Searching for a diet that does not harm health is not difficult. All you have to do is read the following article, as it is your guide to the Mediterranean diet that is beneficial to your health first and then your life second.

What is the Mediterranean diet?

mediterranean diet (Mediterranean diet) is the traditional diet of countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea such as Greece, Croatia and Italy, and this diet is also known to promote heart health, weight loss, and reduce the risk of cancer and Alzheimer’s.

The most important characteristic of this diet is that it contains fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and fresh seafood, and limits meat, dairy, and their derivatives, which contributes to weight loss and maintaining good health. It also encourages daily exercise, sharing meals with others, and enjoying everything.

Foods allowed on the Mediterranean diet

The foods in the Mediterranean diet are many and varied between vegetables, fruits and white meat, but learn more with us in detail about the foods allowed in this diet:

• fruits and vegetables: Like beans, potatoes.
• Nuts and seeds: Like walnuts, sunflower seeds.
• Whole grain food products: Such as bread and pasta made from barley, oats, and wheat.
• Various fish and seafood: Like salmon, mussels.
• Unsaturated healthy fats: Like avocado, and extra virgin olive oil.
• White meat: like chicken.
• Herbs and spices: To add flavor to food.
• water: It is the favorite and essential drink of the Mediterranean diet.

While following the Mediterranean diet, you must eat fish and seafood at least twice a week, and when cooking food, you should use olive oil instead of butter and other oils.

Foods prohibited in the Mediterranean diet

In order to achieve the greatest benefit from the Mediterranean diet, you should reduce the following foods and drinks as much as possible:

• Dairy or milk products: Such as eggs, yogurt, cheese, cream, and their derivatives.
• Red and processed meat: Like lamb, sausage, and beef.
• Desserts and wine: You can replace sweets with fruits.
• Butter: You have to replace it with natural olive oil extracted from green olives.

Benefits of the Mediterranean diet

This diet includes many benefits that you may not know and you will also be surprised to know, as follows:

1. A heart-healthy diet

The Mediterranean diet helps promote heart health and blood vessel movement, and reduces the chances of various circulatory system diseases such as high blood pressure, its problems, and heart attacks.

Studies have found that the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in southern European countries ranges from 2:10%, while in northern European countries it ranges from 10:18%, as this is due to the difference in the diet followed.

2. The Mediterranean diet and cancer

This diet helps reduce the risk of most types of cancer, including breast cancer, due to reducing the intake of red meat, and even eating foods made from whole grains.

3. The Mediterranean diet and diabetes

The Mediterranean diet improves blood sugar levels, especially for patients with type 2 diabetes. It also helps to lose weight and improve blood cholesterol levels, because the diet contains plant foods and lacks red meat and carbohydrates.

4. Reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s

The Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, memory problems, and dementia.

Also, among the benefits of the Mediterranean diet is the treatment of joint pain, as well as delaying aging and helping to stay young for a longer period. because they contain antioxidant foods, and avoid eating canned foods and harmful fats that cause many infections and health problems.

5. A diet that helps sleep

Recent studies, when conducted on people over the age of 65, who followed the Mediterranean diet, proved that they got a good amount of sleep, and slept for longer periods than before, as the results showed that this dietary pattern reduced insomnia and shortened intermittent sleep.

Mediterranean diet for weight loss

The Mediterranean diet encourages eating a variety of healthy foods rich in fiber, vegetables, fruits and protein, and limits the intake of processed foods as well as sugars that contain high calories, which helps to reduce weight gain and the accumulation of fat in the body.

This is what was found by a study that was conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in preventing the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

It was noted that people who followed this diet succeeded in reducing weight slightly more compared to following a low-fat diet. They also had the least increase in waist circumference compared to those on the low-fat diet.

Other studies have also linked the Mediterranean diet to maintaining a healthy weight for children and pregnant women.

How does the Mediterranean diet help lose weight?

The Mediterranean diet helps in losing weight because the diet consists of fruits, vegetables, fish, white meat, as well as food products made from whole grains, in addition to practicing physical activity with the diet, they help to lose weight.

Mediterranean diet recipes

Here are sample 7-day Mediterranean diet recipes, plan, and meal schedule:

Saturday

A fried egg, wholegrain toast, grilled tomatoes, and for extra calories add another egg or some avocado slices to your toast.

2 cups of mixed greens salad with cherry tomatoes, olives, olive oil and vinegar dressing, whole-grain pita bread, and ½ cup of hummus.

Whole-grain pizza with tomato sauce, grilled vegetables, and low-fat cheese as toppings. For extra calories, you can add some shredded chicken, tuna, or pine nuts to your pizza.

Sunday

A cup of Greek yogurt, half a cup of fruit such as blueberries, berries, or chopped tangerines, and for extra calories, you can add a quarter cup of almonds or walnuts.

A whole-grain sandwich with grilled veggies like eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions. For a calorie boost, you can put hummus or avocado on the bread before adding the fillings.

Half a fish cooked in the oven or salmon with garlic and black pepper to add flavor, in addition to a baked potato with olive oil and garlic.

Monday

A cup of whole-grain oats with cinnamon, dates and honey, then top it with low-sugar fruits like raspberries, and some grated almonds (optional).

Boiled white beans with spices such as bay leaf, garlic and cumin, a cup of watercress with olive oil dressing, tomato, cucumber and feta cheese.

1/2 cup whole grain pasta tossed with tomato sauce, olive oil and grilled vegetables, with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

Tuesday

Two eggs with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes, with a quarter of an avocado on top.

Anchovies roasted in olive oil on wholegrain toast with a splash of lemon juice, plus a warm salad of 2 cups of steamed cabbage and tomatoes.

2 cups of steamed spinach with a splash of lemon juice and herbs, plus an artichoke sautéed with olive oil, garlic powder and salt.

Wednesday

A cup of Greek yogurt with cinnamon and honey, then mix it with a sliced ​​apple and grated almonds.

1 cup quinoa with bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and olives, topped with thyme-roasted chickpeas and topped with feta cheese crumbs or avocado (optional).

A cup of steamed cabbage with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, lemon juice and parmesan cheese, and a portion of grilled sardines with a slice of lemon.

Thursday

Two slices of whole-grain toast with a soft cheese like ricotta, fresco, or goat cheese, then add blueberries or sliced ​​figs for dessert.

A cup of mixed vegetables with tomatoes, cucumbers, and a piece of grilled chicken, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.

Some oven-roasted veggies artichokes, carrots, zucchini, eggplant, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, then drizzled with olive oil and heavy herbs before roasting, topped with a cup of whole-grain couscous.

Friday

A cup of wholegrain oats with cinnamon, dates and maple syrup, then add some low-sugar fruits like berries or blackberries.

Stewed zucchini, butternut squash, onion, potato, then tossed in tomato sauce with some herbs.

A cup of leafy greens such as watercress or spinach, with tomatoes, olives and olive oil, and a small portion of white fish.

Side effects of the Mediterranean diet

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet are numerous, but it is possible that there will be some harms to it as follows:

• Iron deficiency: You should not neglect food sources that contain proportions of iron, and include them in your diet, so that you do not suffer from a decrease in the level of iron in your body.
• Calcium deficiency: Due to reducing the intake of dairy products and its derivatives, you may develop a calcium deficiency.
• overweight: Although it helps to lose weight, due to eating saturated fats such as nuts and olive oil, you can gain weight.

And after you became acquainted with the Mediterranean diet, its potential benefits and harms, as well as its recipes, we advise you to make sure of its compatibility with your health condition before following it, and we wish you continued health and wellness.