The Mediterranean diet has been shown to be highly effective in preventing many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, certain types of cancer, Parkinson’s disease and even Alzheimer’s. So what is this miracle diet and is it easy to follow?
The diet basically focuses on eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, which is primarily what everyone and every diet tells you to eat, but this diet adds a few components that make it even more enjoyable. In the Mediterranean diet there is an increased emphasis on getting approximately four tablespoons of olive oil and a glass of red wine every single day. While olive oil is a fat, it is classified as one of those healthy fats that are high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to actually reduce the incidence of heart disease. Red wine has antioxidants, which not only also help reduce the incidence of heart disease, but helps fight cancer as well.
The diet also emphasizes the importance of exercising daily but not necessarily in an overly strenuous manner. A nice, brisk walk everyday will do the trick. Other parts of the diet include:
• Adding spices and herbs instead of salt.
• Limiting the amount of red meat that is consumed to only a few times a month or once a week.
• Eating fish or poultry only a few times each week, allowing most of your intake of protein to come from the nuts and legumes.
• Eating with other people
This diet is a relatively easy to follow and still allows you to eat foods that are flavorful and filling. Here are a few recipes that will help you to get started. Enjoy!
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