Mediterranean Diet Plan for Long Life and Excellent Health

No diet can guarantee either excellent health or longevity. However, if you copy the eating habits of the Greeks and other inhabitants of the Mediterranean area, you will increase your chances of living a long and healthy life.

Researchers have shown that the Mediterranean diet plan is excellent for a person's health and well being. The Mediterranean diet is especially good for heart health and those with diabetes. It can even help prevent heart disease and diabetes! Following the diet will probably cause you to lose weight.

Even if you don't follow the Mediterranean diet plan religiously, just a few healthy changes to your diet may make a big difference. Here are some easy ways to incorporate the Mediterranean diet plan into your daily menus:

Olive oil is one of the magical ingredients in the Mediterranean recipe for excellent health. Why is olive oil so healthy? It is not just fat, like the unhealthy oils most Americans use in cooking.

Extra-virgin olive oil contains liberal amounts of antioxidants health boosters. They eliminate disease causing free radicals from the body. Olive oil also assists the body in absorbing vitamins and minerals from other foods.

Using olive oil on a regular basis will lower your risk of heart disease and cancer.

The Greeks are so crazy over their olive oil that they get almost half of their daily calories from it! Now, this reveals two things. Obviously, the Greeks must not consume a lot of greasy cheeseburgers and candy bars. The other thing is that the Mediterranean diet plan incorporates olive oil for almost any recipe that calls for oil.

As a matter of fact, in most Mediterranean countries, if you order a salad, your dressing will be olive oil and vinegar. Sometimes with added spices and herbs. No Ranch, Thousand Island, and on and on that you find in the United States. The Greeks also love to have fresh, homebaked bread paired with virgin olive oil, vinegar, and cracked pepper as a dip. It's delicious. Try it!

Lots of vegetables are included in the Mediterranean diet plan. They eat more than six servings a day. Fresh vegetables are eaten most of the time. No canned spinach that looks and tastes like pond scum. The Mediterranean region still has access to fresh grown vegetables and produce straight from farmers. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find fresh, organic produce in most of the United States.

Try to eat fresh vegetables whenever possible. Eat plenty of vegetables however you can buy them anyway. And if you live in a region where you can still buy vegetables that have just been picked, consider yourself lucky. Take advantage of it!

Fish and seafood is a staple of the Mediterranean diet plan. Loaded with DHA and EPA, fish is excellent for your health in many ways. EPA is an essential fat that helps you to feel full longer and lessens carb cravings. DHA is another omega-3 fatty acid that helps the body burn fat more efficiently.

So it's pretty plain to see why including fish as a main part of the diet can have excellent side effects for your health. Eating fish regularly can help you lose weight, especially if it replaces other meat. Try to eat fish or seafood at least three times a week.

What do Greeks eat for snacks? Popular snacks in the Mediterranean diet plan are nuts. The types of nuts eaten most often in Greece are pistachios, walnuts, and almonds.

So why eat nuts? Don't contain a lot of calories and fat? Well, they are certainly healthier than cake, potato chips, and soft drinks.

But there's more. Besides calories, nuts also contain lots of healthy monounsaturated fats. These healthy fats help the liver get rid of excess cholesterol. This helps you lower your bad cholesterol. Regular consumption of nuts also helps with arthritic aches and pains. Eating nuts can also significantly lower your risk of suffering from depression.

All it takes is a handful of nuts every day to get the health benefits. Try to eat unsalted nuts for the healthiest choice.

The Greek Mediterranean diet plan also has lots of yogurt. The Greeks eat yogurt every day. It's not like the American version that is loaded with sweeteners, preservatives, and what not. Greek yogurt is unflavored and thicker, with a creamy texture. It has no added sugar or anything artificial.

Greeks mix yogurt with a little honey and their nuts that they love to eat. Often, they also add fresh fruit. This is another popular snack in the Mediterranean region. And everything about it is healthy- yogurt, heart healthy nuts, fresh fruit, and healing honey.

Look for unflavored Greek yogurt in the store. Many supermarkets are starting to stock it. Then find unpasteurized honey. It's what the Greeks use, and it's way more healthy than pasteurized honey.

If you follow the Mediterranean diet plan, don't be surprised if you lose weight. Women who go on the diet usually lose more weight than followiing other diets with the same amount of daily calories!