What Is The Mediterranean Diet?
All though people in the Mediterranean Regions like the French an Italians eat more fatty foods it’s been found that they live longer and have fewer heart attacks than people of other developed countries.
Some of the researchers decided they wanted to try the Mediterranean Diet and found that it was very appealing in the selection of foods available not just some grilled chicken breast an dry salad and also found they could have wine with there meal.
What’s Different About the Mediterranean Diet?
Flavor was the most noticable difference in the Mediterranean Diet Menu Plan.
Not only are the recipes good but eating is satisfying, which is part of why the Mediterranean Diet works.
People enjoy a long relaxed meal with good friends, enjoying the food and wine.
And thats the Mediterranean Diet and Life Style. 
The Mediterranean Diet is High in fiber
It is a carbohydrate-rich diet….we’re talking the right carbohydrates.
We’re talking about whole grain rice, pastas, breads and other complex carbohydrates.
Dishes like couscous and humus and pasta primavera.
Not doughnuts, cakes of all sorts.
The Mediterranean Diet is unexpectantly high in fat, but we are talking about Monosaturated fats
like foods rich in Omega-3 fats such as fish and olive oil. Mediterraneans eat very little trans or saturated fat.
No shortening, lard or margarine. Not much red meat either.
The Mediterranean Diet allows especially red wine. Research has shown that red wine is rich in antioxidants
flavonoid phenolics and other phytonutrients which protects our blood vessels and arteries.
The Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid
The Mediterranean Diet Food Pyramid differs from the USDA food pyramid. The Mediterranean Diet Plan allows more carbohydrates and fat.
The Mediterranean Diet recommendations are:
- complex carbohydrates like breads, pasta, whole grain foods.
- Daily servings of fruits and vegetables. A daily serving or two of legumes or nuts is possible too.
- Daily Use of olive oil and other monosaturated oils (peanut or canola oil).
- Dairy products must be low fat, cheese and yogurt can be eaten every day.
- Lots of fish. Replace ‘meat’ meals with fish. Preferably several times a week.
- Small amounts of poultry and eggs, but you can still have them several times a week.
- A few times a week small amounts of sweets are allowed.
- Only very small amounts of red meat, and that only a few times a month.
- Drink at least six glasses of water a day.
- Drink Red wine. One or two glassesofwine a day is recommended. You can drink grape juice, if you prefer.
