The Easiest Way to Lose Weight and Feel Better 

If you are looking for an easy way to lose weight and feel better, the Mediterranean diet is a great option. The Mediterranean diet is based on traditional eating habits in countries like Greece and Italy, where people have lower rates of heart disease and obesity. This diet is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and lean protein like fish or poultry. It even includes a moderate amount of wine. Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet can help you lose weight and improve your health if you are combining the diet and exercise daily. 

What is the Mediterranean Diet? 

The Mediterranean Diet is based on a way of eating that has been practiced for thousands of years by the people who live in the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea.  

The Mediterranean diet was officially coined by Dr. Ancel Keys in 1960. Dr. Keys studied the types of food, cooking habits, and life habits of the people who lived in this part of the world. He concluded that the people who lived around the Mediterranean Sea lived longer than the average American due to their food intake and consistent low-impact exercise. 

The lifestyle and food intake of the people in this area proved to be healthier, which lead to life longevity and fewer chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. These benefits made it obvious to Dr. Keys that he needed to introduce the diet to the American public. 

What does the Mediterranean Diet consist of? 

The Mediterranean Diet revolves around these main food staples: 

• Fruits 
• Vegetables 
• Whole Grains 
• Legumes 
• Seeds 
• Fish and Poultry 
• Olive Oil 

Red meat, red wine, and sweets are allowed in moderation unlike other restrictive diets used for weight loss. 

What are the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet? 

The Mediterranean Diet has not been voted the best overall diet for 5 years in a row for no reason. This diet is full of amazing benefits including healthy weight loss. It would be a disservice to call this diet a "weight loss diet" due to its many other health benefits. 

Weight Loss 

The Mediterranean Diet is the perfect diet for healthy weight loss. The best part about the diet is that it is not completely restricting like other popular "weight-loss diets." The Mediterranean Diet is great for weight loss due to its focus on fresh, whole foods.  

Unlike other weight-loss diets, the Mediterranean diet does not focus on cutting out carbs because your body needs carbs. Instead, the Mediterranean diet focuses on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein cooked in healthy fats such as olive oil or avocado oil. 

This type of eating will help you naturally lose weight and slim up without starving your body of foods you love. The Mediterranean diet is also better for maintaining weight loss due to having fewer restrictions than other weight-loss diets that require you to drastically change the way you eat. 

The Mediterranean diet is the perfect diet to lose weight while maintaining a healthy relationship with food and a normal calorie intake. We like to think of the Mediterranean diet as a lifestyle that can be maintained for life.  

Prevents Chronic Conditions 

Another major aspect of the Mediterranean diet is that it can prevent chronic health conditions. There have been many scientific studies that prove that the Mediterranean diet can prevent and reverse the following chronic health conditions: 

• cardiovascular disease 
• hypertension 
• non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 
• type II diabetes 
• Alzheimer's 
• obesity 

While the diet does promote weight loss, it has even more important health benefits that can save lives. Its focus on healthy fats, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and all-natural foods help improve overall health and wellness while also increasing life longevity. Healthy weight loss is a good thing, but no one can argue the importance of a long, healthy life. 

Reduces Inflammation 

The Mediterranean diet will bring you weight loss success, but it can also help decrease inflammation. According to the National Library of Medicine, multiple studies show reduced inflammation in participants once adopting the Mediterranean diet.  

Improves Brain and Heart Health 

The Mediterranean diet is also known by the American Heart Association as the best diet to improve heart health. Many medical professionals recommend the diet for patients who suffer from heart disease, hypertension, and early-onset heart disease. 

The Mediterranean diet has also shown promise in improving brain health. There have been studies conducted on elderly patients who have seen improvement in cognitive function once the Mediterranean diet has been adopted. 

