There are plenty of difficult things about choosing a food plan or a diet to follow. Even though you may have tons of gusto at the beginning, it’s hard to follow through for the following weeks. It’s difficult to stick to a plan and not veer off, especially when your friends may be eating whatever around you.
One of the more often-looked difficult areas of a diet is actually finding the right one to follow. Googling through plans, you’re likely to find limitless options. After making a list, you’ll want to do research to see if the diet is feasible, something you could see yourself doing, and if it works. While we can’t tell you which diet you should do, the Meditteranean diet is one that’s easy, quite feasible, and has proven health benefits.
Below, we’re going to run through some of these benefits and reasons you should make the Meditteranean diet your next choice.
It’s Easy and Inexpensive
Some diets call for very specific ingredients or types of food. You may do a quick search in your area to find the only place that carries coconut flour is on the opposite side of town. And that’s just for one recipe!
With the Meditteranean diet, you’ll be able to find everything you need in your local grocery store. There will be no running around town to find the perfect ingredients as it can all be taken care of in one trip. You’ll be able to find plenty of recipes as well. Plus, the ingredients and foods are nothing special or specific. You won’t be breaking your wallet to afford these healthy options. If you’re a vegetarian, the diet has plenty of options for you.
It’s Not Restrictive
During your research, you may find plenty of diets that seem to constantly repeat to you “don’t consume X. Don’t look at it, don’t think about it. You should take a restraining order against it just to be safe.”
The Meditteranean diet isn’t going to lock you up in chain about your food options. Naturally, the diet tells you to avoid things that you should be avoiding, like foods high in trans fats, food or drinks high in sugar, refined grains, processed foods, etc.
The only “restrictive” part of the diet comes with fish. You should only be eating fish 2 times a week and making sure to not consume fish high in mercury, like swordfish or shark.
Great Heart and Brain Health
As we age, our body’s organs and functions don’t work quite as well as they used to. A lot of this is normal, it happens to even the healthiest of people. But one of the ways to encourage healthy heart and brain aging is by following the Meditteranean diet.
Studies have shown that the Meditteranean diet lowers the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and heart disease, thus increasing longevity. On the other side, the diet improves vascular health meaning more oxygen is being supplied to the brain. Those who follow the diet have shown lesser risks to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Helps Build up Muscle Strength
This benefit can be divided into two parts for two different people. For those who are weight training and hoping to build up mass, there are tons of options within the diet for healthy eating and that are stuffed with protein. The Meditteranean diet makes great post-workout meals and plenty of snacks for you to enjoy.
On the other side, the diet also helps restore muscle strength for senior citizens, especially post-menopausal women. As we age, our muscles naturally lose some of their strength and vigour but following the diet can help promote muscle health. This means less frailty and less risk of serious injury through a fall.
It Helps With Weight Loss and Maintenance
This isn’t a fad diet, the Meditteranean diet can help you lose weight with its focus on natural foods and healthy options. Nutritionists do admit that this certainly isn’t the fastest way to lose weight and if that’s your goal, you might want to explore other options. But, if you’re content to lose the pounds gradually or are looking to maintain a healthy weight, then there isn’t a better option.
This is because the diet is stocked with healthy fats which give you the feeling of fullness when you’re full. So that means less overeating and less propensity to dive into a late-night, unhealthy snack.