The Mediterranean Diet – How to lose weight eating culinary delights

The Mediterranean diet is, quite literally, ancient in comparison to most other current diet trends, having its origins in antiquity. It is inspired by the cuisine of the Mediterranean region and promises weight loss without sacrifice. But can you really eat as if you’re on holiday and lose weight at the same time? In this article, we will explore whether the Mediterranean diet yields results and if so, how.

The Mediterranean diet is not a fad or crash diet in the slightest. Rather, it is a sustainable way of eating that attaches great importance to balance instead of sacrifice. The diet is based on the cuisine of Southern European countries. Above all, it consists of high proportions of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts and fresh fish.

The Mediterranean diet is not concerned with calorie counting, but with achieving a healthy, balanced and varied diet and taking your time while eating. Mindfulness plays a big role here.

Tip: alcohol is full of empty calories – a standard glass of wine is 123 kcal! Red wine’s beneficial effects on the heart can be achieved with a small glass of grape juice.

The Mediterranean diet is a suitable choice for all people who aim to eat more consciously and have the desire and time to cook regularly. The Mediterranean diet can also help those who suffer from digestive issues or even high cholesterol levels, thanks to its high fibre content. Due to high amounts of fibre and the fatty acid distribution (lots of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from vegetable oils and fish), it generally has a very positive effect on diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and obesity.

If you are looking for a way to lose weight quickly, then the Mediterranean diet isn’t right for you, because it’s just not designed for that. It is more likely that you’ll only see a small decrease in weight or even maintain your current weight. However, if you find that you really enjoy the Mediterranean style of eating, you can count your calories and amp up your workouts to achieve greater weight loss success. On a separate note, the concept of “taking your time while eating” plays a major role and should be taken seriously. If you don’t have the time or energy to invest in cooking and mindful eating, you’d be better off choosing a different diet.

Fish and poultry are a big part of the Mediterranean diet. However, since the Mediterranean diet offers a lot of freedom and flexibility, it is indeed possible to make dishes vegetarian or vegan. It is important to include a lot of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds as well as oil.  

Vegans can replace goat’s and sheep’s milk products with plant milk (such as soya and almond) products. Soya milk, like goat’s and sheep’s milk, has advantages over cow’s milk, including a lower fat content and more unsaturated fatty acids.

The WHO recommends a salt intake of less than 5 g per day (equivalent to about one teaspoon of salt daily) to prevent cardiovascular disease. Ultra-processed foods, eaten widely in Europe, contain particularly high amounts of salt, meaning that this recommendation is far exceeded in Europe with an average daily salt intake of 8-11 g. There are so many other yummy ways to spice up your food! On the Mediterranean diet, you should tone down the salt a little and use herbs and other spices instead.

Here are some herbs and spices that you are welcome to use:

• Garlic
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Basil
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Mint
• Parsley
• Wild garlic
• Tarragon
• Coriander

Nowadays, we tend to rush through our lives. We ponder yesterday and plan tomorrow. Allowing oneself a moment to live in the here and now and tend to one’s own needs is not easy for a lot of people. If you have ever visited a Mediterranean country, such as Italy, Greece or the south of France, you may have noticed that peace and serenity are given higher priority there. When following the Mediterranean diet, you should try to adopt this Southern European mentality, at the very least while eating.

When we talk about mindfulness when eating, we mean that you should take your time during both the meal itself and the cooking stage. Enjoyment is of the highest importance in mindful eating. If you eat your meals slowly instead of wolfing them down, you’ll have a much better chance of noticing when you’re full. If we eat too fast, on the other hand, the feeling of being full only sets in when we have already eaten more than our bodies need. The result is that we end up feeling much too full, uncomfortably so. It takes about 20 minutes for our body to send a signal to our brain saying that we’re full. Mindful eating is therefore an excellent way to eat less without having to sacrifice anything – so go ahead and savour those flavours!

• The Mediterranean diet can be successfully adapted to vegetarianism and veganism
• Great variety. You can plan the diet based on the foods you prefer and leave out those you dislike
• Eating out is not a problem at all. Your favourite Italian restaurant is bound to have delicious and seasonal fish dishes on the menu, most likely served with vegetables. It’s important to look for a restaurant that pays attention to the quality of their produce

• The Mediterranean diet is very suitable for everyday life and highly practicable, because it doesn’t require that you count your calories
• Easy to combine with any kind of physical activity
• No special products are needed. You can find everything you need in your local supermarket

The principle is simple: balance is the key to a healthy diet. Numerous studies have shown that the risk of cardiovascular disease in Mediterranean countries such as Italy or Greece is significantly lower than in other nations, which has been partially attributed to the Mediterranean cuisine. Thus, the Mediterranean diet is well scientifically founded with regard to its health benefits.

Since the Mediterranean diet isn’t a ”crash diet”, but rather is suitable for long-term implementation, you don’t have to worry about the so-called “yo-yo effect”. Moreover, it’s easier to stick to a Mediterranean meal plan, since you don’t really have to sacrifice anything and thus avoid food cravings.

The Mediterranean diet is currently one of the diets most highly recommended by dietitians. It is not a conventional dieting method where you’re forced to count calories constantly and sacrifice the foods you love. Instead, the Mediterranean diet incorporates the concept of mindfulness. You can enjoy a great deal of flexibility, as there are only a few rules. You’re therefore free to explore each and every culinary possibility.

If you are someone who gets along better with a stricter structure, the lack of restrictions could eventually become a problem. The promise of ”weight loss without sacrifice” is indeed true, but it is unlikely that you’ll achieve a lot of weight loss simply by switching to the Mediterranean cuisine. However, all in all, you can’t go wrong with the Mediterranean diet. Due to its balanced nature, the Mediterranean diet provides you with a sufficient supply of nutrients. So for anyone who wants to eat a healthy and balanced diet and loves cooking, the Mediterranean Diet is the way to go!

If you are someone who gets along better with a stricter structure, the lack of restrictions could eventually become a problem. The promise of ”weight loss without sacrifice” is indeed true, but it is unlikely that you’ll achieve a lot of weight loss simply by switching to the Mediterranean cuisine. However, all in all, you can’t go wrong with the Mediterranean diet. Due to its balanced nature, the Mediterranean diet provides you with a sufficient supply of nutrients. So for anyone who wants to eat a healthy and balanced diet and loves cooking, the Mediterranean diet is the way to go!