Mediterranean Diet
valcherrin
Posts: 11 Member
Anyone try the Mediterranean Diet and have had success with weight loss and body fat loss??
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You can lose weight (and weight loss means fat loss as long as you don't starve yourself) through any diet plan, but to keep weight off you need a plan that is sustainable. Can you see yourself following that diet forever? If not, don't even bother.4
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The Mediterranean diet isn't a weight loss diet. It's a way of eating that is generally thought to be healthful (although whether you gain, lose, or maintain eating it depends on how much you eat) based on the traditional eating habits of people in the Mediterranean region. Obviously, what those people ate varied a lot, depending on the specific place, so it's more a set of broad principles than a specific diet. Here's a pyramid based on it and some more information: https://oldwayspt.org/history-mediterranean-diet-pyramid.
The general principles are a whole foods based diet, primarily plant food-based, with limited meat, however, with a good amount of the meat being fish/seafood. Many vegetables and fruits, typically with a seasonal focus, also beans and nuts, whole grains (despite some stereotypes about it being mostly based around white pasta), olive oil as the primary source of fat. Also various lifestyle factors (physical activity, social factors around food, mindful and joyful eating) and consumption of red wine in moderation.
I try to do a good bit of that, and enjoy what I know of Med eating -- I have cookbooks which I use for ideas from a huge portion of the Med region. However, I do see local, seasonal, whole-foods based eating as part of it, and I don't live in the Mediterranean, but in a much colder in-land area (Chicago), so that influences my particular food choices somewhat (lots of colder weather options in the winter like cabbage, root vegetables, winter squash, I probably eat more tubers than grains, stuff like that). I also don't drink anymore.
I think it's an enjoyable healthful way to eat, and it couldn't hurt to include at least some of the principles into your own way of eating if they appeal to you.6 -
What I really want to lose is body fat. Weight loss actually does not always mean body fat loss bcuz you can lose pounds and not body fat. I've done a lot of research and due to a few of my sensitivities this diet seems to be very clean and easy to follow for the long term. Diet still means eating healthy it's just a way of life not just a fad diet. Mediterranean diet came in 2nd on the top 30 diets in 2017 based on weighted categories and by medical scientists. So I've been very curious and interested in some success stories, which I haven't found much of yet.0
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kommodevaran wrote: »Can you see yourself following that diet forever? If not, don't even bother.
This has always puzzled me ... why do I need to eat exactly the same way (the same foods) forever?
Anyway, if I felt the need to follow a "diet", the Mediterranean diet has the most appeal of any I've heard of, and as it happens, it's pretty close to the way I like to eat.
Weight loss is, of course, all about eating fewer calories than we consume, so even if we more or less follow the Mediterranean diet, we still have to eat fewer calories than we consume.
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I live in the Mediterranean, Mediterranean diet and lifestyle is natural for me and people around me. Still, people here come in all shapes and weights. From very thin, to athletic to very obese. This is not a magic recipe to lose weight, calories still matter. Do not confuse healthy with low calorie.7
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Of course we don't have to eat exactly the same way to lose as to maintain - and we can't because we need less food to lose than to maintain - but finding a diet (way of eating) that we in principle could stick to forever, removes the rebound effect that always comes after we have suffered through a diet-diet. The Mediterranean diet is a diet-diet. The most perverse about it is exactly what you are saying - pretty close to the way I like to eat - it's deceptive, you will be able to stick to it for quite a while, until you can't, and you won't understand what happened.kommodevaran wrote: »Can you see yourself following that diet forever? If not, don't even bother.
This has always puzzled me ... why do I need to eat exactly the same way (the same foods) forever?
Anyway, if I felt the need to follow a "diet", the Mediterranean diet has the most appeal of any I've heard of, and as it happens, it's pretty close to the way I like to eat.
Weight loss is, of course, all about eating fewer calories than we consume, so even if we more or less follow the Mediterranean diet, we still have to eat fewer calories than we consume.
This lady tells the truth.I live in the Mediterranean, Mediterranean diet and lifestyle is natural for me and people around me. Still, people here come in all shapes and weights. From very thin, to athletic to very obese. This is not a magic recipe to lose weight, calories still matter. Do not confuse healthy with low calorie.
