| By :
Levi Reiss
The Mediterranean Diet stems from the dietary habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea. When following it, calculate your daily caloric needs and reduce this amount by 200 to 300 to determine your caloric intake, as explained shortly. You may also spend the equivalent number of additional calories doing additional exercise. To get this value multiply your weight in pounds by 52.8 (or multiply your weight in kilograms by 24). This is your base value. Divide this base value by 3 if you are physically inactive, divide it by 2 if you are moderately active, and divide it by 1 if you are physically active. The sum of these two values is your caloric needs. Here are some of the diet principles. Eat grains, especially pasta. Recommended pasta comes from Italy and is made only from hard wheat and water. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. They provide vitamins, fiber, minerals, and other nutritional elements. Add herbs to your dishes. Eat fruit for dessert. Eat fish; they supply multiple nutritional elements such as calcium and phosphorous. Fish from the sea such as herring contain iodine. Fatty fish such as salmon contain polyunsaturated fats, which help fight against cardio-vascular illnesses. Cook with olive oil. The best is extravirgin, cold pressed. Olive oil contains the anti-oxidant vitamin E and mono-unsaturated fats. (Here's the part I like best.) Accompany your meals with a glass of red wine. Limit yourself to one glass per meal. It is felt that red wine helps the digestive system, the heart, and the fight against cancer. An advantage of the Mediterranean Diet is how easily you can enjoy yourself without cheating. There are no forbidden foods nd this diet places an accent on enjoyable mealtimes. It can be a pleasure to have a glass of wine with meals. Its disadvantages include the focus on wine for those who choose not to drink and the slow pace of weight loss. Don't abuse the principal of enjoying yourself at the table. Here are two sample menus:
Menu 1
Breakfast: Muesli with fruit. A plain yogurt. Coffee.
Lunch: Grilled trout. Eggplant marinated in oregano, olive oil, and white wine. A glass of red wine. An apple.
Supper: Spaghetti with pesto. A glass of red wine. A bowl of strawberries. Menu 2
Breakfast: Two slices of whole-grain bread. Honey. Yogurt. Tea.
Lunch: Grilled sardines. Tomatoes provencales. A glass of red wine. A poached pear.
Supper: Pea soup. Pasta with vegetables. A glass of red wine. Home-made apple compote without sugar. Some of the information in this article comes from a fascinating new book, La Bible des Regimes, written by Jenny de Jonquieres and published by Amerik Media. Her book describes over 80 diets and weight reduction programs. Each diet is presented with 5 menu plans, a detailed discussion of its advantages and disadvantages, and a whole lot more. La Bible des Regimes is available only in French at present.
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