Mediterranean diet: Everything You Need to Know

A Mediterranean diet incorporates people's traditional healthy living habits back in 1960, living near the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, France, Spain, and Italy. Researchers observed that those people were more powerful than Americans and their bodies were exceptionally resistant toward diseases.

There can't be hard to fast rule to follow the Mediterranean diet, as different people have consumed different things living in those countries.

This article will talk about the general food plans prescribed by researchers to meet your health milestone.

What to eat?

The healthy diet observed by most studies is excessive in plant foods as compared to animal foods.

Your diet should be based upon these healthy Mediterranean foods:

· Vegetables: Kale, tomatoes, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, onions, etc.

· Fruits: Strawberries, apples, oranges, bananas, pears, etc.

· Fish and seafood: Mackerel, salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, etc.

· Healthy Fats: Avocados, extra olive oil, olives, etc.

· Eggs: Duck, chicken, and quail eggs.

· Whole grains: Rye, whole oats, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, etc.

· Dairy: Cheese, Greek yogurt, yogurt, etc.

· Tubers: Sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, turnips, etc.

· Healthy Fats: Avocados, olives, extra virgin olive oil, and avocado oil.

What to drink?

Water is one of the fundamental drinks in all kinds of diets, so it can’t be ignored. The Mediterranean diet suggests consuming one glass of red wine in a day.

However, wine consumption is completely optional and must be avoided by a person having health problems to take wine.

Tea and coffee are good enough but with low sugar.

The Eatwell Guide

The Mediterranean diet plan is more comparable to the healthy eating advice issued by the government, named Eatwell guide.

As we discussed earlier that there is no fix Mediterranean diet, so this guide shows the combination of the general foods for a balanced, healthy diet and what amount of food consumption is mandatory to stay healthy:

· Eat at least five different varieties of vegetables and fruits round the clock. But be careful about the selection of your five a day.

· Your meals should be based on different starchy foods like rice, potatoes, pasta, and bread.

· Consume some pulses, meat, eggs, fish, and other proteins once in a week; one of them must be oily.

· Eat some dairy products like cheese and yogurt but try to choose lower sugar and lower fat options.

· Pick out some unsaturated spreads and oils in a small amount for consumption.

· Drink at least 5 to 7 glasses of any above-mentioned fluid in a day.

You do not need to track the number of calories and other micronutrients for a Mediterranean diet as it is already designed according to your body needs.

Final words

As there is no defined Mediterranean diet, so you have to consume some general foods rich in plant foods and comparably low in animal foods.

If, in case someone doesn’t find this diet suitable, should consult his dietitian. Maybe some additional recommendations would work for him. But, in the end, you would not be disappointed by the Mediterranean diet.