Thursday 13 March 2008

Mediterranean Diet Vs Traditional British Diet


The Mediterranean diet is much better for the heart than the traditional British diet. It is hard to believe that a plate of pasta sprinkled with oil and garlic could be healthy as well as delicious, but statistics on heart attacks prove this to be so. And it is not just replacing butter with oil that makes the difference. Innumerable studies have confirmed the health benefits of moderate drinking. One or two glasses of wine a day is believed to cause a drop of between 30 and 70 per cent in the risk of heart disease. The Mediterranean Diet has been shown to be better for the heart than low-fat diets.

The Mediterranean Diet will keep you fit, well and gastronomically satisfied throughout the winter. Women who follow it can lose a steady pound a week, while men may lose up to four pounds. If you wish to maintain your current weight, you can use the Mediterranean diet to keep yourself healthy from the inside.

Carbohydrate is the cornerstone. Instead of protein, pasta and bread will release energy slowly while providing sufficient bulk to keep the stomach satisfied. Meat is used as a flavoring rather than a main ingredient. Around half of the diet's overall calories are provided by carbohydrates.

Choose from the wide variety of pastas and breads on the market, including specialty Italian loaves such as olive bread, ciabiatta and focaccia. These foods fill you up and, depending on what they're served with, don't need to be fattening.

It does not include fatty spreads such as butter. Plain bread may taste odd initially but you will quickly realize how you've been masking the flavor in the past. The pasta recipes avoid heavy, calorie-laden cream sauces in favor of simple, vegetable-based ones.

Britons tend to structure our meals around fatty foods such as pies, pastries, fried foods and meat. Following the Mediterranean Diet will help you re-educate your palate.

At the end, you should be able to apply the basic principle of building meals around starchy carbohydrates with the addition of a small amount of protein.


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