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Weight Loss Exercise

The Mediterranean Diet – What Is It, Really?



One of the most popular, yet often misunderstood diet plans on the market today is the Mediterranean Diet. While everyone reading this can safely assume that the Mediterranean Diet is, in fact, derived from the style of eating implemented by the people of that particular region, there are many specifics that are simply not known.

I have heard this diet being compared to the South Beach Diet on numerous occasions, and this is certainly a fair comparison. It is an eating plan which is primarily made up of lean meats and fresh vegetables, but again, the specifics of the Mediterranean Diet are really what set it apart from the rest.

For example, red meats, eggs, and dairy are very seldom used on this eating plan. Individuals residing in the countries and territories surrounding the Mediterranean most often consume fish as their source of animal protein. Another key distinction is the fact that this animal protein is one of the last priorities on the diet.

In fact, fresh vegetables and fruits rule the land! Olive oil and whole grains take second place, followed by wild fish and small amounts of red wine.

The key is healthy fats, primarily Omega-3 fatty acid, which is absolutely wonderful for raising the good cholesterol while lowering the bad. And because this high level of unsaturated fat is super clean burning, it actually trains your body to use fat as fuel… including your much hated body fat!

One reason so many people have turned to the Mediterranean Diet as their weight loss plan of choice is the incredible health-enhancing benefits they believe it to include. Common sense will tell you that these people are not off-base in this belief. In fact, when is the last time you heard that a diet high in fruits and vegetables, keen on whole grains and Omega fatty acids, and rich in antioxidants was bad for you? Most likely, never.

The antioxidant properties of this diet have been shown to be beneficial in combatting heart disease (hello, the number one killer in the Western World!) and certain forms of cancer (not too far behind)… this is a diet that anyone who values their health, and not just quick weight loss, can get behind.

Not only is this eating plan safe, effective, healthy, and logical… but it’s not weird! What do I mean? The ingredients are very basic and are available in any grocery store. This provides a kind of convenience that many diet plans can’t seem to provide.

Since I first heard of the Mediterranean Diet (maybe 10 years ago), I have yet to hear one bad word uttered against it. It’s practically the poster child for what common sense would tell you is a healthy, responsible diet. Crisp, fresh produce, unaltered grains, fresh wild fish, and lots of healthy cold-pressed olive oil. Hey, is anyone else getting hungry?

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Weight Loss Exercise

With So Many Diet Plans Conflicting With Each Other, Who Can You Trust?



Frustrating is an understatement, I know. It can be so incredibly difficult to cut through all the conflicting information you get from the various diet plans out there. What makes this such a difficult task? Well, for starters, most of these diet plans have been created by equally qualified people. This article is about to expose these discrepancies, helping you make an effective, stress-free dieting decision.

We’ve all seen it. One health guru tells you that in order to lose weight and build lean muscle, you’ve got to eat lots of lean protein and very few carbs. A week later, you’re exposed to another health guru (just as renowned as the first) telling you that common sense tells us that we need less and less protein as we get older, that this fact is obvious when you look at the composition of a mother’s milk as her baby gets older (the protein decreases), and that the animals we eat for protein didn’t get their protein by consuming protein, but rather amino acids.

Is milk good for you… or terrible? Does veganism create weak, frail people… or absolute powerhouses? Does consuming fat actually make you fat? Depending upon the book you’re currently reading, the “official” answers to these questions can vary wildly.

So here’s what I propose. It is the most common sense approach known to man. Follow results! Try something for a week and monitor your progress. If you’re headed in the right direction, continue. Otherwise, follow the next guru’s advice for a week and see how that works for you.

If this level of trial and error doesn’t appeal to you, consider the commonly accepted truth that diet plans that have you consuming fewer calories than you use are going to work every time. That’s just the way the body is designed. Regardless of any of the latest diet trends that may tell you that calories don’t matter, use your own common sense on this one.

Extra calories are stored as body fat. This fat is full of calories (units of energy). If you keep stuffing yourself with more calories than you use, then your body will continue to store them. On the other hand, when you use more calories than you consume, your body will pull from your fat reserves in order to fuel itself. Any diet plans that try to debunk this well-known fact are immediately subject to suspicion from where I stand.

What’s really funny to me about a lot of these genuinely convincing programs is that they try to pitch their diet by claiming that you can eat whatever you want and don’t have to do much exercise. What you eat and how you move your body are ALL that matter when it comes to losing weight. The fresher and more natural your food, the better. And the more you exercise, the better (within reason).

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Weight Loss Exercise

Making Diet Food Desirable



There are three main reasons why most people don’t stick to their diets. For one, they get too hungry and look to “comfort food” to fill the void. Secondly, they don’t like the taste of diet food, and out of sheer boredom they look for their usual, “exciting” (aka fattening) cuisine. And finally, many people simply can’t afford healthy options, and so it’s back to the drive-thru dollar menu. So how can we overcome these obstacles? This article will attempt to provide an answer.

We will address three things that can be done immediately to not only identify “diet food” that will have your taste buds thanking you, but to also fill up your tummy without emptying your wallet. I personally believe that you deserve the best of all worlds… health, happiness, satisfaction, sensation, and affordability. So let’s make it happen!

3 Steps to Overcoming Common Dieting Obstacles:

1. Go natural. The closer you can get your diet to 100% natural, the better off you will be. This means instead of buying a frozen or prepackaged meal, do some actual produce shopping. Buy fresh, lean meats. And don’t be afraid to prepare meals yourself. There are many diet plans out there that rely almost solely on you “eating like a caveman.” When you eat like this, it won’t even feel like you’re eating diet food!

2. Vary your flavors and textures. One reason that people typically hate diet food is that not all flavors and textures are being represented in their meals. People like things to be chewy, salty, juicy, sweet, starchy, meaty, crunchy, spicy, flaky, and a vast array of other things.

Instead of fighting this natural desire for variety, embrace it. Incorporate “heavy” foods like mushrooms and avocados, stick to lean meats such as chicken, turkey, and fish. Try spaghetti squash for a sweet, hearty crunch. Sprinkle some sea salt on green apple slices. Let your own imagination serve you well.

3. Buy in bulk and clip coupons! The greatest way to save money on your grocery bill is to go into the store with a plan, a budget, and a pocket full of coupons! Seriously, I can’t stress enough how much you can actually save yourself when you buy big family packs of meat, take advantage of “buy one get one free” offers, and use coupons.

You may also want to check out the meat department’s “discounted meat” selection. If the freshness looks questionable, don’t bother… but I have found many, many great bargains on healthy “diet food” just by taking advantage of clearance items. Just remember to invest in some freezer bags and fill your freezer to capacity!

These three steps can truly go a long way in making diet food not only a heck of a lot more enjoyable, but a practical and affordable alternative to the garbage that continually contributes to our obesity, heart disease, stroke, and cancer epidemics.

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