Everyone has heard about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. This term first appeared in the middle of the last century, when researchers discovered many similarities in the diet and lifestyle of residents of countries in the Mediterranean region, and associated it with longevity andhealth for which they are famous.
Since then, the Mediterranean diet has been closely studied around the world, both by specialists and by those who want to build a healthy and balanced diet to live a long and happy life. What are the principles of the Mediterranean diet and how to create a menu in accordance with them, if you live not in Palermo, but in other cities, read below.
The main rules of the Mediterranean diet
Today, the Mediterranean diet is an established concept based on the eating habits of people living along the Mediterranean coast. These habits have been analyzed and compiled into a practical system that anyone can follow. In summary, the principles of the Mediterranean diet are as follows:
- High intake of monounsaturated fats.Olive oil and other sources of monounsaturated fatty acids are widely used in cooking, providing up to a third of all calories.
- Low level of meat consumption.Traditionally, in Mediterranean countries, meat was eaten on special occasions rather than daily.
- High consumption of fish and seafood.Marine sources of protein in the Mediterranean diet play the role of a kind of meat substitute, therefore they are consumed quite often.
- High consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains.Vegetable and vegetarian dishes owe their permanent place on the Mediterranean table to the good climate, and the most common dessert is fresh fruit.
- Average level of consumption of dairy products.The main dairy product consumed in Mediterranean countries is cheese; it is no coincidence that we find the largest number of cheeses in the world here.
- Average level of alcohol consumption.People living in the Mediterranean tend to drink regularly, but in small quantities. This is usually one or two glasses of wine with lunch and dinner.
- Physical activity.Although this element is not directly related to diet, people in Mediterranean countries tend to lead active lifestyles and spend a lot of time outdoors.
Taking these rules into account when drawing up your daily menu, you can adhere to the Mediterranean diet regardless of where you actually reside. What will it give? Fortunately, there is enough research on this diet today, so we can say this with confidence.
Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
So, the Mediterranean diet:
- promotes the functioning of blood vessels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases;
- prevents inflammatory processes and restores damaged cells;
- reduces the risk of cancer, as well as diseases such as diabetes, asthma, Alzheimer's disease and others;
Based on the general principles of the Mediterranean diet, the WHO has developed dietary guidelines to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and in 2010 UNESCO recognized the Mediterranean diet as a national cultural heritage.
Spanish scientists from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Navarra went even further, studying 11, 000 people and found that those who most carefully followed the above principles of the Mediterranean diet had arisk of depression 30% lower than that of rest. The reasons, however, are not entirely clear, but scientists have suggested that reduced risk of depression is one of the consequences of the fact that foods included in the Mediterranean diet improve vascular function and fight inflammation.
If you want to get started but don't know how
The benefits promised by the Mediterranean diet are dizzying. Of course, almost no one will agree to reduce the risk of certain diseases, but it is quite difficult to change your diet in one go, especially if you have never done it before. Therefore, below I will give some tips and recommendations for those who want to start eating according to the Mediterranean diet, and at the end of the article I will create a trial menu for the week so that the first step towards a newlife doesn't have to be so scary.
Here's what you need to do first:
Buy olive oil
No, I have no doubt that you eat cold pressed olive oil without my opinion, but if you don't have it in your kitchen at least sometimes (or on the contrary, the same bottle of oilgathers dust in your cupboard for more than two, maximum three months), you can forget about the Mediterranean diet. Season salads with oil, pour fresh and cooked vegetables, pasta, cereals, fish into them and dip bread into them. A good olive oil is a versatile seasoning that goes with literally everything, so the key here is to get into the habit of it. But frying in expensive, high-quality oil is only worth it when cooking over low heat; in other cases, use refined vegetables or butter.
Eat olives
Everything is clear here. Olive oil is made from olives, and the olives themselves also contain those monounsaturated fatty acids that make it so healthy. Eating seven olives a day is enough to get the full range of nutrients they contain. Fortunately, this poses little difficulty, most adults love olives, but if this statement does not apply to you, add olives to salads, sauces, stews or fresh cheeses.
Eat more fish
Forget the outdated recommendations that you should eat fish at least once a week. You should eat fish much more often - at least 3-4 times a week, which means you should improve your skills in choosing, purchasing and preparing fish. When choosing between sea and river fish, give preference to sea fish; among wild and caged fish, choose wild fish. Frozen fish, if properly thawed, is not much worse than fresh fish, but it is much more affordable, and the recipes for fish dishes on this site will last you a year in advance.
