Mediterranean Diet: being healthier mentally and physically

Hey guys!

I have tried a lot of diets, and I learned time and time again that they don’t work. I only lost weight when I embraced a lifestyle. When I became a vegetarian, I lost 30 pounds and kept it off, but the only problem for me was that I felt tired all the time.

I started to eat meat again when I went to Spain for school. I felt great, and I kept eating meat even when I moved back to the U.S. However, thats when the weight gain started back up, and I started feeling even more sluggish.

So recently, I started to embrace the Mediterranean lifestyle that I experienced while living in Spain. Not only did I want to lose weight, I had been having painful sinus headaches that were inhibiting me from working.

An analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of death from heart disease and cancer, as well as a reduced incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. This is real facts from the Mayo Clinic. It also is shown to aide with inflammation.

It also shows a lower trend of diabetes, but that is only if you stick to the correct serving sizes.

This way of living is so great because you don’t sacrifice flavor, and its all about living a more social and outdoor life.

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes:

• Eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
• Replacing butter with healthy fats, such as olive oil
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
• Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month
• Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week
• Drinking red wine in moderation (optional)

I find this extremely relevant with all the bad studies coming out about deli meat causing cancer. 

It’s also important to eat your meals with your family and spend more times outdoors. This diet is a way of mind. De-stressing is vital for good health, so be sure to take daily strolls.

Here is an example of a day on the Mediterranean lifestyle:

Morning: Wake up, drink a glass of water with lemon. Take my dog on a 15 minute brisk walk.

Breakfast: Oatmeal with bananas and berries, green tea afterwards to help with digestion

Snack: Apple

Lunch: Chickpea salad, half of a pita, green tea to help with digestion

Snack: Half of pita and hummus

Dinner: Dill salmon and steamed asparagus with couscous, green tea to help with digestion

Workout: Do whatever you are comfortable doing. I lift weights and do some at home cardio or take my dog on a run.

Dessert: Two bricks of the darkest chocolate. To be clear a mean the bricks that divide the whole bar!

Also drink water and get as much sunshine as possible! I sometimes do morning workouts instead of evening ones, it just depends on my schedule.

I hope you take the initiative to start living a healthier life! I will post more updates on my process and recipes and whatever else I may learn!