Everyone has heard of the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. This term appeared for the first time in the middle of the last century, when researchers found many similarities in the diet and lifestyle of the inhabitants of the countries of the Mediterranean region and related this to the longevity and health for which they are famous.
Since then, the Mediterranean diet has been closely studied all over the world, both by specialists and by people who want to build a healthy, 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 do not live 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 the inhabitants of the Mediterranean coast. These habits have been analyzed and compiled into a convenient system that anyone can follow. Briefly, the principles of the Mediterranean diet are as follows:
- High intake of unsaturated 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, meat in Mediterranean countries was eaten on special occasions and not every day.
- High consumption of fish and seafood.Marine sources of protein in the Mediterranean diet play the role of a kind of meat substitute, so they are eaten quite often.
- High consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, 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.
- The average level of consumption of dairy products.The main dairy product consumed in the Mediterranean countries is cheese, it is no coincidence that the largest number of cheeses in the world can be found here.
- Average level of alcohol consumption.Mediterraneans tend to drink regularly, but in small amounts. Usually this is one or two glasses of wine with lunch and dinner.
- Physical activity.Although this article is not directly related to diet, residents of Mediterranean countries tend to lead an active lifestyle, spending a lot of time outdoors.
By considering these rules when compiling your daily menu, you can adhere to the Mediterranean diet, regardless of where you actually live. What will give? Fortunately, today there is more than enough research on this diet, so we can say with confidence.
The benefits of the Mediterranean diet
So, the Mediterranean diet:
- promotes the functioning of blood vessels, 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, WHO 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 followed the above principles of the Mediterranean diet more carefully had a 30% lower risk ofdepression than rest. The reasons for this, however, are not completely clear, but scientists have suggested that reducing the risk of depression is one of the consequences of the fact that the foods included in the Mediterranean diet improve the function of blood vessels and fight inflammation.
If you want to start but don't know how
The benefits that the Mediterranean diet promises will make your head spin. Of course, there is hardly anyone who would not agree to reduce the risk of certain diseases, but it is quite difficult to change your diet immediately, especially if you have never done this 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 test menu for the week so that the first step towards a new life is notso scary.
Here's what you need to do first:
Buy olive oil
No, I have no doubt that you eat cold olive oil without my advice, but if you do not have it in the kitchen at least sometimes (or, rather, the same bottle of oil has been gathering dust in your cupboard for more than two, at most threemonth), you can forget the Mediterranean diet. We dress salads with oil, put fresh and boiled vegetables, pasta, cereals, fish on top and dip in bread. Good olive oil is a versatile seasoning that goes with literally everything, so the key here is to get used to it. But frying in expensive, high-quality oil is only worth it when cooking on low heat; in other cases, use vegetables or refined butter.
Eat olives
Everything is clear here. Olive oil is made from olives, and the olives themselves also contain those unsaturated fatty acids that make it so healthy. Eating seven olives a day is enough to get the full range of nutrients they contain. Fortunately, there is little difficulty with this, 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 need to eat fish much more often - at least 3-4 times a week, which means that you need to improve your skills in choosing, buying and preparing fish. When choosing between sea and river fish, give preference to sea fish; from the wild and caged fish, choose the 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 page will last you for a year.
More vegetables, good and different
In the minds of many compatriots, vegetables are either a salad or a side dish, and this idea must be changed urgently. Make it a habit to prepare one or two dinners a week entirely from vegetables and legumes. I'm not advocating going plant-based - adding cheese or a bit of bacon is fine - but by unlocking the potential of vegetables as a food, you'll start to enjoy them on their own. It would be good, of course, if these 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 bias towards pasta; at best, they are 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, in Italy, pasta is considered the pillar of local cuisine: it is served before the main course, after cold appetizers, which are called antipasti, that is, "before. pasta. "Nothere is absolutely no sense in getting tired of eating three or four course dinners every day - they haven't done that for a long time even in Italy itself. But discovering pasta as a complete dish is worth it. You can start with recipes for classic Italian sauces, giving priority to pasta made from durum wheat: they contain more nutrients and are more digestible.
Eat less sweets
If you can't imagine a day without a sweet bun or cake, you're going to have a hard time. In the Mediterranean diet, sweets are often replaced by berries and fresh fruit, which contain fiber and a range of vitamins and nutrients. The good news is that you can eat reasonable amounts of fruit every day, but if you can't live without it, it's best to reduce your consumption of other sweets to once or twice a week. And, of course, we're not talking store-bought baked goods with tons of sugar and margarine.
Mediterranean diet: menu for the week
As I promised, a bonus to the article will be a menu for the week, compiled according to the principles of the Mediterranean diet, but first some necessary explanations.
- First, the combinations of appetizers and main dishes are given based on my subjective ideas of good cuisine, there is no hidden logic in them, and if you wish, the dishes listed on the menu can be mixed to your liking.
- Second, the menu is designed for a person who works 7 days a week, who dines at home only on weekends. If this does not apply to you, similarly change the dishes from the proposed menu or cook them in reserve.
- Third, the menu is not tied to any specific season. If some of the products needed for the suggested recipes are not currently available, you can - well, you get the idea! — mix up the menu seasonally.
- Fourth, do not be surprised if you see dishes on the menu that at first glance do not correspond to your ideas about the diet of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean. In Italy, it is unlikely that many people eat cottage cheese and sour cream for breakfast - and yet, these products more than fit into the Mediterranean diet.
- Finally, if you want to replace a dish or expand the proposed menu, study the recipe catalog.
Monday
BREAKFAST:
cottage cheese with sour cream
dinner:
fresh beet salad
fried cod and quick-fried spinach
seasonal fruits or berries
Tuesday
BREAKFAST:
natural yogurt with honey or jam
dinner:
lentil soup
baked chicken cucumbers and salad with cucumber and garden herbs
seasonal fruits or berries
Wednesday
BREAKFAST:
cottage cheese with sour cream
dinner:
toast with roasted 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 entrecote with pepper sauce and grilled vegetables
seasonal fruits or berries
Saturday
BREAKFAST:
shakshuka
dinner:
soup with sea fish
baked squid with tomatoes
dinner:
Caprese salad
lamb with eggplant and bulgur with peas
figs with honey and rosemary
Sunday
BREAKFAST:
homemade cupcakes
dinner:
roasted pepper soup
spaghetti amatriciana
dinner:
garlic fried shrimp
flame in the oven and potatoes with rosemary
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 some temporary result. But the Mediterranean diet is completely different. Where, if not in the Mediterranean countries, know a lot about good food and the pleasure that comes from a delicious and quiet lunch that brings the whole family around the table? In fact, the Mediterranean diet is not a diet or a food system. This is a lifestyle that promises health and longevity that each of us can follow.
I hope this article about the principles of the Mediterranean diet was useful for you and you can easily plan your menu in accordance with its principles. And to make this task even easier, you can use a variety of recipe collections to help you find the right dishes.