How to follow the Mediterranean Diet 

The Mediterranean diet is not too difficult to follow if you are open to change. Here are the most important steps that you must take that will help you start the diet: 

• Learn the basics: First, you must learn the basics of the Mediterranean diet if losing weight is the main objective. You will need to learn what you can and cannot eat, the staples of the diet, and the suggested daily calorie intake. 
• Grocery shop differently: This is hard for many people because they have shopped a certain way their whole life. You must change your grocery shopping habits so that you will be able to buy the right stuff to make the diet change a success. Avoid all processed foods and utilize apps to make the process easier. 
• Learn the Mediterranean cooking style: The Mediterranean cooking style is not difficult, but it is different than what you are used to. No more cooking with butter or grease. No more drowning dishes in salt. The Mediterranean diet utilizes extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs and spices to flavor its dishes. 
• Utilize apps and resources: We mentioned this above, but utilizing apps and resources can make the transition to the Mediterranean diet a whole lot easier.  
• Lean on meal delivery services: Learning a new way to shop, cook, and eat can lead to burnout. You want to avoid this at all costs and one of the easiest ways to do that is by leaning on a Mediterranean diet meal delivery service to supplement some of your meals. 

Foods to eat and avoid 

The Mediterranean diet is way less restrictive than other weight-loss diets, but there are still some foods that you should avoid if losing weight is your main priority. Here is a list of foods that you should eat and foods that you should avoid while on the Mediterranean diet. 

Foods to eat 

Vegetables:   

• Tomatoes, broccoli, kale, spinach, onions, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips  

Fruits:   

• Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, grapes, dates, figs, melons, peaches  

Nuts, seeds, and nut butters:   

• Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, peanut butter  

Legumes:   

• Beans, peas, lentils, pulses, peanuts, chickpeas  

Whole grains:   

• Oats, brown rice, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat, whole wheat bread and pasta  

Fish and seafood:  

• Salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, oysters, clams, crab, and mussels  

Poultry:   

• Chicken, duck, and turkey  

Eggs:   

• Chicken, quail, and duck eggs  

Dairy:   

• Cheese, yogurt, milk  

Herbs and spices:   

• Garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper  

Healthy fats:   

• Extra virgin olive oil, olives, avocados, and avocado oil  

Foods to avoid 

Added sugar:   

• Found in soda, candies, ice cream, table sugar, syrup, baked goods, and many other snack foods  

Refined grains:   

• White bread, pasta, tortillas, chips, crackers  

Trans fats:   

• Margarine, fried foods, and other processed foods  

Refined oils:   

• Soybean oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, grapeseed oil, and other vegetable oils  

Processed meat:   

• Processed sausages, hot dogs, deli meats, beef jerky  

Highly processed foods:   

• Fast food, convenience meals, and junk food   

The Mediterranean Diet compared to other diets 

There are so many diets out there that claim to help you lose weight fast or claim to induce rapid weight loss. This may be true, but that does not mean the diet is healthy for your body. A diet that promotes weight loss does not always mean that it promotes a healthy lifestyle. We will compare some of the other most popular diets that claim to be the best for shedding pounds.

Keto diet 

The Keto diet is a diet that is low in carbs and high in fats. This diet has been shown to help people lose weight, but it can also be very hard to stick with because it eliminates a lot of food groups. 

Another aspect of the Keto diet is that it does not discriminate between bad fats and healthy fats. This can lead to high blood pressure and heart issues down the road, which means the diet is not sustainable for the long term. 

Weight watchers 

Weight watchers is a diet that assigns points to foods in order to help you lose weight. This diet is a little more sustainable than the Keto diet because it allows for some carbs, but it can be hard to stick with because certain food groups are still off-limits and focuses on eating fewer calories. This restrictive, low-calorie diet can be hard for some people to maintain long term. 

Low carb diet 

The low-carb diet is very similar to the keto diet in that it eliminates a lot of food groups, and it focuses on little to no carbs like the keto diet but does not focus on fat intake. This diet can be hard to stick with because it is restrictive and can be hard to find foods that fit into the parameters of the diet. Eating zero carbs is not a great long-term solution for weight loss because you will gain weight back as soon as you reintroduce carbs. Also, whole grain-based carbs are actually very beneficial for your body. 

Whole30 

The Whole30 diet is a diet that eliminates all processed foods, sugar, grains, legumes, dairy, and alcohol for 30 days. This diet is the most restrictive of all the diets we have mentioned and can be hard to stick with because it eliminates so many food groups at once. It is also not sustainable because you cannot eat out for 30 days straight and it can lead to weight gain as soon as the diet is over.  

