Weight loss is often accompanied by health problems, hair loss, skin deterioration. But not in this case. The Mediterranean diet helps to lose weight, rejuvenate and improve general well-being.
The essence of the Mediterranean diet
This is the only diet approved by UNESCO and recognized as a truly safe weight loss system. On the contrary, it is able to improve the general condition of the body, does not contradict the canons of proper nutrition, but has its own approach to compiling a diet. The classic Mediterranean diet contains many foods that are banned from other weight loss systems.
The essence of the diet is the daily use of food that is present in the diet of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean. Among the Spaniards there are rarely Italians, Libyans, Moroccans, fat and obese. These countries have a low death rate from cancer and cardiovascular disease. They lead in terms of the life expectancy of the local population.
What are the benefits of the Mediterranean diet?
This system was not invented by nutritionists, it was not compiled in laboratories, but was formed over the centuries in certain places. The menu of the Mediterranean diet does not contain artificial products, preservatives, semi-finished products, which will already have a positive effect on human health.
Benefits of this diet:
- It prevents diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lowers cholesterol, dissolves existing plaques, prevents the formation of blood clots, the development of atherosclerosis.
- Maintains mental clarity, positively affects brain functioning. This diet can prevent Alzheimer's disease.
- Nutrition according to this system prevents cancer of the stomach, intestines and breast.
- Reduces blood sugar levels, prevents the development of diabetes and insulin resistance.
- Boost immunity, help the body recover faster after serious illness, long-term medication.
It is based on products that give strength and positively influence the emotional background. It is believed that the Mediterranean Miracle Diet not only increases life expectancy, but also affects quality. Only an energetic, cheerful, active person can live 100% every day.
Basic principles of nutrition
It is worth immediately debunking the myth that food according to this system is expensive. The diet of the Mediterranean cleansing diet is rich based on a variety of products. It is not necessary to eat only shrimp or delicious fish, you can always pick up inexpensive analogues.
Basic principles:
- There is not a sufficient supply of fat, it is not about fried sausages or pastries in a pan. This is a useful extra virgin olive oil. You can safely water salads and other dishes without worrying about the calorie content of the daily diet.
- Lots of fruit and vegetables. The Mediterranean diet also allows grapes, bananas, banned by other systems. Plant foods should be included in every meal.
- Dairy products. It is worth focusing on natural yogurt, curdled milk, fermented cooked milk. It is not necessary to use fermented milk products with sugar, dye, flavorings in the composition. If you want, you can always add berries or honey.
- Fish and seafood. Like vegetables, this category is the basis of the diet. These products should be on the menu of the day.
- White meat. It is not necessary to use it often, 3-4 times a week is enough, less often. In the heart of chicken, rabbit meat, quail, sometimes you can lamb.
- Cereals. Brown rice, durum wheat pasta, buckwheat can be present in the diet of the Mediterranean diet, pearl barley is allowed. Legumes are a must.
- Red wine. You can drink up to two glasses a day, served for lunch or dinner. It is important to choose natural wine without preservatives and excess sugar in the composition.
- Egg. Yes, but no more than one per day
- A variety of natural spices, all kinds of fresh and dried herbs are welcome. You can eat nuts and seeds.
- Bread and rye cakes are wholemeal flour-based pastries.
During the Mediterranean wellness 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 drink on fresh berries, lemon water are welcome. Just don't turn healthy drinks into a carbohydrate source by adding sugar or honey. The taste buds need to clear.
Weight loss rate, duration
This system does not promise to lose 15 kg in one month or 40 kg in six months. The burden on the Mediterranean (Mediterranean) diet gradually disappears without stress for 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 eat a long time on the menu of the Mediterranean diet to lose weight, very soon your old habits will be forgotten, other foods will take the place of your favorite dishes, the right diet will become a way of life. The Mediterranean diet is not limited in time, it can be observed at any time, because the inhabitants of Morocco, Italy, Greece, Spain eat something like this.
List of prohibited products
Diet for weight loss in the Mediterranean diet can be built independently, only approximate menu options are given below. The important thing is not to add prohibited products. This is especially true of refined sunflower oil, sugar, mixed spices with glutamate and other preservatives.
What not to do on a diet:
- sausages, hams, semi-finished products;
- pure sugar, limited honey;
- sweet drinks, sweets, ready-made desserts;
- any pasta 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. Cheap oils are often used in cafes and restaurants, 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. So you can adapt the diet to your work or study schedule, to your personal tastes. Also, it is not necessary to eat different dishes every day, you can cook something for multiple lunches or dinners.