A Mediterranean lifestyle is indeed a lifestyle; the Mediterranean Diet is still a diet.TeinyWinehouse wrote: »It isn't so much a diet, it's a lifestyle. I eat a lot of meditarrean foods "in moderation". I don't believe in diets. Everything in moderation is my motto I do actively avoid junk food and foods containing added refined sugar.0 -
valcherrin wrote: »What I really want to lose is body fat. Weight loss actually does not always mean body fat loss bcuz you can lose pounds and not body fat. I've done a lot of research and due to a few of my sensitivities this diet seems to be very clean and easy to follow for the long term. Diet still means eating healthy it's just a way of life not just a fad diet. Mediterranean diet came in 2nd on the top 30 diets in 2017 based on weighted categories and by medical scientists. So I've been very curious and interested in some success stories, which I haven't found much of yet.
Bold is highly unlikely.
If you are in an energy deficit you will be making up the difference from your energy reserve - fat.
If that style of food interests you then go for it. I find the general style very appealing in summer but less so in winter.
There's of course a huge variety of diets all around the Mediterranean, there's also a lot of fat people around the Med! 3 -
I live in the Mediterranean, Mediterranean diet and lifestyle is natural for me and people around me. Still, people here come in all shapes and weights. From very thin, to athletic to very obese. This is not a magic recipe to lose weight, calories still matter. Do not confuse healthy with low calorie.
I second this. I've reached a morbidly obese weight eating a Mediterranean style diet. If you feel introducing more vegetables and healthy fats and reducing red meat consumption is something that would feel good, go for it, but if you wish to lose weight (fat) you need to control your calories.
On a different note, losing body fat without losing weight is possible but a very long and hard process, and generally doesn't produce very visible results unless you are already relatively lean. It requires enough protein, calories and muscle overload over a long period of time and has nothing to do with your choice of named diet.1 -
But almost always, in layman terms, that is what weight loss is. As long as you don't starve yourself, most of your loss will be fat. This diet will make you lose fat, just like any other mainstream weight loss diet.valcherrin wrote: »What I really want to lose is body fat. Weight loss actually does not always mean body fat loss bcuz you can lose pounds and not body fat.
You should definitely take care not to eat foods you are allergic to. But a named diet is most likely not neeeded for that. And if a diet is "clean", it means that it will be difficult to follow, because it's restrictive. Eating a limited range of foods sounds simple, but it's not easy. You will miss what you like and are used to, and not being "allowed" to eat what you want, will make you rebellious, and not being able to eat according to what's available, is impractical.I've done a lot of research and due to a few of my sensitivities this diet seems to be very clean and easy to follow for the long term.
It is a fad diet.Diet still means eating healthy it's just a way of life not just a fad diet.
This means very little for people who need to eat and want to improve their health.Mediterranean diet came in 2nd on the top 30 diets in 2017 based on weighted categories and by medical scientists.
That would be because there aren't any.So I've been very curious and interested in some success stories, which I haven't found much of yet.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »Can you see yourself following that diet forever? If not, don't even bother.
This has always puzzled me ... why do I need to eat exactly the same way (the same foods) forever?
Anyway, if I felt the need to follow a "diet", the Mediterranean diet has the most appeal of any I've heard of, and as it happens, it's pretty close to the way I like to eat.
Weight loss is, of course, all about eating fewer calories than we consume, so even if we more or less follow the Mediterranean diet, we still have to eat fewer calories than we consume.
Of course we don't have to eat exactly the same way to lose as to maintain - and we can't because we need less food to lose than to maintain - but finding a diet (way of eating) that we in principle could stick to forever, removes the rebound effect that always comes after we have suffered through a diet-diet. The Mediterranean diet is a diet-diet. The most perverse about it is exactly what you are saying - pretty close to the way I like to eat - it's deceptive, you will be able to stick to it for quite a while, until you can't, and you won't understand what happened.
Well, actually ... I've been eating something sort of similar to what "they" call the Mediterranean diet my whole adult life ... and I've been slender my whole adult life. With the exception of just a few years recently when I didn't. I returned to normal again, and have been slender again for the last year and a half.
When I first saw a description of a Mediterranean diet, I had a little chuckle because it is pretty close to the way I like to eat. Only, I've always called my diet ... "leaning toward vegetarian".
Now as I said, "Weight loss is, of course, all about eating fewer calories than we consume, so even if we more or less follow the Mediterranean diet [or 'leaning toward vegetarian'], we still have to eat fewer calories than we consume."0 -
But you are eating something similar, you have your own diet, you are not following a artifical expert constructed diet. There's nothing wrong with fruit and vegetables and fish and olive oil. (I eat a lot of that myself.) It's the restriction mindset of "diet", (telling adults what to eat) that is so wrong and makes people struggle.kommodevaran wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »Can you see yourself following that diet forever? If not, don't even bother.
