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Good Nutrition and the Traditional Mediterranean Diet

Give your body good nutrition with a traditional Mediterranean diet plan and foods that lower blood sugar! The low glycemic way of eating we are recommending here is a traditional Mediterranean diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken, eggs, whole grains, olive oil, raw nuts,seeds, yogurt, kefir and cheese, especially goat cheese. Mediterranean diets are rich in omega-3 foods which are foods that lower blood sugar. There are other great benefits to eating omega 3 foods that help you to lose weight. Wine with a meal is fine unless it encourages you to overeat. You will control food cravings when you eat a diet rich in raw, live foods and omega-3 foods and very little red meat and dairy. There are so many health benefits in eating the traditional Mediterranean diet!


pasta


It stands to reason that for the body to metabolize food properly it needs certain essential nutrients from a traditional Mediterranean diet and sometimes supplementation. Healthy metabolism is essential to losing weight. You need all the basic nutrients to metabolize your food properly. Nutritional deficiencies also create food cravings. The way people eat in these older cultures is from local sources and the food contains most of the nutrients needed for good health. The basic nutritional needs are:

  • essential amino acids - whey protein, fish, eggs, chicken, soy, nuts, seeds, yogurt, cheese, kefir, cottage cheese, beef, lamb
  • phytochemicals - fruits and vegetables

  • essential fatty acids - nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, flaxseed oil, fish oils
  • vitamins and minerals
  • glyconutrients found in plants
  • phytosterols found in plants
  • antioxidants
  • This covers the multitude of nutrients that are necessary for the metabolic processing of food, the source of our energy. Nutrition is key to weight loss because all of these nutrients play a significant role in how you metabolize your food. Permanent weight loss includes a well nourished body. When you eat a traditional Mediterranean diet you are getting most of the nutrients you need in omega-3 foods, high quality proteins and phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables and wholegrains. The rest you will need to supplement so you can support a strong immune system, a healthy gastrointestinal tract and produce enough hormones to be happy, healthy and regulate your metabolism.

    Anti-Cancer Diet

    The American Cancer Society says the cruciferous vegetables are particularly important to prevent cancer, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, collards, mustard greens, rutabagas and turnips. Some of them stimulate the release of anti-cancer enzymes, while the antioxidant nutrients in these foods prevent the formation of free radicals. These cruciferous vegetables can be chopped and added to sauces for pasta or eaten raw in salads. Some could be lightly steamed and eaten with grains or protein or added to a salad. The traditional Mediterranean diet consists of an abundance of local, fresh fruits and vegetables.


    broccoli


    The traditional Mediterranean diet is the ultimate anti-cancer diet. Food is a powerful medicine and your diet can be your best prevention against diseases ranging from cancer to heart disease, attention deficit disorder or Alzheimer's. Drink green tea instead of coffee to add more antioxidants. Nuts and avocados are two of the omega-3 foods that lower blood sugar by lowering insulin resistance. The omega-3 foods also help to prevent heart disease by lowering blood pressure and supporting circulation. Cancer researchers have found that the omega-3 foods are immune enhancing which means they have a role to play in cancer prevention. Mediterranean diets are rich in omega-3-foods.

    One sad truth we need to face is that we cannot get all of the nutrients we need from our foods any longer. Our soils have been depleted of nutrients after decades of industrial farming and these poor farming methods have resulted in far less nutrients in the plants. When you consider what the pesticides and herbicides have done to the soil and to upset the delicate balance between the insects, the soils and the plants, it is no wonder that our foods are not as nutrient dense as when we grew them ourselves.

    Even our commercial meats and dairy products have hormones and antibiotics in them. A Mediterranean diet plan will include very little red meat and only fermented, cultured dairy foods and the best quality we can find. Our health depends on it. We need to be aware of genetically modified foods as well which are not regulated or labeled. We need to buy organic as much as possible to avoid toxins and hormones and we need to take some basic supplements. People say organic food costs too much or supplements are expensive. The true expense is disease and sickness.

    raw low glycemic vegetables
    If we cut out fast food, junk food and some eating out we can afford to buy healthy food. The traditional Mediterranean diet is an anti-cancer diet full of cruciferous vegetables and other phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables. Omega-3 foods and fresh produce contain powerful antioxidants and many other nutrients that are natural disease fighters.

    There are many countries with different cultures along the Mediterranean but they share common ways of eating. They drink wine with their meals; they share food with family and friends in a convivial atmosphere savoring the food and eating slowly. Often the biggest meal of the day is lunch which means using those calories the rest of the day and eating lightly at dinner. Just making this shift can result in losing fat more quickly.

    Another very important factor is the mood we bring to the table. No eating while standing up in the kitchen! Make this a time to relax and enjoy life. Food is not just about sustenance. It's about true nourishment of the body and soul. Our health depends not just on the nutrients in the food but on our positive feelings eating in relaxing company. Our emotions play a role in our nutrition.

    Being disconnected from the experience of cooking and even where our food comes from has contributed to less healthy lives and many people who are overweight. The stress and fast pace of modern life is not conducive to good health. The traditional Mediterranean diet is a healthier lifestyle - savoring food grown by your neighbors or growing it ourselves is more satisfying than eating at fast food places or microwaving something in a hurry.

    The natural sweets, honey, maple syrup and sometimes sugar sweetened desserts can be indulged in occasionally as long as you have made low glycemic eating a habit. Add daily walking or other exercise as a habit and you are on your way to a lifetime of fat loss.

    Some easy ways to make sure you are getting the most out of your eating is to get rid of all the junk food and processed foods in your house. Then start transforming your life one step at a time by adopting one new habit a week. Start walking to work or on your lunch hour. Stop buying sodas and start drinking water with fresh lemon. Visit your farmer's market once a week. When you shop, load up on vegetables and fruit. Buy the prewashed greens if you're short on time, wash your other produce and bag it to make it convenient so you have snacks to take when you're on the go. Have a variety of raw nuts and seeds on hand for snacks.

    Consider buying a juicer to start out your day with an alkaline boost of greens. Keep your meals simple and include lots of omega-3 foods, cruciferous vegetables, and other fruits and vegetables and whole grains for an anti-cancer diet. Over time you will lose fat, feel more energetic and you will have adopted new habits that will keep you healthy for a lifetime.

    Give your body the nutrients it needs with a traditional Mediterranean diet and you will be healthy, beautiful and ageless!

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