The Mediterranean Diet / Sonoma Diet
Med Diet Summary
The Med diet is inspired by living the healthy lifestyle of the Mediterranean countries like Italy, Spain and Greece. It means eating lots of healthy but tasty foods, like fruit, vegetables, bread, olive oil and fish, as well as a moderate amount of red wine.
In practise, the med diet is good nutritional sense: replacing saturated fats with unsaturated, and eating plenty of fibre and fruit and veg. Olive oil and red wine in particular may reduce heart disease and provide healthy antioxidants.
History of the Mediterranean / Sonoma Diet Program
The Mediterranean diet is just a description (or idealised generalisation) of the diet of a region. It is true, however, that people from these countries have relatively high consumption of fats and alcohol but with relatively long life and low heart disease. An American doctor Ancel Keys, stationed in Italy during WW2, first emphasised the benefits back in the 1940s. But the Mediterranean Diet really took off in the 1990s, followed by the Sonoma Diet
, a Californian variation written about by Connie Guttersen.
Foods to Eat
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Beans and pulses
- Olive oil
- Fish
- Red Wine (in moderation)
Foods to Avoid
- Red meat
- Dairy products
- Beer and spirits
- Processed food like white bread
Other relevant pages on Fit and Trim:
Top Tips to Succeed on the Med / Sonoma Diet
- Love those healthy fruit and veg
- Make the switch from butter and marg to olive oil
- Enjoy red wine - but in moderation - a glass not a bottle
- Stick to healthy, unprocessed cereals and beans / pulses where possible
Watch Outs and Health Risks
Overall, this is a healthy diet approach than can be shown to have real health benefits as well as weight loss. While the diet recommends cutting back on red meat and dairy products, nutritionists counsel to be sure you get enough calcium and iron, which can be especially important for women.
Celebrities on the Med Plan
None that we know of yet. Let us know if you know of one.
More info: Links and Mediterranean Diet Books
Discuss The Med on our Diet Forums
Read more about The Mediterranean Diet at Wikipedia
Buy books from Amazon.co.uk on the Med Diet or Sonoma Diet