This has always puzzled me ... why do I need to eat exactly the same way (the same foods) forever?
Anyway, if I felt the need to follow a "diet", the Mediterranean diet has the most appeal of any I've heard of, and as it happens, it's pretty close to the way I like to eat.
Weight loss is, of course, all about eating fewer calories than we consume, so even if we more or less follow the Mediterranean diet, we still have to eat fewer calories than we consume.
Of course we don't have to eat exactly the same way to lose as to maintain - and we can't because we need less food to lose than to maintain - but finding a diet (way of eating) that we in principle could stick to forever, removes the rebound effect that always comes after we have suffered through a diet-diet. The Mediterranean diet is a diet-diet. The most perverse about it is exactly what you are saying - pretty close to the way I like to eat - it's deceptive, you will be able to stick to it for quite a while, until you can't, and you won't understand what happened.
Well, actually ... I've been eating something sort of similar to what "they" call the Mediterranean diet my whole adult life ... and I've been slender my whole adult life. With the exception of just a few years recently when I didn't. I returned to normal again, and have been slender again for the last year and a half.
When I first saw a description of a Mediterranean diet, I had a little chuckle because it is pretty close to the way I like to eat. Only, I've always called my diet ... "leaning toward vegetarian".
Now as I said, "Weight loss is, of course, all about eating fewer calories than we consume, so even if we more or less follow the Mediterranean diet, we still have to eat fewer calories than we consume."0 -
From what I've read, the Mediterranean diet is similar to what the Canada Food Guide says ... and that's more or less what I've been following my whole life. It's how my parents fed me, and how I've eaten as an adult.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php0 -
I live in the Mediterranean, Mediterranean diet and lifestyle is natural for me and people around me. Still, people here come in all shapes and weights. From very thin, to athletic to very obese. This is not a magic recipe to lose weight, calories still matter. Do not confuse healthy with low calorie.
Exactly this! It's very natural for people who live in the Mediterranean and yes any excess calories whether they come from beans or chips are going to end up as extra fat/weight. However, the so called "Mediterranean diet" is very high in fiber which could help with digestion and weight loss.
Eating like this my entire life and I've been obese and normal/athletic. At least where I live the diet we mostly eat isn't a diet of "don'ts" or just because we are Greek it doesn't mean that we eat 100% Mediterranean on all times. The majority though doesn't have red meat daily and eats lots of legume and veggie based soups and dishes. If you like that way of eating then keep going!0 -
From what I've read, the Mediterranean diet is similar to what the Canada Food Guide says ... and that's more or less what I've been following my whole life. It's how my parents fed me, and how I've eaten as an adult.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
Kind of. It all depends on how you define Mediterranean. As you define it, I'd call it basic healthy eating and it's what I do. But I couldn't reasonably be said to eat the Med diet, since I am biased towards the fruits and veg local to where I live (which means during part of the year a lot of colder climate things like winter squash and cabbage and so on), and I suspect that's so with the Canadian example too.
If Med = eating more plant based but not meat free, more fish as a source of protein vs. other kinds of meats, olive oil as a major source of fat, dairy as an accent vs. major supplier of calories (this actually may be one of the differences with a more northern diet), mostly whole foods based, lots of vegetables, well, that's how I eat too, but I think that's too general to call it the Med diet, and there's no need to make it specifically Mediterranean for it to be healthy, of course.
Not that I'm not sometimes jealous of those in warmer climates.1 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »From what I've read, the Mediterranean diet is similar to what the Canada Food Guide says ... and that's more or less what I've been following my whole life. It's how my parents fed me, and how I've eaten as an adult.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
Kind of. It all depends on how you define Mediterranean. As you define it, I'd call it basic healthy eating and it's what I do. But I couldn't reasonably be said to eat the Med diet, since I am biased towards the fruits and veg local to where I live (which means during part of the year a lot of colder climate things like winter squash and cabbage and so on), and I suspect that's so with the Canadian example too.
If Med = eating more plant based but not meat free, more fish as a source of protein vs. other kinds of meats, olive oil as a major source of fat, dairy as an accent vs. major supplier of calories (this actually may be one of the differences with a more northern diet), mostly whole foods based, lots of vegetables, well, that's how I eat too, but I think that's too general to call it the Med diet, and there's no need to make it specifically Mediterranean for it to be healthy, of course.
Not that I'm not sometimes jealous of those in warmer climates.
