Weight loss is often accompanied by health problems, hair loss, and worsening skin. But not in this case. The Mediterranean diet helps to lose weight, rejuvenate and improve overall health.
The essence of the Mediterranean diet
This is the only diet recognized by UNESCO as a truly safe weight loss system. On the contrary, it is able to improve the general condition of the body, which does not contradict the rules of proper nutrition, but has its own approach to compiling a diet. The classic Mediterranean diet contains many foods that are forbidden by other weight loss systems.
The essence of the diet is the daily use of foods that are included in the diet of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean. Among Spaniards, Italians, Libyans, Moroccans, fat and obese people are rarely found. These countries have low rates of death from cancer and cardiovascular diseases. They lead in life expectancy of locals.
What are the benefits of the Mediterranean diet?
This system was not invented by nutritionists, it was not compiled in laboratories, but developed over the centuries in certain places. The menu of the Mediterranean diet does not contain artificial products, preservatives, semi-finished products that already have a positive effect on human health.
Benefits of this diet:
- Prevents cardiovascular and vascular diseases, lowers cholesterol, dissolves existing atherosclerotic plaques, prevents the formation of blood clots, the development of atherosclerosis.
- Maintain a clear mind, positively affect brain activity. This diet can prevent Alzheimer's disease.
- This system of nutrition prevents cancer of the stomach, intestines and breast.
- Reduces blood sugar, prevents the development of diabetes, as well as insulin resistance.
- Increase immunity, help the body recover faster after severe illness, long-term drug use.
It is based on products that give strength and positive influence to the emotional background. It is believed that the Mediterranean miracle diet not only increases longevity but also affects quality. Only an active, happy, active person can live every day 100%.
Basic principles of nutrition
The misconception that food under this system is very expensive should immediately be debunked. The rich Mediterranean cleansing diet is based on a wide range of products. You don't have to just eat delicious shrimp or fish, you can always choose similar dishes.
Basic rules:
- Without enough fat absorbed, this is not hot dog or pan-fried bread. This is a useful extra virgin olive oil. You can safely water salads and other dishes without worrying about the calorie content of your daily diet.
- Lots of vegetables and fruits. The Mediterranean diet allows even grapes, bananas, to be banned by other systems. Plant foods should be included in every meal.
- Dairy products. It is noteworthy that natural yogurt, curd, fermented baked milk. There is no need to use fermented dairy products with sugar, dyes, flavorings in the ingredients. If you want, you can always add berries or honey.
- Fish and seafood. Like vegetables, this is the basis of the diet. These products should be on the daily menu.
- White meat. You don't need to use it often, 3-4 times a week is enough, less often. In the heart of chicken, rabbit, quail, you can sometimes lamb.
- Cereals. Brown rice, durum pasta, buckwheat can be included in the Mediterranean diet, pearl barley is allowed. The beans are a must.
- Red wine. You can have up to two glasses a day, with lunch or dinner. It is important to choose natural alcohol, without preservatives and excess sugar in the ingredients.
- Egg. Yes, but not more than one per day
- Wide range of natural spices, all fresh and dried herbs are welcome. You can eat nuts and seeds.
- Rye bread and cakes are pastries made from whole wheat flour.
In the healthy Mediterranean diet, it is important to drink not only wine (although this is very pleasant) but also clean water. The daily minimum is 1. 5 liters. Green tea, natural fruit drinks with fresh berries, lemonade are all welcome. Just don't turn a healthy drink into a source of carbohydrates by adding sugar or honey. The taste buds need to be clear.
Weight loss rate, time
This system does not promise to lose 15 kg in one month or 40 kg in six months. Weight following the Mediterranean (Mediterranean) diet keeps dropping without stressing the body. With the right approach, a person will lose 3-4 kg per month, but it all depends on the initial data.
If you follow the menu of the Mediterranean diet for weight loss for a long time, then very quickly your old habits will be forgotten, other foods will take the place of favorite dishes. your diet, the right diet will become a lifestyle. The Mediterranean diet is not limited in time, it can be observed at any time, because the inhabitants of Morocco, Italy, Greece, Spain eat such things.
List of prohibited products
Weight loss according to the Mediterranean diet can be developed independently, the following are only approximate menu options. The main thing is not to add prohibited products. This is especially true of refined sunflower oil, sugar, seasonings mixed with glutamate and other preservatives.
What not to diet:
- sausages, hams, semi-finished products;
- pure sugar, limited honey;
- sweet drinks, sweets, ready-made desserts;
- any pastry made from white flour;
- lard, bacon, fatty meats and dairy products.
The easiest way to avoid mistakes with dishes is to cook your own food. In cafes and restaurants, cheap oils are most often used, not the freshest vegetables, low-quality meat and fish.
Mediterranean diet for weight loss: menu for every day
Here is an example of how you can eat on this system. Then, you can adjust your diet to suit your work or study schedule, personal taste. In addition, it is not necessary to eat different dishes every day, you can cook several dishes for lunch or dinner.
