Mediterranean Diet for Weight and Belly Fat Loss

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THE MEDITERRANEAN DIETS IS ONE OF THE HEALTHIEST DIET IN THE WORLD. It was the diet of the ancient peoples living in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Today, it has passed through several scientific scrutinies. The diet offers enjoyable meals that make it a sustainable plan. Contrary to many other fad diets, this diet is time-tested and people can adopt this as their standard diet for the rest of their lives.

Today, you can incorporate this diet into your weight loss program for a natural weight loss.  Its reward is a healthy and happy life. For me, the Mediterranean diet is the best way to lose weight fast.

Fundamentally, the idea is to eat real food. This means emphasizing lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, protein, and healthy fats. Unlike other diet fads, there are no restrictions here. Those who adopt this diet need not concern themselves with measuring ingested calories.

When you include the Mediterranean diet as part of your lifestyle, you can maintain for a long time the resulting weight and belly fat loss in a healthy way. Other than this, it helps reduce obesity risk, lower your body mass index (BMI), lower fat distribution, reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and improves longevity.

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How Mediterranean Diet Helps You Lose Weight and Get Rid of Belly Fat Fast

The core ingredients of the Mediterranean diet are fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain, olive oil, fish, and wine taken in moderation. This combination makes the Mediterranean diet one of the healthiest dieting regimens in the world.

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Generous Consumption of Plant-Based Foods

Mediterranean diet enthusiasts tend to eat more fruits and vegetables than the recommended minimum daily allowance. This has a remarkably favorable effect on one’s body weight. Emphasis on plant-based foods is the reason for this. These are foods that provide a lot of fiber and a lower glycemic load.

Fruits and vegetables contain about 90 percent of water. With this high percentage, food volume increases and makes you feel fuller sooner without added calories. Bean and legumes feature prominently in this diet. This is something else that helps with weight loss. So, you see that this makes them a great centerpiece of the Mediterranean diet.

Start your meal with a big bowl of vegetable salad. Salad is low in calories and very filling. It will make you tend to eat less in your main course. Eat a lot of vegetable dishes. Raw or cooked, they should be the center of your Mediterranean meal.

Other than fruits and vegetables, this diet incorporates dietary fiber and whole grains. They lower heart disease incidence, as well as prevent some types of cancer.

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– Dietary Fibers

There are two kinds of dietary fibers: soluble and insoluble. After ingesting them, both make you feel fuller and satiated from your meal.

The soluble fiber makes you feel fuller when it forms into a gel in your gut after it dissolves in liquid. This gel then expands giving you a sensation of fullness and satiation. On the other hand, the insoluble fiber makes you feel fuller because it adds bulk in your digestive system, as it works with the soluble fiber giving a greater feeling of fullness and satiation.

Foods rich in dietary fibers include fruit such as berries, pears, melon and oranges, vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and sweetcorn, wholegrain breakfast cereals, whole-wheat pasta, wholegrain bread and oats, barley and rye, peas, potatoes with skin, nuts and seeds, beans and pulses.

On the other hand, the food sources of insoluble fibers include fruit with edible seeds, root vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, and potatoes, wholegrain foods such as brown rice, celery, and cucumbers, nuts and seeds, beans, pulses, and lentils.

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– Whole Grains

For the most part, the Mediterranean diet grains are whole grains. These are the types of grains that are low in glycemic index (GI).

Your blood sugar spikes are quicker when the good you consume has a higher level of GI. Low-GI foods take a long time to break down and digest. This gives a nice steady blood sugar release. The whole grains that are a part of the Mediterranean diet ancient grains, like bulgur and oat, are low GI. The pasta in the Mediterranean diet is a little undercooked to make it firm to the bite. Undercooking gives it a lower GI. Low Gi helps with weight loss.

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Minimal Consumption of Animal Products

There is a tolerance for meat and animal products in the Mediterranean diet, but their consumption is in very small amounts. If adherents to this diet should include meat, it is most likely those of lean poultry or fresh fish. For this reason, these people record low levels of bad cholesterol and higher levels of good ones. Also, the inclusion of lean, fresh fish in the diet benefits its adherents because it provides anti-oxidants

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– Fish and Shellfish Feature So Heavily in the Mediterranean Diet

In addition to the benefit of fish consumption cited in the previous paragraph, adherents to this diet receive a tremendous amount of Omega 3 fatty acids, Omega 3 fatty acids acts to forestall the occurrence of such diseases like heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancers.