Paleo diet 

The Paleo diet is a diet that focuses on eating as our ancestors ate. This means eating mostly meat, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. This diet is one of the most sustainable of all the diets we have mentioned because it is the most like the way humans have eaten for centuries. It also allows for some carbs and dairy, which makes it easier to follow for most people. It is still more restrictive than the Mediterranean diet though and does not have a focus on Omega-3 Fatty acids. 

Pegan diet 

The Pegan diet is a diet that is a mix of the Paleo and Vegan diets. This diet can be quite restrictive and hard to follow for someone who is used to eating animal proteins. 

Low-Fat diet 

The Low-fat diet is a diet that focuses on eating foods that are low in fat. It allows for processed foods, which makes it easier to follow than some of the other diets we have mentioned. It does not have very many restrictions, but this can lead to the intake of unhealthy processed foods and leaves out healthy fats, which are important for brain and heart health. 

Vegan diet 

The Vegan diet is a diet that eliminates all animal products. This diet is the most restrictive of all the diets we have mentioned and can be hard to follow because it eliminates so many food groups at once. Most people do not follow the vegan diet for weight loss, but because they care for animal rights, it can result in losing weight due to its extreme restrictiveness. 

Zone diet 

The Zone diet is a diet that focuses on eating the right balance of carbs, proteins, and healthy fats. This diet is more sustainable than some of the other diets we have mentioned because it is not as restrictive. It does have a focus on healthy fats, which are important for brain and heart health. The diet can be hard to follow due to its specific types of carbs and other foods it requires you to eat. It also requires you to learn about glycemic levels and understand which foods are within the correct glycemic level ranges. 

Intermittent fasting 

Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but a way of eating. It is the practice of fasting for 16 hours and eating during an eight-hour window. This type of fasting can be hard to follow because it is so different from the way most people eat. The main idea behind intermittent fasting is to help you lose weight fast by starving your body during certain parts of the day where it will in turn start using your fat deposits for energy. There are also mixed results on whether it is beneficial long term. It can be difficult to do correctly and must be done multiple weeks in a row for it to work. 

Which diet is the best for weight loss? 

We believe that all the diets mentioned above can be successfully used for weight loss. This does not mean that all the diets mentioned above are healthy or sustainable though. 

We believe the Mediterranean diet is the best overall diet because it is sustainable long-term and has other amazing health benefits. Many of the other diets are very restrictive, full of rules, unsustainable long-term, and are not healthy for your body.  

With a huge focus on fresh, all-natural foods and healthy fats with little restrictions, the Mediterranean diet is the best diet for healthy and sustainable weight loss. 

How to best utilize the Mediterranean Diet for weight loss 

The Mediterranean diet is easy for anyone to follow, has numerous health benefits, avoids heavily processed foods, and can result in successful weight loss if adopted correctly. There are no risk factors for following the Mediterranean diet. All it requires is mindful eating focused on a few food staples that will help you reduce body fat in a healthy, long-term way. 

So how do you best utilize the Mediterranean diet for weight loss? All you have to do is start the diet! The diet is easily sustainable and only requires that you learn a new way of shopping and cooking. There are very few restrictions and you will be able to eat delicious foods throughout the day. 

Conclusion 

Whether your goal is to decrease your body weight or improve your overall health and wellness, the Mediterranean diet is the right diet for everyone. It is backed by clinical nutrition studies and has proven to decrease body weight without all the restrictions that come with other popular weight-loss diets. Of course, diet and exercise always go hand and hand, but the Mediterranean diet lifestyle supports low-impact exercise for life longevity, which means you will not have to kill yourself with strenuous cardio every day to reach your goals. If you are looking for ways to lose weight, then look no further. The Mediterranean diet is the right diet for you if you want to lose weight and feel better! 

The Mediterranean Diet made easy 

If you are overwhelmed by learning new ways of shopping and cooking, then you should supplement your Mediterranean diet meals with a Mediterranean diet meal delivery service. If you are interested in making the Mediterranean diet easier, then check out ModifyHealth's Mediterranean diet meal plan by clicking the link: Mediterranean diet meal plan