Does the Mediterranean Diet Work for Weight Loss?

Dr. Wayne Jonas cited the Mediterranean diet as one of the easiest and most effective not to mention enjoyable eating plans with builtin weight loss benefits. Although the advice was delivered in 2019 this is an evergreen concept, with Mediterranean people notorious for living long lives into their 90s and beyond thanks to their healthy way of eating.

The general tenets of this perennial dieter’s favorite is quoted in the article from Dr. Jonas as such: The Mediterranean Diet “encourages the consumption of lean proteins in small portions, fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and healthy fats (specifically those high in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated omega-3 rich fatty acids”.

Other common principles of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle that make it effective for weight loss include making vegetables and produce the foundation for every meal, eating fish twice a week, and serving small portions of protein throughout the day. Mediterranean people also make it a general practice to get out and be active each day. That may mean walking rather than driving to many places, and engaging in light exercise as part of their lifestyle, such as gardening. Enjoying meals socially with others while eating at a relaxed pace continue to be a part of the culture of people who live in this region of the world. Both practices facilitate weight loss. Some call this mindful eating, though the people who live in this region simply embrace the habits because it’s what they’ve always known.

The Mediterranean diet is purported to lower risk of diabetes because of fewer processed foods and less sugar. An example of this is the serving size of desserts, which tends to be smaller than Americans are used to. While Americans tend to go heavy on pasta servings, especially when making and enjoying what we consider Italian cuisine, people who reside in Italy eat smaller portions of pasta and enjoy a more varied and balanced diet in general. Limiting wine and alcohol consumption also factor in.

Mediterranean people do include daily wine drinking as part of their way of life, but they limit to one or two glasses. Finally, Mediterranean recipes rely less on salt and more on spices.

Using spices and aromatics to season foods instead of adding high amounts of sodium to recipes is another reason why the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of chronic disease such as hypertension or high blood pressure.