Lose weight with the true Mediterranean diet

Although there are many countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, there's one particular country that maintained a healthy diet for the heart, that keeps the body in good shape, prevents aging and tastes great. It is the classic Greek diet. Unfortunately, modern Greeks have forgotten their old habits and now eat junk food, dine at the restaurant and base their diet on high saturated fat. The traditional Greek diet, found in the villages of this country, contains 60% fruit and vegetables, only 20% meat, 10% carbohydrate and 10% fat. I mean it's a diet rich in natural fiber, vitamins and minerals, small quantities of bread and starchy foods and a daily dose of the wonderful olive oil.

Typical Greek Diet


Breakfast: It will always contain fruits if it's the right season. In winter or spring they eat citrus fruits. Start your breakfast with fresh fruits. You can choose between tea or cafer but in the morning the ordinary Greek loves to drink a cup of coffee. You can also eat fresh bread (one slice, remember that you are on a diet!) with honey. A traditional Kasseri or Graveria cheese is also welcomed. Breakfast will be less than 250 calories and you start your day in a wonderful manner.

The morning snack: If you get hungry before lunch (and quite probably you'll do so, because the Greeks lunch at around 2 or 3 P.M), eat some fruits. A good choice would be an apple that you can find almost all year. Another choice would be melon (seasonal fruit). You will thus eat only 100 calories.


Lunch: Greek cuisine contains a lots of dishes. Try some that don't contain meat and starch together. For example you can eat spanakorizo (spinach with rice), but no meat. Or you can try kokinosto (a Greek goulash), but no potato. Eat meat with lettuce, other vegetables or with nothing. Never with bread. Doing so, dinner will not even add up 500 calories.

Dinner: Many Greeks eat at dinner what they eat at noon. But they apply the same rules, meat with vegetables, starch-based products with vegetables (do not mix starch with protein). A perfect dinner would be paidakia (or lamb). Eat it with cooked vegetables (the Greeks eat Horta or Vela, two native grasses that seem to grow anywhere in the world). You can also eat tomatoes with feta cheese (a typical Greek salad called horyatika) and drink some red wine. You will not exceed 600 calories.

Conclusion: Meat and vegetables are a good combination. Pasta without meat, again, a winning combination. Try eating 1500 calories a day and besides loosing weight, you'll find that olive oil is a medicine for your heart and you will detoxify while keeping this diet. Eating like the Greeks, but separating the starch from the meat, you will consume about 1400 calories and you'll start to lose weight. In addition, you will not be hungry.
    
So, follow the Mediterranean diet and you will look better, feel better and lose weight.