Mediterranean diet meal plan and shopping list. The Mediterranean Diet recently made front page news after it was ranked the 3rd most popular diet of 2. Huffington Post. This is most likely due to the stunning results of a five- year Spanish study, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine last year. Why all the excitement? We’ve known about the heart- healthy Mediterranean Diet for years. But this study was the first major randomized clinical trial (the gold standard of scientific research proving cause and effect) that used meaningful endpoints, including heart attack, stroke and death. These showed the dramatic benefits of following a Mediterranean diet. How to plan your Mediterranean diet meal plan and shopping list. RELATED: RECOMMENDED PLANS FOR YOUThe Mediterranean Diet has long been celebrated as the gold standard of healthy diets. A single definition of the Mediterranean diet is difficult because there are more than the 1. Mediterranean Sea. But there are general food patterns that unify the diets of the region. So, in a nutshell (yes, nuts are a component of the world’s healthiest diet!), here’s how to create a meal plan in order to reap the incredible health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet: 1. Make extra virgin olive oil your main fat. Hippocrates called olive oil “the great therapeutic” and Homer referred to it as “liquid gold.” Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) stands apart from all other types of fat for several reasons.– It provides the highest percentage of oleic acid, the extremely cardioprotective monounsaturated fatty acid.– It is packed with powerful plant antioxidants called “polyphenols,” known to soothe inflammation and curb oxidative stress.– It is also an excellent food source of vitamin E, a major dietary antioxidant vitamin. To take advantage of “liquid gold,” keep a small opaque herb- infused bottle of EVOO on your kitchen counter, and use it in all types of cooking.
Coat vegetables or fish generously before roasting or grilling. Dress salads with an easy olive oil Vinaigrette. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes, bean soups, grains, and steamed vegetables to enhance their flavor. Eat greens and colourful vegetables at every lunch and dinner. Fresh, colorful vegetables (think dark green spinach; juicy red tomatoes; or crunchy, bright orange bell peppers) keep our arteries healthy and clean. Head for your green grocer and buy veggies fresh and often—a spectrum of healthy colors is nature’s medicine chest. Vegetables are chock full of myriad polyphenols (the major disease battling phytochemical). Here are a few simple ideas to help you harness the power of plants.– Eat a dark green salad at lunch and dinner when eating in or out (remember to dress simply with EVOO and vinegar or fresh lemon juice).– Toss your favorite prewashed, bagged, and prechopped vegetables on a sheet of tin foil, drizzle with EVOO, and roast at 4. Eat fruit (and lots of it!)Eating a variety of different types of fruit every day is great for your heart: aim to “mix ’n’ match” for the most nutritional benefits. Try Mediterranean- style fruits such as figs or pomegranate; vitamin C- rich fruit like kiwi; and don’t forget the other fruits such as apples or bananas. Start your day with berries at breakfast, and end it with fruit for dessert. Add figs or dried fruits to your lunchtime salad (think cranberries, apricots, or currants) for a delicious touch that provides a feast of antioxidants. And if you just can’t go to bed without a little something sweet, try some dried figs. Eat lentils or other legumes every day. Lentils are an age- old part of the culinary culture of the Mediterranean diet. These nutrition giants are loaded with the heart healthiest of ingredients, including fiber, antioxidants, plant protein, vitamins, minerals, and iron — and all this for just pennies on the dollar. To get more legumes into your day, snack on fresh raw veggies dipped in hummus; sprinkle a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or kidney beans into your salad, eat legume- based soups such as lentil, split pea, black bean, pasta e fagioli, or minestrone, or snack on edamame (delectable baby soybeans) available as an appetizer at Japanese restaurants or frozen at your local supermarket. Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical inactivity (lack of physical activity) has. The Mediterranean diet is a modern nutritional recommendation originally inspired by the dietary patterns of Greece, Southern Italy, France and Spain in the 1940s and. The Mediterranean diet involves a set of skills, knowledge, rituals, symbols and traditions concerning crops, harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry, conservation. Closely following a Mediterranean diet in everyday life may significantly reduce the risk for types of breast cancer that are associated with poorer prognoses in. The Mediterranean diet traditionally includes fruits, vegetables, pasta and rice. For example, residents of Greece eat very little red meat and average nine servings. Anti-inflammatory Diet: Road to Good Health? Experts discuss the potential disease-fighting benefits of diets that try to reduce inflammation. Privacy Policy; Terms of Use; Site Map © 2017 Dr. Sears is the science site of anti-inflammatory nutrition. Sears.com will help you stay updated on. The Advanced Mediterranean Diet Lose Weight · Feel Better · Live Longer. Eat fish, often. It’s called the “Eskimo factor.” As early as 1. Greenland Eskimos had virtually no heart disease. The Eskimos’ diet was low in fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates, but loaded with oily seafood such as whale and seal meat. This provided the Eskimos with a huge daily dose of fish oil (about 1. Fish oil is a centerpiece of the Mediterranean Diet and is rich in the superbly heart- healthy marine omega- 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Choose fish over red meat to replicate the Eskimo factor for yourself! Go to your local fish monger and be sure to buy really fresh fish (don’t be shy about asking to smell the fish—and if it has a fishy smell, stay away!). I buy fresh fish in bulk and cut it into individual servings, wrap in wax paper, label, and freeze. If you eat out, frequent a steak house, where you can almost always find salmon or a tuna steak on the menu. Just be sure to order it grilled and simply dressed with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Consider a can of water- packed albacore tuna served over your greens for lunch with olive oil vinaigrette. Eat walnuts. Walnuts have sustained humans since the dawn of civilization—and they’re key to the Mediterranean diet because they are a top source of ALA (alpha- linolenic acid). ALA is the omega- 3 fatty acid derived from plants, which our bodies need (in addition to the other omega- 3 that comes from salmon and other fish). Here are a few ideas for getting walnuts into your day.– Keep a bag of shelled walnuts on your kitchen counter for a quick and healthy snack. Sprinkle crushed walnuts on a fat- free Greek yogurt with a little honey for a nutritious and satisfying dessert.– Sprinkle walnuts on your green salads.– Or try candied walnuts —just bake with a little brown sugar for a sweet treat. Eat whole grains such as oatmeal. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fresh and natural foods over those that are processed and refined. Grains contain three botanically defined parts – the bran, the endosperm, and the germ—and by eating natural whole grains you’re getting all three parts, which packs a powerful nutritional punch.– Aim for a minimum of three servings of whole grains a day.– Snack on popcorn (yes, it’s a whole grain!).– Season with a few sprays of olive oil and a touch of parmesan cheese or brown sugar — depending on if you crave salty or sweet.– Make oatmeal your breakfast of choice on most days of the week.– Cook up a large batch of the steel cut version, which is highest in beta- glucan, and reheat daily servings for a heart- disease- prevention breakfast in minutes. Choose 1. 00% percent whole grain bagels, breads, and muffins for your sandwiches. Drink red wine with dinner. Red wine, another key part of the Mediterranean Diet, is known to reduce the risk of heart attack due to its cache of powerful antioxidant polyphenols. Be sure to pick red wine over white: it has ten times more polyphenol content. One caveat: moderation is the magic word, meaning a little is good, and a lot is not better. Wine is beneficial for your health only in moderation. Enjoy one glass a night with dinner and let your heart reap the benefits. Dark chocolate is the new guilt- free super food! The scientific evidence is stacking up. There is a clear link between daily consumption of deep, dark chocolate with phenomenal health benefits, especially on your heart and blood vessels. Cap off your day with a nightly cup of steaming, decadent homemade hot chocolate (mix 2 heaping spoonfuls of dark chocolate natural unsweetened cocoa powder, a touch of sweetener or sugar substitute, and soy milk and microwave). Remember, to satisfy your chocolate craving and fortify your heart disease defense strategy simultaneously, think real cocoa rather than solid chocolate bars. Natural unsweetened cocoa powder has the highest concentration of flavanols of all chocolate products, plus is low in sugar, fat and calories. Be physically active—EXERCISE! The Mediterranean lifestyle is an active lifestyle—regular physical activity reduces your risk for heart disease. It’s important to make