Vitality News Health Articles

Anyone who would like to try out the Mediterranean diet plan should be aware of the fact that the menu is based on foods that are consumed mainly in the Mediterranean area, which includes Italy, Greece and other countries in the southern region of Europe. The Mediterranean diet plan has no other influences.

Grains, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, and olive oil define a standard Mediterranean style diet. Current Mediterranean diet plans typically design their meals based around the food types eaten in a certain culture or region. This is in contrast to having one singularly planed diet structure which is common in many other styles of diet plan, and makes the Mediterranean style diet unique and appealing.

One diverse feature of this diet plan is that its recipes are relatively high in fat. This can be a deterrent because many people jump to the conclusion that all fat is inherently bad. However, fat is actually an essential part of a balanced diet and is vitally important to everyday functioning. If you look at the standard food pyramid you will quickly realize that a certain amount of fat is included.

The reason why this diet is healthy is quite simple: it is one that is high in good fat and low in bad fat. What nutritionists call “bad” fat (or saturated fats) is the type that derives from animal fat. It has been shown to be very unhealthy for the human body, especially in large doses and on a frequent basis. Monounsaturated fat, on the other hand (or “good” fat) is that which comes from plants rather than animals, and as a result is far healthier to consume.

Emphasizing olive oil strongly in cooking will also make a significant difference. Since olive oil is low in bad fat and high in good fat it is a good source for fat intake, in addition to this olives also contain a high amount of antioxidants and are good for combating cholesterol. This combination makes this an extremely heart healthy diet in every way.

The fact that the diet also consists of red wine goes one step further to making it even healthier due to the massive amounts of antioxidants found in red wines. Red wine is actually found to be a normal staple for the majority of European diets. However, since it is also found in most Mediterranean diets it is also included as a large factor in the Mediterranean diet plan. This coupled with the already healthy food included in the diet makes an excellent diet for anyone to try.

When following a Mediterranean diet plan one’s choices must come from the Mediterranean diet menu. There is not one single diet that encompasses all of the types and styles of Mediterranean eating. Foods that are typical of a Mediterranean style diet are breads, cereals, fish and fruits, and lots of olive oil. Though this diet is generally high in fat, it is high in fats that are good for the body in proper amounts. There is also the additional aspect of red wine, which is common to Mediterranean diets, which is high in antioxidants, thus making the choice of a Mediterrean diet overall quite healthy for anyone.

- Mark Green