The Mediterranean diet for weight loss involves minimally processed foods. Prolonged cooking, stewing, marinating reduce the amount of nutrients. And simple cereals, soups, salads do not take a long time to cook.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | avocado toast with mozzarella, tomato, tea | cottage cheese casserole with banana, tea | egg, mozzarella and cherry 10 pieces | cereal bread, slice of cheese, 2 cucumbers | brown rice with cheese and herbs | pasta with shrimp and cheese | Omelette with green beans and tomato |
| Snack | orange | A glass of tomato juice | fruit salad with yogurt | soft curd | grape | Orange juice | a pineapple |
| Dinner | stewed vegetables with chicken, a large bunch of greens | creamy soup with shrimp | vegetable stew with meat, tomato juice | mussel and cheese soup | fresh tomato gazpacho, a piece of grilled fish | broccoli soup with fried shrimp | brown rice, squid in cream, vegetable juice |
| afternoon tea | apple, cottage cheese | smoothies with vegetables | glass of yogurt | vegetable salad with olives | fruit salad with nuts and yogurt | tuna toast, any juice | a slice of bread, salted fish, tea |
| Dinner | pasta with seafood and cheese, vegetables | brown rice pilaf with chicken and vegetables | baked fish with rice, vegetable salad | baked chicken, carrot and cheese salad | pasta with green beans, mussels | fish stew with tomatoes, greens | pasta with shrimp, cherry tomatoes and cream |
Remember that all diet dishes are prepared with olive oil, it is also used for dressing salads, you can add lemon juice, various seasonings. You can also include a glass of red wine throughout the meal.
According to the classic Mediterranean diet, the number of meals is unlimited, but it is important not to overeat. Most of the menu options have five. You can add an extra dinner or remove the second breakfast, which is also a snack.
Mediterranean diet for weight loss: menu for every day
Many people claim that the Mediterranean diet is very expensive and the quality of the frozen seafood leaves a lot to be desired. It is also difficult to find real olive oil. But in this case it can be replaced with other unrefined fats. Suitable linseed oil, walnut, hemp, from pumpkin seeds. You can use edible coconut oil for diet.
Let's not forget that the Mediterranean diet (menu of the week below) provides ways of cooking in moderation. Oil can be consumed in any quantity, but only for refueling. You can grease the product before grilling or in the oven. You can not use it for frying, it is better to cook meals for a diet in a dry pan or lightly grease it with the thinnest layer.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | zucchini pancakes with garlic and sour cream sauce | raisin casserole | oatmeal with nuts | cheese sandwich, boiled egg, tea | pumpkin porridge with rice | yogurt muesli | sandwich with fish |
| Snack | Banana | Grape | Garnet | Apple | vegetable salad | fruit juice, egg | pumpkin puree |
| Dinner | potato-free fish soup from no fish, rye bread | stewed vegetables, toast, a piece of boiled meat | vegetable soup, a piece of fish, a slice of bread | pasta with cheese and squid, vegetables | cream soup with chicken and vegetables, tortilla | cabbage soup in fish broth with beans | stewed vegetables with beans, lightly salted herring |
| afternoon tea | Yogurt | milk and fruit smoothie | cottage cheese with apple | Fruit salad | cucumber and herb smoothie | cottage cheese with walnuts | tomato juice |
| Dinner | Greek salad with cheese and olives | fish cakes (steamed, baked), coleslaw | macaroni and cheese, carrot salad with nuts | fish stuffed with vegetables, cucumber salad with sour cream and dill | buckwheat with chicken, tomato | chicken stew with cream, coleslaw | grilled vegetables, a piece of pike |
Here, there is practically no seafood on the menu of the Mediterranean diet, but if you wish, you can sometimes include them in the diet. For example, add shrimp to a salad or snack on a seafood cocktail.
Mediterranean diet: recipes from the menu of the week
Above in the diet menu there are many interesting dishes, which are also simple and quick to prepare. They are great for morning, afternoon and evening meals. Here are the most interesting recipes.
Cream soup with chicken and vegetables
In the Mediterranean diet, cream soups are often on the menu of the week. They are good for the stomach, saturate well and are easy to prepare. Here is a basic recipe with vegetables.
Ingrediants:
- 300 g of chicken fillet;
- 300 g of broccoli (you can cauliflower);
- 100 g of carrots;
- 100 g of onion;
- 200 g of zucchini or squash;
- 150-200 ml of cream;
- spices to taste.
Cooking:
- Cut the chicken, dip it in 800 ml of boiling water, then add the carrots and onions and boil for 10 minutes.
- Insert the zucchini, another five minutes after the broccoli, lightly salt. Cook covered over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Grind the chicken with vegetables, add spices to taste. Dilute the soup with the cream, bring to the boil again and you are ready to serve!
In winter, you can use a mixture of frozen vegetables for such a soup. Also, it is not necessary to dilute the dish with cream, you can initially pour a little more water.
Macaroni with cheese and squid
This dish is on the menu above for every day for weight loss in the Mediterranean diet. Buying squid in the store is no problem now, but it is prepared very quickly and easily.
Ingrediants:
- 1 squid;
- 200 g of pasta;
- 150 ml cream 10%;
- 0, 5 teaspoons of olive;
- 70 g of cheese.
Cooking:
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions, but cook for one minute less. Drain in a colander.
- Heat a non-stick pan, brush lightly with oil.