an effort, every day, to get off the couch and get those sneakers on! Exercise is the best medicine for promoting healing, improving your joie de vivre, and especially for releasing harmful plaque- promoting stress. Start slow and make walking (or any other exercise you love) a priority in your life, just like keeping your appointments. So which of these components are most important? Actually, there’s no winner; scientists concur that the whole Mediterranean package confers the health benefits. And remember, eating like a Mediterranean is as much lifestyle as it is a diet. Imagine yourself sitting down to a leisurely meal of delicious fresh and artfully prepared food, slowly savoring the joy of your Mediterranean meal—a far cry from mindlessly gobbling down your food behind your steering wheel or in front of the TV. I urge you to enjoy a long and healthy life by following the spectacularly delicious and easy- to- follow Mediterranean lifestyle—now scientifically proven to be the world’s healthiest (and tastiest) diet! Shopping List. 10 Point Mediterranean lifestyle key component checklist: DAILY food #1: Extra virgin olive oil (minimum one tablespoon per day)DAILY food #2: Omega- 3 fat (short chain plant version, “ALA”—flaxseeds, walnuts, canola oil—minimum once per day)DAILY food #3: Legumes (beans, peas or lentils; minimum once/day)DAILY food #4: Vegetables (green, orange or purple in color, minimum two meals/day)DAILY food #5: Whole grains (oatmeal, 1. Mediterranean diet - Wikipedia. The Mediterranean diet is a modern nutritional recommendation originally inspired by the dietary patterns of Greece, Southern Italy, France and Spain in the 1. Physically active lifestyle, lower body mass index, cessation of smoking and moderate alcohol consumption also may contribute. The research concluded that Mediterranean, low- carbohydrate, low- glycemic index, and high- protein diets are effective in improving markers of risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, while there was limited evidence for an effect of vegetarian diets on glycemic control and lipid levels unrelated to weight loss. One of the main explanations is thought to be the health effects of olive oil included in the Mediterranean diet. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats, most notably oleic acid, which is under clinical research for its potential health benefits. Objective data showing that Mediterranean diet is healthful originated from results of epidemiological studies in Naples and Madrid . A parallel phenomenon is known as the French Paradox. According to the famed Portuguese gastronomist Maria de Lourdes Modesto who met with Keys, Portugal was included in their observations and studies, and according to their conversation, Keys considered Portugal had the most pure . However, Salazar, the dictator of Portugal, did not want the name of Portugal included in what he understood as the diet of the poor. After the Mediterranean diet became well- known, some studies evaluated the health benefits of the so- called . Silvano Serventi and Francoise Sabban, Pasta, p. Godman H (6 November 2. Harvard Health Publications, Harvard University, Boston. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). Lipids Health Dis (Review). Retrieved April 3, 2. Retrieved April 3, 2. The American Journal of Medicine. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Text with EEA relevance. Official Journal of the European Union. Retrieved August 3. Public health nutrition. Metabolism: clinical and experimental. International Journal of Cancer. Journal International Du Cancer. Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.). Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. The increase in world- wide consumption of a Mediterranean diet, which includes a wide range of wheat- based foods, has possibly contributed to an alarming rise in the incidence of wheat (gluten?)- related disorders. Volta U, Caio G, Tovoli F, De Giorgio R (2. Cellular and Molecular Immunology (Review). Many factors have contributed to the development of gluten- related pathology, starting with the worldwide spread of the Mediterranean diet, which is based on a high intake of gluten- containing foods. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East. Tauris Parke Paperbacks. Discours et pratiques alimentaires en M. L'Harmattan, Paris, 2. ISBN 9. 78- 2- 3. ISBN 0- 6. 74- 8. Burros, Marian (2. March 1. 99. 5). Archived by Webcite^Kushi LH, Lenart EB, Willett WC (1. Plant foods and dairy products. Meat, wine, fats, and oils. Willett, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating, Free Press. ISBN 0- 7. 43. 2- 6. Bruno Simini (1 January 2. G., The Fruits, Herbs, and Vegetables of Italy, London, Viking, 1.
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