More vegetables, good and different
In the minds of many compatriots, vegetables are either a salad or a side dish, and there is an urgent need to change this idea. Get into the habit of preparing one or two dinners a week entirely based on vegetables and legumes. I'm not advocating adopting a plant-based diet - adding cheese or a little ham is fine - but by unlocking the potential of vegetables as a food, you'll start to benefit from them yourself. It would be nice, of course, if they were fresh and seasonal vegetables, but in winter our pickles and pickles will fit perfectly into the Mediterranean diet. Is it in vain that they contain so many useful substances and vitamin C?. .
Pasta is good
We have a biased attitude towards pasta: at best, it is considered a side dish, at worst, a source of problems for the figure. At the same time, in one of the countries that gave us the Mediterranean diet, Italy, pasta is considered the mainstay of local cuisine: it is served before the main course, after cold starters, called antipasti, iti. e. "before Pasta. ""There's absolutely no point in exhausting yourself eating three or four-course dinners every day - you haven't done that for a long time, even in Italy itself. But discovering pasta as a complete dish is worth itYou can start with classic Italian sauce recipes, favoring pasta made from durum wheat: they contain more nutrients and are better digestible.
Eat less sweets
If you can't imagine a day without a sweet roll or cake, you'll struggle. In the Mediterranean diet, dessert is often replaced with fresh berries and fruits, which contain fiber and a number of vitamins and nutrients. The good news is that you can eat a reasonable amount of fruit every day, but if you can't live without it, it's best to reduce the consumption of other sweets to once or twice a week. And of course, we're not talking about store-bought baked goods with tons of sugar and margarine.
Mediterranean diet: menu of the week
As I promised, as a bonus to the article will be a menu for the week, developed according to the principles of the Mediterranean diet, but first some necessary explanations.
- Firstly, the combinations of first courses and main courses are given based on my subjective ideas about good cuisine, there is no hidden logic in them, and if desired, the dishes listed on the menu can bemixed as you wish.
- Second, the menu is designed for someone who works 7 days a week and only dines at home on weekends. If this does not concern you, mix the dishes from the proposed menu in the same way or cook in reserve.
- Third, the menu is not tied to any specific season. If some of the products needed for the proposed recipes are not currently available, you can do so – well, you get the idea! — mix the menu according to seasonality.
- Fourth, don't be surprised if you see dishes on the menu that, at first glance, do not correspond to your ideas about the diet of Mediterranean people. In Italy, many people are unlikely to eat cottage cheese and sour cream for breakfast - and yet these products fit perfectly into the Mediterranean diet.
- Finally, if you want to replace a dish or expand the menu offered, study the recipe catalog.
Monday
Breakfast:
cottage cheese with sour cream
Dinner:
fresh beet salad
fried cod and quickly sautéed spinach
seasonal fruits or berries
Tuesday
Breakfast:
natural yogurt with honey or jam
Dinner:
Lentil soup
baked chicken pickle and cucumber and garden herb salad
seasonal fruits or berries
Wednesday
Breakfast:
cottage cheese with sour cream
Dinner:
toasted bread with baked peppers and cheese
fish and rice with vegetables
seasonal fruits or berries
THURSDAY
Breakfast:
Sugar-free muesli with yogurt
Dinner:
minestrone soup
spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and basil
seasonal fruits or berries
Friday
Breakfast:
natural yogurt with honey or jam
Dinner:
squid and fennel salad
Beef entrecôte with pepper sauce and grilled vegetables
seasonal fruits or berries
SATURDAY
Breakfast:
Shakshuka
Dinner:
sea fish soup
squid cooked with tomatoes
Dinner:
Caprese Salad
lamb with eggplant and bulgur with peas
figs with honey and rosemary
Sunday
Breakfast:
homemade cupcake
Dinner:
roasted pepper soup
Amateur Spaghetti
Dinner:
garlic fried shrimp
baked flounder and rosemary potatoes
baked apple
Finally
Many of us associate the word "diet" with a constant feeling of hunger and the need to limit ourselves in our desires for the sake of a fleeting result. But the Mediterranean diet is completely different. Where, if not in the Mediterranean countries, do they know good cuisine and the pleasure that comes from a tasty and leisurely lunch that brings the whole family around the table? In fact, the Mediterranean diet is not a diet or a nutritional system. It is a lifestyle that promises health and longevity, which each of us can follow.
I hope this article on the principles of the Mediterranean diet was useful to you and you can easily plan your menu in accordance with its principles. And to make this task even easier, you can use various recipe collections to help you find the right dishes.