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The healthful Mediterranean diet

Eat healthier, consider the Mediterranean Diet plan

The Mediterranean Diet was created after research was conducted on the health and nutrition habits of those living in the Mediterranean, more specifically those people living in Crete, Greece, Southern Italy and Northern Africa. It was found that people in these areas rarely suffered from chronic heart disease and this low incidence of heart conditions have been attributed to their dietary habits. Based on this research the Mediterranean Food Guide Pyramid was developed.

The Mediterranean diet is not a diet in isolation. It is a combination of healthy eating habits. It is used to describe the general eating habits of the people who live in these regions. The Mediterranean Diet is a compilation of diets and eating habits from those who border the Mediterranean Sea. The most common dietary pattern of those people living in this area consists of the following; eggs are rarely consumed in this diet, usually ranging from between zero to three times a week. Fish and poultry are consumed in low quantities, as they do not make up a big portion of the diet. Olive oil is a valuable monounsaturated fat source. There is however, a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, potatoes, cereals and nuts. Also wine and alcoholic beverages are consumed in low amounts.

The Mediterranean Diet is based on the Mediterranean Food Guide Pyramid. At the base of the pyramid is where you find your breads, pastes, rice grains and potatoes. On the second level, fruits and vegetables can be found, the olive oil, fish and poultry. Wine and red meat fall at the tip of the pyramid scale. Showing that they have little place in this diet.

Many people wonder how closely the Mediterranean diet plan follows the American Heart Association dietary guidelines. It has been found that this diet plan does follow these guidelines closely but not exactly. The fact that the Mediterranean Diet contains a high quantity of calories from fat is cause for concern. More than half the fat calories in this diet come from such things as olive oil. Since these oils are monosaturated they do not raise blood pressure the same way as saturated fats do.

Rates of heart disease and deaths are lower in the Mediterranean than in the United States, but it cannot be said for sure if the Mediterranean Diet plays a vital role in keeping these rates down. The people in this area lead completely different lives than those in the United States. They have more active lifestyle, which play an important part in their weight loss. It is not advised that people run out and start following the Mediterranean Diet until more studies can be conducted to see what role it does play in weight loss.

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