Fish and shellfish are good sources of high quality and healthy omega-3s. There is an increase in metabolism by about 400 calories per day by eating fish at least two times a week. This practice helps prevent the expansion of fat cells. So, in favor of a lot of more fresh seafood, limit red meat consumption to once a week.

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Moderate Consumption of Eggs and Dairy Products

A Mediterranean meal can include eggs, but they are rare un the menu. When one who consumes four eggs in a week by this diet’s standard. he is an extremely heavy eater.

Moderate consumption of low-fat dairy products can be beneficial. Dairy is low in the Mediterranean diet. If included in the regimen, dairy products are low or non-fat.

Yogurt tastes so good. It is so rich creamy, full of flavor, and low in calories. Use Greek yogurt in making dips. Use as a cream topping on desserts. And, of course, the best is to make ice cream. Greek Yogurt makes a good substitute for ketchup chili or barbecue sauce.

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Healthy Fat Contents

Fats are not forbidden. There is quite a lot of fat actually, but these are healthy fats mostly in the form of olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish, and seafood. Mediterranean people love olive oil and they will have it in everything from their cooking to salad to dipping in bread and even to include into their beauty products.

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The Mediterranean diet is indeed high in fat. 30 to 40 percent of the calorie intakes come from fat. However, the type of fat consumed here is very low in saturated fat. Saturated fat produces undesirable effects on a person’s health.

On the other hand, the fat intakes come mostly from olive oil. This oil increases the HDL or good cholesterol levels in the blood. Consuming it yields a lot of solid benefits to one’s health and well-being.

Olive oil in particular plays a role in weight loss on the Mediterranean diet. It contains much more healthy monounsaturated fat than other common oils or foods. Consuming olive oil instead of foods high in saturated fat increases your resting metabolism. Moreover, getting a lot of protein and healthy fats in your diet keeps you feeling full longer.

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– Tips when buying olive oil:

When buying olive oil, make sure that it is extra virgin olive oil. The lower the acidity the higher the quality. Go for 0.4% or less and always buy them in dark bottles. Heat and light can damage the oil by creating oxidation which causes it to lose all its benefits.

So, swap your lard butter or margarine with olive oil. Two tablespoons of olive oil every day help with weight loss. Even though it is healthy fat it is still very high in calories. Just remember to consume in moderation.

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Use of Herbs and Spices as Food Flavorings

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Herbs and spices are the best way to flavor your food without the extra calories. If you want to make your food taste good without the extra calories, swap your heavy cream and also sources with herbs and spices.

Here is a really simple comparison. A hundred gram of full-fat Greek yogurt has about 100 calories. A hundred grams of heavy cream has 345 calories. So, if you’re watching your waistline but still want to enjoy the flavor of full-fat cream, opt for Greek yogurt instead. There is no telling the difference, as you will find out.

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High Preference for Nuts, Seeds, and Dried Fruits for Snacks

Swap your sugar salt and fat-loaded biscuits, crisps, and chocolate bars with nuts, seeds dried fruits, and legumes.

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Low Consumption of Processed Foods

The Mediterranean diet has absolutely no junk food, no soft drinks, no juices, no food made out of processed flour So, it means no spaghetti, no pasta, and no pizza. Pizza does not belong in the Mediterranean diet

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A Typical Mediteranean Grocery Shopping List

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Mediterranean Diet Meal Plans

The following video shows you Mediterranean diet foods to eat for each fat belly meal plan that is made up of foods that burn belly fat, as it delivers an over-all weight reduction effect in your entire body.

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Here is how to customize your own menu of a Mediterranean diet meal plan.  To accomplish this, you will have to answer a series of questions about your personal situation. It will evaluate your answers and give you your custom diet.

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Mediterranean Diet: A Well Balanced Dieting Scheme

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats constitute a balanced diet low in fat. It is this feature of the Mediterranean diet that helps you lose weight and belly fat – because of its high vegetable intake and high amounts of fiber, especially through beans and legumes. Whole grains and high-quality carbs that carry a low glycemic index and lots of healthy fats in the form of olive oil nuts and seafood. So, that is how the Mediterranean diet helps you lose belly fat, as well.