The Mediterranean diet for weight loss involves minimally processed foods. Cooking, stewing, marinating for a long time reduces the amount of nutrients. And simple cereals, soups, and salads don't require much cooking time.
| Second | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | avocado toast with mozzarella cheese, tomato, tea | Cheese casserole with banana, tea | eggs, mozzarella cheese and 10 pieces of cherries | Cereal bread, slice of cheese, 2 cucumbers | brown rice with cheese and herbs | pasta with shrimp and cheese | Tomato green bean omelette |
| Snack | Orange | A glass of tomato juice | fruit salad with yogurt | soft curd | grape | Orange juice | pineapple |
| Dinner | Vegetable stew with chicken, a big bunch of greens | Shrimp cream soup | stewed vegetables with meat, tomato juice | cheese mussel soup | gazpacho fresh tomato, a piece of grilled fish | Stir-fried broccoli soup with shrimp | brown rice, cream squid, vegetable juice |
| afternoon tea | apple, cheese | vegetable smoothies | yogurt cup | vegetable salad with olives | Fruit salad with nuts and yogurt | Tuna toast, juice | a slice of bread, salted fish, tea |
| Dinner | pasta with seafood and cheese, vegetables | brown rice paella with chicken and vegetables | Grilled fish with rice, vegetable salad | Grilled chicken, carrot and cheese salad | noodles with green beans, mussels | stewed fish with tomatoes, vegetables | pasta with shrimp, cherry tomatoes and cream |
Remember that all diet dishes are prepared with olive oil, it is also used in salad dressings, you can add lemon juice, various spices. You can also include a glass of red wine with any meal.
According to the classic Mediterranean diet, the number of meals is unlimited, but it is important not to overeat. Most menu options have five. You can add a side dinner or skip a second breakfast, which is also a snack.
Mediterranean diet for weight loss: menu for every day
Many people say that the Mediterranean diet is very expensive, and the quality of frozen seafood makes one unwelcome. It is also very difficult to find real olive oil. But in this case, it can be replaced with another unrefined fat. Flaxseed, walnut, and hemp oils are suitable, from pumpkin seeds. You can use edible coconut oil for your diet.
Don't forget that the Mediterranean diet (menu for the week below) involves economical ways of cooking. Oil can be consumed in any quantity, but only for refueling. You can grease the product before baking or putting it in the oven. You can't use it for frying, you're better off cooking your diet meals in a dry pan or using the thinnest of grease for grilling.
| Second | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Fried zucchini with garlic sour cream sauce | raisin casserole | Oatmeal with nuts | cheese sandwich, boiled egg, tea | Pumpkin porridge with rice | muesli with yogurt | sandwich with fish |
| Snack | banana | pomelo | Pomegranate Jade | Apple | Vegetable salad | fruit juice, eggs | mashed pumpkin |
| Dinner | fish soup without potatoes from any fish, rye bread | stewed vegetables, toast, a piece of boiled meat | vegetable soup, a piece of fish, a slice of bread | macaroni with cheese and squid, vegetables | Creamy chicken and vegetable soup, tortillas | cabbage soup in fish broth with beans | stewed vegetables with beans, slightly salted herring |
| afternoon tea | Yogurt | fruit and milk smoothies | cheese with apple | Mixed mussels | cucumber and herb smoothie | Fresh cheese with nuts | tomato juice |
| Dinner | Greek Salad with Cheese and Olives | fish cakes (steamed, grilled), coleslaw | macaroni and cheese, carrot salad with nuts | Fish stuffed with vegetables, cucumber salad with sour cream and dill | buckwheat with chicken, tomatoes | Creamy chicken stew, coleslaw | grilled vegetables, a piece of pike |
There is practically no seafood on the Mediterranean diet menu here, but if you want, you can sometimes include them in your diet. For example, add shrimp to a salad or snack on a sea cocktail.
Mediterranean diet: recipes from the menu of the week
Above in the diet menu there are many attractive dishes, the processing is also simple and quick. They are great for breakfast, afternoon and evening meals. Here are the most interesting recipes.
Chicken and vegetable cream soup
According to the Mediterranean diet, cream soup is often on the menu for the week. They are good for the stomach, full for a long time and easy to prepare. This is a basic recipe with vegetables.
Ingredient:
- 300 g of chicken fillet;
- 300 g of broccoli (you can broccoli);
- 100 g of carrots;
- 100 g of onions;
- 200 g zucchini or squash;
- 150-200 ml of cream;
- seasoning just eaten.
Cooking:
- Cut chicken into pieces, dip in 800 ml of boiling water, then add carrots and onions and boil for 10 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, 5 minutes later the broccoli, lightly salted. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Grind chicken with vegetables, add seasoning to taste. Dilute the soup with cream, bring to a boil again and you're ready to serve!
In winter, you can use frozen vegetable mix for such a soup. In addition, it is not necessary to dilute the dish with cream, you can add a little water at first.
Macaroni with cheese and squid
This dish is on the daily menu above for weight loss on the Mediterranean diet. Buying ink from the store is not a difficult problem, but it is also very simple and quick to process.