- We clean the squid, remove the crest, cut into strips. Pour and fry for literally a minute, while making sure to mix with a spatula.
- Pour the cream over the squid, boil, start with half the grated cheese, let it melt and add salt.
- We put the pasta, quickly mix, boil the dish and turn off. Leave for ten minutes under the lid.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese when serving.
Similarly, you can cook salsa with shrimp or other seafood for a diet. The only point is that you need to use a lean cream in order not to increase the calorie content of the dish.
Greek salad with cheese and olives
This salad is an excellent substitute for lunch, dinner on a diet, especially in the summer. Fully meets the requirements of the diet.
Ingrediants:
- 2 cucumbers;
- 2 tomatoes;
- 0, 5 red onion;
- 1 bell pepper;
- 15 ml of lemon juice;
- 1 pinch of pepper;
- 100 g of feta cheese;
- 2 tablespoons of oil (olive);
- 10-12 olives.
Cooking:
- Cut the cucumbers. Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and chop them too. Cut the red onion into very thin half rings. Pour into a salad bowl.
- Cut the pepper into thin strips and cut the feta cheese, the olive quarters into cubes, add to the rest of the products.
- Mix lemon juice with oil, add salt, pepper. Pour over the salad. Stir just before serving.
You can add any vegetables, use cherry tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes, or replace olive oil with Greek yogurt. It also makes a great sauce.
Mediterranean diet for the elderly
It has already been mentioned above that the Mediterranean diet helps prevent Alzheimer's disease. Has a positive effect on the brain, it will be a salvation from senile dementia. In addition, nutrition according to this system has a great effect on other internal organs, but in old age it is recommended to give up wine, and also to change the composition of some dishes. Here is an example of a menu for a week of Mediterranean diet for the elderly. Meets all the requirements of an aging organism.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | oatmeal with raisins | baked cheesecake, fruit puree | steamed omelette with green beans | millet porridge with pumpkin | pumpkin pancakes, sour cream | omelette with fish fillet | Fruit cottage cheese |
| Snack | pumpkin puree | orange | Apple juice | portion of soft curd | vegetable salad | Chinese cabbage salad with olives, lemon, herbs | salad with carrots, nuts |
| Dinner | stewed vegetables, chopped fish cutlet | vegetable soup, a piece of fish | Buckwheat soup without potatoes | chicken puree, black bread | soup with rice and tomatoes, compote | Casserole with cauliflower and cheese | cauliflower soup, bread |
| afternoon tea | milk flakes | a glass of kefir | banana and yogurt smoothie | tomato juice | milk flakes | vegetable smoothie with leafy greens | any fruit |
| Dinner | buckwheat with fish cutlets and tomato sauce | vegetable stew with fish | vegetable salad, chicken cutlet | baked fish, vegetable puree | stewed chicken with pasta | fish aspic, 10 olives, 1 tomato | chicken chop, brown rice, tomato juice |
Reviews about the Mediterranean diet
First review, female, 34 years old
For the second year I followed this diet, I got used to it, I don't want red meat, I rejected animal fats, but I added chia seeds to the main diet, I use quinoa instead of rice. All the while my weight decreased from 82 to 57 kg. It was gradual, not all at once. I noticed that the clothes have melted, the stomach is much smaller, plus the scales pleased me.
Second review, female, 25 years old
It all started strange for me, at first I saw a menu for a week with recipes for weight loss with a Mediterranean diet from a friend, only then I started to delve into what kind of system it was. I immediately liked that everything is simple, you don't need to cook anything complicated, just for me. In general, we sat with a friend, she supported me, but she was the first to leave the race. I went to the fifth month of the diet, my health improved noticeably, vivacity appeared, I started to sleep well, I lost 9 kg. But the initial weight was small (67 kg to 164 cm).
Third review, female, 47 years old
I've never had any weight problems, but menopause came very early. From the age of 44, I began to gain weight quickly, as a result, +20 kg in a year. The endocrinologist told me about the diet, I liked the very idea of such a diet, but I adapted it a little to myself, for example, I refused wine. I can not drink it, the body does not tolerate it well, heartburn constantly. But I allow myself pomegranate juice.
Fourth review, female, 38 years old
I heard about the "miraculous" Mediterranean diet from a doctor, I decided to study this diet and I switched to it without a hitch. I had no Monday, no hours. I just gradually changed the usual food into systemic dishes. My goal was to improve health, as there are many chronic diseases and hereditary risks. In parallel, I lost 11 kg.
Contraindications to the diet
Despite high marks, awards and many positive feedbacks, the Mediterranean system has drawbacks.
Who shouldn't be on a diet:
- people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, an abundance of fibers can provoke pain attacks;
- people who have undergone serious illnesses, surgical operations.
Also, do not follow this diet if you are intolerant to fish or seafood. Any person should evaluate in advance how close the diet is, whether he can adhere to such a diet in the menu of the Mediterranean diet for weight loss for a long time.