It seems almost daily there’s some new weight management scheme that is being touted by ‘experts’ online. To the untrained eye, all of these different diets and nutritional schemes seem to be incredible; fast results, minimal lifestyle changes, frequently no mention of exercise at all. And yet, in reality, so many of them are fake. They will simply be a waste of time and horrible for your waist! But, that’s not to say it’s all bad. There are plenty of examples of good weight management diets. One that is commonly used is the Mediterranean Diet. Let’s look at what it is and whether it will fulfill your weight management goals.
What’s It All About Then?
The Mediterranean Diet is a diet that boasts flexible plans filled with flavorful, appetizing food, and some fun extras. The diet relates directly to a style of eating that has its roots in countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea. These countries include Spain, France, Italy, and Greece.
According to the NHS, the central components of the diet are healthy fats, whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, legumes, fish, poultry, and fruits. To be avoided are all processed foods, any added sugars, refined grains, sugary drinks, and red meat.
Some dairy and eggs can be enjoyed at times. As Kris Gunnars of Healthline writes, one part of the diet that draws in a lot of attention and popularity is its encouragement of the moderate consumption of red wine. This is a drink that is very popular around the Mediterranean. Red wine is very beneficial to your gut microbiome and it helps your blood vessels and blood pressure. It’s also a great source for omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds aren’t natural to the body but are excellent for all sorts of health reasons.
A Low Effort Solution
The Mediterranean Diet is getting so much attention largely because of how easy it is to do. Some diets are so prescriptive that it feels like every meal is practically decided for you. For a select few, this is helpful and enjoyable. But most people are drawn to diets with plenty of variety and tasty meals to keep them entertained, such as the Mediterranean Diet.
It’s also flexible, meaning you can try all sorts of different portion sizes and meal timings, according to how you feel on a week-to-week basis. The only drawback of how low-effort it is that, with weight management, it’s so easy for a relaxed diet to turn into no diet at all. So within the structure of the Mediterranean Diet you need to find the discipline to really stick to the menu steadfastly. If you can, the low effort nature of it makes it a permanent lifestyle change, not a temporary crash course diet to shed the pounds.
Benefits of the Mediterranean diet
1. Boosts Weight Loss
The first and most prominent benefit relates to weight management. The Mediterranean Diet keeps you away from highly calorific meals, the types that usually involve processed foods and added sugars. The diet can be used to promote weight loss, according to MedicalNewsToday, if that is what you are looking to do. If you make no special effort and adhere to the plan with only a few transgressions, you can expect to lose somewhere in the region of 22lbs a year, as Rachael Link of HealthLine writes, depending on where you start from.
2. It Lowers Risk of Diabetes
It also helps to protect you against type 2 diabetes, making you about 50% less likely to develop the illness. Diabetes is a serious problem so the diet being so effective is a very good thing.
3. It Boosts Heart Health
The Mediterranean diet can also improve your heart, due to the lack of things like butter, replaced with olive oil. It significantly reduces your risk of heart disease by reducing your cholesterol and blood pressure, which can only be considered to be a very good thing.
Conclusion
All signs point to the Mediterranean diet being one of the small numbers of diet schemes that have benefits. Again, it’s not so much an intense diet as it is a bit of a lifestyle change. However, in many ways that can meditate more sustainable and more effective.
Who is the author?
Beatrice Potter is a freelancer who found her passion for writing about health and lifestyle topics at College Assignment Help and OXEssays. She likes to share her knowledge with her readers at Top USA Writing Services, and she likes to listen to the success stories of her readers, applying her tips and tricks in various fields.
