taste.

All About Calories

The Mediterranean Diet for Weight Loss Is All About Calories

The real key of how the Mediterranean diet works is that it restricts the number of calories each day.

There are no special foods that exist in the Mediterranean diet; it is simply a process of eating less than you usually do, and less than your body needs which leads to weight loss.

The Verdict

The Mediterranean Diet Verdict

In summary, the Mediterranean diet is less of a diet and more about following specific guidelines that you can hopefully stay on for an extended amount of time or long-term.

♥ However, the real key to losing weight and keeping it off has nothing to do with the way you eat, but the number of calories you consume whether the foods are from the Mediterranean or elsewhere.

♥ That is something research has proven and continues to confirm regardless of the specific diet plan you follow.

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