Summer’s Hottest Diet: Eat Great, Lose Weight, Mediterranean Style
Lose weight while eating delicious meals? It is possible on the new Mediterranean Diet. It can be personalized to meet your needs. It’s tasty and it’s already helped many of our members reach their health goals. To learn more, read on.
It’s nothing to brag about but the United States is the heaviest country in the world. Oh, and Americans buy more diet books than any other nation. As many as 55 million people are on some sort of diet at any given time, but only about 5 percent will stick to the strict regimen for the long term.
So if all the fad and crash diets don’t work, what will?
Try a trip to the Mediterranean.
Avoid the pricy plane tickets and hassles at the airport by taking a trip with eDiets to the heart of the Mediterranean lifestyle.
This summer, don’t just change your diet, change your lifestyle. For thousands of years people of the Mediterranean have enjoyed an active lifestyle full of good food, family and fitness. They enjoy meals, take their time eating and look good doing it.
What’s the secret of these olive-skinned, Greek gods and goddesses? Balance. If it seems simple, that’s because it is. Eat good food that’s good for you; make your meals about enjoying the food and the people; and get regular, moderate exercise. Bienvenidos a Mediterranean.
Mangia, Mangia! 
Dining Mediterranean is not the all-you-can-eat buffet at Pizza Hut, nor is it your Italian grandmother saying, “Eat, eat, I made so much food.” It’s about eating delicious, nutritious meals — in proper proportions — and doing it with loved ones; making dinner a time to talk, relax and enjoy.
But proper proportions, what’s this? Don’t worry paisan, eDiets does all the work for you with meal plans that show you what to buy and how much to prepare.
The meals consist of vegetables, legumes, dried beans, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fish, occasional poultry and minimal red meat. The food is fresh, unprocessed and unrefined. Did I mention wine? That’s right, a little vino with your vittles. A glass with dinner is part of the plan, but can it help you lose weight?
A study published in the October 2001 issue of the International Journal of Obesity showed that people achieved and maintained weight loss better on a Mediterranean-type diet, compared to a low-fat diet. Researchers think it’s easier to stick with a Mediterranean-type diet because the foods are tasty and satisfying.
Olive Oil — Not just for Popeye Anymore 
Incorporate olive oil into your diet in place of other fats such as butter, margarine, shortening and commercial salad dressings, suggests eDiets Chief Nutritionist Susan Burke MS, RD, LD/N, CDE.
“Olive oil deliciously complements the traditional foods of the diet, including tomatoes, onions, garlic and fish," Burke says. "It’s perfect for cooking and drizzling on salads and vegetables. Health benefits include a rich balance of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and antioxidants, including vitamin E.”
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration allows this health claim on olive oil:
“Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about two tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.”
All fats are not created equal.
In the late ’70s and ’80s, the weight-loss industry was dominated by “fat free” products. But large, well-controlled studies suggest that people who eat healthy fats from fish, plant oils, nuts and seeds enjoy longer, healthier lives, according to Burke.
In fact, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) confirmed in a 2004 study that the Mediterranean lifestyle could increase one’s life expectancy.
Burke explains, “Fat plays many important roles in our diet. It’s a major source of energy, necessary for absorption and transport of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) and carotenoids, which function as antioxidants. Dietary fat provides essential fatty acids necessary for growth, cell development and maintaining healthy tissues, especially for arteries and nerves.”
Researchers from the Lyon Heart Study, published in the February 1999 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, found that heart-attack victims who adopted a Mediterranean-type diet reduced their risk of a second heart attack by up to 70 percent compared to those eating a more Western-type diet.
But remember: Fat has more than twice the calories per gram of protein and carbohydrates. So you need to watch your portion sizes with fatty foods. That’s where eDiets can help, providing balanced meal plans that include the healthiest fats in proper portions for your needs and weight goals.
Final Steps
You’ve changed your diet, now change your life. The final ingredient in the Mediterranean lifestyle is exercise. While you may not be cruising the beaches on Ibiza or the ruins in Rome, getting out and walking is a wonderful way to exercise while you explore.
Burke explains that in addition to the benefit of burning calories and helping with a weight loss plan, daily activity is a healthy part of the Mediterranean lifestyle, which helps reduce stress and tension while enhancing metabolic function and endurance.
She suggests starting by walking 20 to 30 minutes a day and gradually increasing duration and intensity. Of course, check with your doctor if you’ve not exercised in a while.
Now plan your trip, lose the weight, learn a new language and pack a bathing suit (top optional, it’s Europe) because you’ve learned the secrets of the Mediterranean lifestyle. Bellisima!
Ways 2 Slim Tagged: diet mediterranean olive pizza summer