When it comes to health, diet plays an important role in how you look and feel and may even determine how long you live. There certainly seems to be a grain of truth to the old adage “you are what you eat.”. When it comes to eating right, the Mediterranean countries seem to have an important advantage. Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets when it comes to weight control as well as in terms of preventing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. If you’re ready to start tapping into the benefits of the healthy Mediterranean diet, here are some simple food adjustments you can make.
Mediterranean Meal Plan: Add a little olive oil.
Olive oil is rich in heart healthy monounsaturated fats. This is the type of fat that may have favorable effects on your lipid profile and help to reduce the risk of heart disease. If you’re currently using another oil, make the transition to extra virgin olive oil. You can use it for most applications except in cases where you’ll be using high heat. Olive oil has a smoke point of around 250 degrees Farenheit making it unsuitable for sautéing at high temperatures or grilling. Substitute canola oil or grapeseed oil for these purposes. Olive oil is one of the key components of a healthy Mediterranean diet.
Mediterranean Meal Plan: Think of meat in a new way.
Most Americans think of meat as being the primary focus of a meal. In the Mediterranean countries, meat is more of a condiment to be enjoyed in small quantities. When Mediterraneans add meat to their plate, it’s usually fish or very lean cuts of red meat. Substituting fish for red meat is a healthy way to satisfy your protein requirements and add extra heart healthy omega-3’s to your diet. Learn to get over the idea that you have to have meat at every meal.
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