M. Usman - Mediterranean Diet

The Alternative bound to be Life-changing

M. Usman

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Smashwords Edition

Mendon Cottage Books

JD-Biz Publishing

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproducedin any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, orotherwise without prior written permission from JD-Biz CorpCopyright 2014

All Images Licensed by Fotolia and 123RF.

Disclaimer

The information is this book is provided forinformational purposes only. It is not intended to be used andmedical advice or a substitute for proper medical treatment by aqualified health care provider. The information is believed to beaccurate as presented based on research by the author.

The contents have not been evaluated by theU.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other Government or HealthOrganization and the contents in this book are not to be used totreat cure or prevent disease.

The author or publisher is not responsiblefor the use or safety of any diet, procedure or treatment mentionedin this book. The author or publisher is not responsible for errorsor omissions that may exist.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personalenjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this book with anotherperson, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Ifyoure reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was notpurchased for your use only, then please return to your favoriteebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respectingthe hard work of this author.

Warning

The Book is for informational purposes onlyand before taking on any diet, treatment or medical procedure, itis recommended to consult with your primary health careprovider.

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eatingthat is followed by people living in countries surrounding theMediterranean region. The diet is just like any other personalizeddiet in the world and has nothing fancy in it. The population ofthese regions consume it like Americans consume pizzas, Indiansconsume vegetables, or Chinese consume rice. But, the diet hasgained wide spread attention due to the great number of healthbenefits it brings for a person. The diet is not something tofollow forcefully but something that you will adjust to as timepasses. Imagine replacing your current diet regimen, with ahealthier one and the transition will become much easier. The dietcomes with a multitude of benefits which can be evidently seen inthe people of the Mediterranean region. The benefits includereduction of heart disease risk, protection against Parkinsons,Alzheimers, and improvement of the immunity system as well as thegastrointestinal one.

More is explained in the following chapter soread on and get ready to change your life for the better.

The word Mediterranean isnt an unheard one.We encounter it all the time in newspapers, films and TV shows, butwe seldom hear it in combination with the word diet or nutrition.Some of you might have, but the majority of the population knowsthis region only for its great tourist resorts. This mindset isabout to change.

The world of diets is a just like space; itkeeps on expanding. Recently the popularity of natural diets hasskyrocketed and dwarfed the artificial ones due to the lacklusterand sometimes harmful performance by the latter. A little journeyinto this world shows that the number of diets existing in theworld is increasing at an exponential rate, each one marketed in amanner to work out your weaknesses. Many people have actuallyfallen into this trap and have lost more than they could gain.Thus, the world is now shifting towards the better side of thebargain which includes efficient, natural, and most importantly,health promoting natural diets, just like the Mediterraneanone.

Shortly after the Second World War, AncelKeys, along with his colleagues, developed interest into theintriguing Mediterranean diet. They organized a study that aimed tofind out the impacts of the diet on humans. The study was known asthe Seven Countries Study and went on for a long time, targeting agreat number of individuals from many countries. 13,000 middle agedmen were chosen for the study from US, Italy, Greece, Japan,Finland, Netherlands and Yugoslavia. An examination of theindividuals revealed that Cretan men had the lowest death ratesfrom heart disease even though they consumed significant amounts offat. Furthermore, it was found that inclusion of the Mediterraneandiet in ones food significantly lowered the risk of cardiovasculardisease. In the years following this study, the diet gainedwidespread attention from both the public, as well as, medicalexperts, but it wasnt until the 90s that the diet became trulypopular. Since then, the diet has become a part of the mainstreamand many people today have totally shifted their eating patterns toget the best of the diet.

The Mediterranean diet is a UNESCO recognizeddiet pattern which focuses primarily on high consumption of foodslike legumes, brown cereals, vegetables, fruits and olive oil.Moreover, a significant portion of the diet consists of fish andother sea food along with probiotic dairy products like yogurt andcheese. Thats not all; the Mediterranean diet is not an expensiveone and can easily merge into your kitchen budget without raising alot of eyebrows! A very general overview of the diets maincomponents is as follows:

1. Vegetables:

Vegetables are an integral part of theMediterranean cuisine primarily due to the freshness and abundantresource of nutrients they add to a meal. From a plate of slicedtomatoes seasoned with olive oil and cheese to complex saladcombinations, stews pizzas, and roasted products, vegetables are aprime ingredient in any Mediterranean food plan.

2. Meat:

Some of you might have been astonished afterreading this word in a healthy diet. It must be known that meat isnot the root cause of every disease developed in a person. Itstime to change the way you perceive meat and its effects. If smallstrips of beef, chicken or lamb are consumed along with freshvegetables and yogurt, many harmful effects of meat can beeliminated.

3. Dairy products:

Greek cheese and yogurt are two dairyproducts not unheard of. They are loaded with several benefitsprimarily for the gastrointestinal tract. These products containprobiotics that relieve the body of many of the after effects ofanti-biotics or bad bacteria, primarily in the digestive tract.

4. Seafood:

Fish are a host to several minerals,nutrients and compounds, the most vital of which is the omega-3fatty acid. Fish like herring, salmon, tuna and sardines are richin this particular fatty acid which has benefits for the heart aswell as the brain.