Mediterranean
Diet
was publicized by
Ancal keys an epidemiologist at the University of Minnesota U.S in a
report published in 1954. Just like Glycemic Index
Diets, this diet is really a type of weight loss
diets
rather than a specific eating plan.
The
mediterranean diet
is modeled after cuisines found in societies along
the shores of
the Mediterranean Sea. Research had shown that these societies had
lower risks of disease like heart attacks and it was proposed it was a
result of a better diet.
The
Mediterranean area stretches from the Western Spain all the way to the
Middle East. The sea, Mediterranean Sea, divides this large stretch of
land from North Africa. The region has about 15 countries including
Greece, Spain, France and Italy.
Mediterranean Diet
Pictures:
The diet is attributed better health in these societies
are
reported in a study seven country study of 1980 by a team headed by
Ancal Keys.
The
report supposedly confirmed suspicion that it was blood
cholesterol from meat and dairy products that was responsible for ill
health in countries like the U.S.
Previously
a thorough study of Crete’s dietary habits entailed in a
report- Crete:
A case study of undeveloped Area in 1953 had documented the
diet.
The
weight
loss diet
did end up being some sort of paradox as these societies ate just
as much fat as their western counterparts.
But
unlike them, they had
lower rates of ill health. The difference was later to be attributed to
liberal use of olive oil in Mediterranean diets.
The diet is designed to be rich in
mono-saturated fat but low in
saturated fat.
Mono-saturated
fats are known to lower blood cholesterol
while saturated fats increase blood cholesterol. In modern
Mediterranean dieting olive oil is still central.
In
addition, the diet is high in fruits, vegetables, bread and fish making
it high in dietary fibers and essential oils.
What
is interesting is that the diet called the Mediterranean is really
a misnomer and probably a myth, a creation of the American’s,
as one
writer Margaret Visser would call it. Diets in the Mediterranean region
not only vary from country to country but even more importantly, just
like everywhere else, they change constantly.
Ancal
Keys when referring to his diet was a little more specific,
referring to it as the diet used by common folk in Napel Italy in the
1950’s. Today, the diet has more influence of
Italian cuisine
than Greece where the Crete report was researched to document the
diet.
In
contrast, diets from Spain are significantly different from the
Mediterranean diet as we know it. Though it has the tell-tale signs of
bread, and wine it also has huge amounts of meat and eggs.
It
would
tend to look more like a "revised Atkins Diet"
or even Hampton's Diet.
Similarly the French each quiet a bit of butter and meat. However their
better health has been attributed to the regular but moderate
consumption of red-wine. Red wine has antioxidants and flavanoids that
go along way to improve health.
The
Mediterranean diet made a huge comeback in the western societies as the
low fat diet campaigned failed. People were getting fatter by eating
less fat and more carbohydrates.
And though Low Carb Diets
that are high in proteins were provided as alternative as early as the
1970’s it has never gone down well with nutritional experts.
In the 90s
the Mediterranean diet was to grow in popularity in the U.S and with it
the use of olive oil.
Today
the diet is considered as a healthful means to fight obesity using a
lifestyle.
The diet’s general
guidelines
include
fruits, vegetables, whole grain, beans, nuts past, rice and breads, low
to moderate consumptions of dairy products and animal proteins. High
use of plans proteins which include fresh legumes is
encouraged.
For
weight loss, the diet is designed to be low calories by use of whole
grains or what would be considered low glycemic index foods. And like
other weight loss diets, it encourages weight loss exercise
but no structured regime is specifically associated with it.
But as we finding out, when it comes to losing belly fat you need to Go Beyond Calories.
To lose belly fat and get a flat stomach or even a six pack you need
more than manage calories. You need to manage two more things. These
two are...
This
content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new information on weight loss becomes
available. The information is intended for
educational purposes only. Please
consult your healthcare provider before beginning
any kind of weight loss program
