Mediterranean Diet: The Ultimate Guide to Mediterranean Diet Recipes For Weight Loss

By Sarah May

Not another diet book! We’ve all been there before and seen the various “crash diets” that claim to be a quick fix to getting that ideal body, but the truth is, they don’t work. By eliminating portions of nutrition, your body is essentially starving itself and must compensate to gain the nutrients it needs, preventing weight loss.

Food is delicious. After all, it’s what leads us to eat again and again. It is what fuels us and should be something to look forward to, and with most typical diets that’s not possible. Since I’ve discovered the Mediterranean Diet, it has done wonders for my weight and self-confidence. The Mediterranean Diet is based simply on eating nutritious foods, such as lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and good fats. It has been proven to decrease risk of heart disease and lead to a longer lifespan, and if used properly, can also lead to weight loss. With the Mediterranean Diet, you can enjoy what you eat while leading a healthier lifestyle.

This book provides a gradual introduction to ease you into experiencing the Mediterranean Diet, including:

•             A description of what exactly the Mediterranean Diet is with recommended serving amounts

•             A 10-Day Meal Plan detailing breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner (recipes included)

•             Dozens of additional fun and delicious ethnic recipes

•             Tips to keep in mind as you continue the diet in the future

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amazing Publisher
• Release date: Feb 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386715870

Book preview

Introduction

Many of us struggle with losing weight and maintaining a healthy diet. I am no exception; I often find myself grabbing whatever food is most convenient. At home, this means the tantalizing chips right in arm’s reach in the pantry. Outside, this means anything quick, be it fast food or food I tell myself isn’t fast food but really is. I’m always busy—we all are—and that takes away from much-needed time to really cook a nutritious meal or go to the gym. Even when I do have time, I find myself with no motivation anyways. This is because it’s necessary to build up healthy habits before being able to sustain a well-balanced diet and therefore lose weight. Also, it’s easy to associate the word healthy with bland, boring food. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Imagine eating elegant, refreshing melon tinged with mint. Crisp yet flaky fish full of rich Middle Eastern spices. Deep, savory beef stew packed with warmth and invigorating flavors. These probably aren’t foods you would pair with a diet book or weight-loss meal plan, but they are. In this book, by following my 10-day meal plan, you’ll find yourself enjoying every unique, filling yet nutritious dish, and losing weight while you’re at it. How? Because the Mediterranean Diet isn’t about abstaining from food you love; it’s about eating in a certain way. By centering what you eat around lean meats, unsaturated fat, and fruits and vegetables and making sure you eat the right portions, you can have that body you’ve always wanted and still enjoy life to its fullest.

The Mediterranean Diet has helped me have a healthier, fresher lifestyle. It’s so easy to follow, and oftentimes, I can’t believe that I’m eating what feels like rich, fattening food, yet getting closer to my goal weight. I hope that this book, in which I compile my favorite Mediterranean Diet recipes as well as tips, will help you both lose weight and see that your cravings can be satisfied without useless calories or foods high in fat.

Chapter 1 – What is the Mediterranean Diet?

Clafoutis, panzanella, falafel; the name Mediterranean Diet is a bit of a misnomer. It isn’t solely based upon the food of the Mediterranean, but rather a way of eating that was first seen in the 1970 Seven Countries Study researching why people from the Mediterranean had a longer lifespan on average. It was later discovered that the food they were eating was what let to their better health and lower risk of heart disease.

These foods feature large amounts of:

•Unsaturated fats like olive oil for cooking

•At least 2-3 daily servings of fruits and vegetables each

•3 or more weekly servings of beans

•Three or more weekly servings of fish and seafood

•Nuts and seeds, poultry and other lean meats

•Moderate alcohol intake

•Low fat dairy products

•Whole-grains

•Avoiding processed foods and high fat dairy products such as butter and cream

The unique part of the Mediterranean Diet is that it doesn’t encourage starving your body of a certain type of food. Instead,