How to follow Mediterranean diet? It is just a way of eating plant based diet which includes vegetables fruits full greens beans nuts and legs with some proteins from fish and poultry also. This diet also include food that has good fat in it such as extra virgin olive oil. If you will see as at the top of Mediterranean diet pyramid, you will find red meats and sweets but they are not taken in diet frequently.
As soon as we hear the word ‘diet’ we start to assume our meal having lots of restrictions and a rigid rules to follow and always have to keep a count on calories that we are taking. It is human tendencies but thankfully those who are following Mediterranean diet don’t have to face this. Because there is no such strict restrictions or rules when following Mediterranean way of eating. It is not as same as any diet but it can be defined as a sensible way of eating.
What do you eat on Mediterranean diet?
Food items that you can eat while you are on Mediterranean diet are as follows:
- Eat more (almost everyday) green, leafy vegetables, fruits, whole grain, beans, nuts and legumes.
- Eat moderately (weekly) protein providing food such as fish, some poultry and eggs .
- Eat less (very rarely) red meets and sweets. Red meat is consumed not very frequent as compared to sweets and also in lesser amount or quantity.
- Start using extra virgin oil in your daily diet.
- Last but not the least, Try to avoid fast foods or processed foods and sugar from your diet. Try to exclude products that has any ingredient that you don’t understand or unable to read .
How to follow Mediterranean diet?
To follow Mediterranean diet or to make it a part of your life, the steps are as follows:
- Avoid process or fast food from your for many of us it is difficult to eliminate fast food from our diet suddenly because it will be very difficult for us to implement this adjustment in our life specially in today’s era. For example: if you are craving for sweet potato fries try to make it at your homes using olive oil and also add or sprinkle Mediterranean spices. Overall you should replace your unhealthy process or fast food with healthier homemade alternative made by you.
- Try to add more vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes in your diet. All these ingredients constitutes the base of Mediterranean diet pyramid and it should also be the base of every meal you are taking on your daily basis. Try to seek always for vegetarian food like cauliflower, chickpea stew , spices spinach ,lintel soup, etc. in your diet. You can also try some salad with flavors that should take some portion of your dinner plate, examples can be kidney bean salad, Mediterranean chickpea salad ,greek salad ,balela salad,etc.
- Switch fat. Try to be dependent upon healthy fats and swap unhealthy fat from your daily diet. For example you can start it by swapping your butter with good extra virgin olive oil while you are cooking.
- Avoid or eliminate to drink your calories. According to Mediterranean diet it means one should drink more and more water and limit the amount of intake for calorie loaded margaritas or an occasional glass of red wine..
- Make a habit of sharing your meals with others as much as possible. It is very helpful in many ways such as it will help you to spend your time with your loved ones that will definitely help to tackle your stress and brings up your mood up. But if we will be deliberate or we will not be socializing enough it will affect our portion by controlling it.
- Start taking dairy products and eggs in your diet. There are many health benefits from dairy products if taken moderation such as cardiovascular disease obesity metabolic syndrome diabetes etc.
- Eliminate fatty red meat. Replace your fatty red meat with fish by eating it at least two times a week because it gives us protein that is lean.
Conclusion
In the last we can conclude that Mediterranean diet is good and ideal diet too manage and follow as it helps in solving many health related problems.
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