Mediterranean diets are usually associated with people living along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, leisurely dining on meals of fish, vegetables, fruits, olives, and crusty whole-grain bread dunked in olive oil. For thousands of years, people in this region of the world have enjoyed this kind of delicious diet - high in plant foods, monounsaturated fats, and omega-3 fatty acids - while getting plenty of regular physical activity. Mediterranean diets are beneficial as they are full of unprocessed, high nutrient based foods that your body can process easily. They are also full of beneficial monounsaturated fats, found in avocados, which helps lower LDL cholesterol levels. So, what is the Mediterranean diet?
Mediterranean diets are best to follow because they consume generous amounts of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, olive oil and garlic and they consume minimal amounts of meat, which is extremely high in Omega-6 fatty acids. Mediterranean diets are low in those fats but rich in monounsaturated (mainly from olive oil) and in polyunsaturated fat from fish. Mediterranean diets are very popular because most of their meals are low in fat, low in carbohydrates. There are many Greek and Turkish recipes available online that will qualify as detox diets.
Mediterranean diets are rich in Omega-3 loaded seafood, but unfortunately many westerners don’t eat enough fatty fish, including albacore tuna and salmon. Flax is another source, but because your body needs to work harder to convert it to get the benefits, seafood is recommended. Mediterranean diets are not purely vegetarian. They are, however, sparing in their use of red meat and eggs, and low in their use of fish and poultry. Mediterranean diets are said to be the healthiest so don’t forget the olive oil! Ok yes, olive oil is a fat but it is a healthy fat, one of the omega groups of essential fatty acids. To learn more about what is the Mediterranean diet, please follow visit us at online-food-guide.com.