Ingredient:
- 1 squid;
- 200 g of pasta;
- 150 ml of 10% cream;
- 0. 5 teaspoons olive oil;
- 70 g of cheese.
Cooking:
- Cook noodles according to directions but cook for less than a minute. Drain into a colander.
- Heat a pan, brush with light oil.
- Squid we clean, remove veins, cut into strips. Pour and fry for exactly one minute, while remembering to stir with a spoon.
- Pour cream into squid, bring to a boil, begin to add half of grated cheese, let dissolve and salt.
- We put the pasta in, stir quickly, let the dish boil and then turn off the stove. Leave for 10 minutes under the lid.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese when serving.
In the same way, you can cook the sauce with shrimp or other seafood for a diet. The only point is that you need to use low-fat cream so as not to increase the calorie content of the dish.
Greek Salad with Cheese and Olives
This salad is a great alternative to a dieter's lunch or dinner, especially in the summer. It fully meets the requirements of the diet.
Ingredient:
- 2 cucumbers;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 0, 5 purple onions;
- 1 chili;
- 15 ml of lemon juice;
- 1 pinch of pepper;
- 100 g of feta cheese;
- 2 tablespoons of oil (olive);
- 10-12 olives.
Cooking:
- Diced cucumber. Remove seeds from tomatoes and chop finely. Cut the red onion into thin halves. Pour into salad bowl.
- Cut the pepper into thin strips and cut the dices, olives, add to the remaining products.
- Mix lemon juice with oil, add salt and pepper. Pour salad on top. Stir well when serving.
You can add any greens, use cherry tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes, or replace the olive oil with Greek yogurt. It also makes a great sauce.
Mediterranean diet for the elderly
It was mentioned above that the Mediterranean diet helps prevent Alzheimer's disease. It has a positive effect on the brain, which will be a lifesaver from senile dementia. In addition, this system of nutrition has a great influence on other internal organs, but in old age should stop drinking alcohol, and change the composition of some dishes. Below is a sample one-week menu of the Mediterranean diet for seniors. It fulfills all the requirements of an aging organism.
| Second | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Oatmeal with raisins | Cheesecake from the oven, fruit puree | green bean omelette | Pumpkin millet porridge | Fried pumpkin, sour cream | omelette with fish fillet | Cheese fruit |
| Snack | mashed pumpkin | Orange | Apple juice | soft curd | Vegetable salad | Peking cabbage salad with olives, lemon, herbs | Salad with carrots, walnuts |
| Dinner | stewed vegetables, minced fish cutlets | vegetable soup, a piece of fish | buckwheat soup without potatoes | pureed chicken soup, black bread | soup with rice and tomatoes, compote | Stew with cauliflower and cheese | cauliflower, bread |
| afternoon tea | cheese | a glass of kefir | banana and yogurt smoothie | tomato juice | cheese | green smoothies | any fruit |
| Dinner | Buckwheat with fish cutlet and tomato sauce | fish stew | vegetable salad, chicken cutlets | grilled fish, mashed vegetables | Chicken stew with pasta | aspic fish, 10 olives, 1 tomato | Chopped chicken, brown rice, tomato juice |
Review of the Mediterranean diet
First review, female, 34 years old
The second year, I'm on this diet, I'm used to it, I don't want red meat, I refuse animal fat, but I have added chia seeds to my main diet, I use quinoa instead of rice. During this time, my weight dropped from 82 to 57 kg. It happens slowly, not all at once. I noticed that the clothes became more spacious, the belly was much smaller, besides, the scales pleased me.
2nd review, female, 25 years old
It all started to be strange for me, at first I saw a weekly menu of Mediterranean weight loss recipes from a friend, only then I started researching it. What is the system? I immediately liked that everything is simple, you don't need to cook anything complicated, just me. All in all, we sat down with a friend, she supported me, but she was the first to leave the race. I entered the fifth month of the diet, my health improved markedly, the vivacity appeared, I began to eat and sleep well, lost 9 kg. But the initial weight is small (67 kg at 164 cm).
Third review, female, 47 years old
I never had a problem with my weight, but menopause came very soon. From the age of 44, I began to gain weight rapidly, resulting in a gain of 20 kg in a year. The endocrinologist told me about the diet, I love the idea of such a diet, but I have adapted it a little for myself, for example, I refuse wine. I can't drink, my body doesn't tolerate it well, I have constant heartburn. But I allow myself to drink pomegranate juice.
Fourth review, female, 38 years old
I heard the doctor about the Mediterranean diet, I decided to research this diet and transition to it smoothly. I have no Monday, no schedule. I just gradually changed from conventional foods to systematic ones. My goal is to improve health, as there are many chronic diseases and genetic risks. At the same time, I lost 11 kg.
Contraindications to diet
Despite the high rating, awards and receipt of many positive feedbacks, the Mediterranean system has contraindications.
Who should not diet:
- people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, an abundance of fiber can cause pain;
- people who have had serious illness or surgery.
Also, do not follow this diet if you have an intolerance to fish or seafood. Any person should assess in advance how strict the diet is, whether he can adhere to such a diet in the menu of the Mediterranean diet for weight loss in the long run. are not.