Yeah, what bits I've read about the Med diet, it seems to be ...
-- lots of veg and fruit
-- whole grains
-- nuts and legumes
-- seafood
-- poultry and other lean meats
-- and some dairy, perhaps especially yogurt.
Personally, seafood isn't a big part of my diet, but I do eat a little bit of that, and I've got to go easy with the nuts as they cause me some issues. The reason I've always considered it to be "leaning toward vegetarian" is because my meat consumption is low. I usually try to have some meat every day, but it's not a lot, and at times I'll go several days, or even a week or so once in a while, without meat.
In Canada, my fruit and veg selection were limited, but I now live in Australia so I've got a few more options in that regard ... so that's nice. But it is still somewhat seasonal.
But I did think it was kind of funny the first time I read about the Med diet (relatively recently) ...my thought was ... "Oh, they've given what I do a name!"
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I would like to chime in since I've lived in Italy for over 30 yrs. The Mediterranean Diet is extremely varied, depending on where you live. It emphasizes local produce, and quality food. Olive oil is usually a staple but not always. You can, in essence, make up your own Med Diet using products from your area. I find it to be what we used to call "a ballanced diet". Which, when you look at your food diary is set up this way already--certain % of carbs, fats, protein, and sugars. If you follow those percentages and play around with how you arrive at them, you'll find that you've got energy and can lose weight. Following health markers, Italy was just named the healthiest country in the world. Too much of a good thing will make you fat however, so you need to contain your portions. Best of luck.2
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Oh, sorry OP, didn't answer your principal question. Yes, it's successful (I look around at the Italians) , but they walk alot here. I'm always amazed when we go to a pizzaria on Friday or Saturday nights, and skinny Italians are snarffing down whole pizzas + other things. Sigh. I have to watch my intake. My skinny, Italian husband loves pizza, pasta and sweets.0
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I think the Mediterranean diet is more conceptual than "eat this, don't eat that"...it's basically a substantively whole foods diet...lots of veg, some fruit, nuts, legumes, lean sourced protein, healthy fats...my diet is very much built on that concept. I have lost weight, maintained weight, and gained weight eating this way.6
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I had been interested in this diet as well, I think like with every diet, portions and calories matter. I would even do macronutrient counting just to see how it works out :-)0
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The Mediterranean Diet as studied in the 1940s and 1950s is: no sugar, no yeast, no meat except fish, no dairy, no eggs, no alcohol other than wine and that sparingly. It is the diet of pre-Vatican II Catholics and devout Eastern Orthodox churches today. It is 46 days of self-depreviation in imitation of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. I once heard someone say that when he was a child he thought it was called Lent because Lentils were served at every meal.
Anyway, the original researchers didn't realize that they were asking their questions during a time of fasting. I am not saying that denying yourself those things won't cause weight loss, just that even the original study participants didn't eat that way every day all year. Greeks love their lamb and Italians like their cheese.1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I think the Mediterranean diet is more conceptual than "eat this, don't eat that"...it's basically a substantively whole foods diet...lots of veg, some fruit, nuts, legumes, lean sourced protein, healthy fats...my diet is very much built on that concept.
Yes ... that's how I think of it as well.
And when it indicates "lots of veg", I take that to mean that we should eat lots of whatever veg we happen to have available to us and whatever we like.
So about once a month, my husband will make roast chicken and veg. The veg includes pumpkin, carrot, potato, onion, small cobs of corn, and cauliflower. Yummy!
But on other days we might have a mix of broccoli, green beans, corn kernels and carrot. And I'll have raw cucumbers and radishes for a snack. Also yummy!1 -
MelissaPhippsFeagins wrote: »The Mediterranean Diet as studied in the 1940s and 1950s is: no sugar, no yeast, no meat except fish, no dairy, no eggs, no alcohol other than wine and that sparingly. It is the diet of pre-Vatican II Catholics and devout Eastern Orthodox churches today. It is 46 days of self-depreviation in imitation of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. I once heard someone say that when he was a child he thought it was called Lent because Lentils were served at every meal.
Anyway, the original researchers didn't realize that they were asking their questions during a time of fasting. I am not saying that denying yourself those things won't cause weight loss, just that even the original study participants didn't eat that way every day all year. Greeks love their lamb and Italians like their cheese.
Is that really the case? I'm asking because it's intriguing. I eat a mix of Middle Eastern and Russian diet. The Middle Eastern diet generally has many overlapping characteristics with the Mediterranean diet (that's why I said I eat a Mediterranean "style" diet) but Christians are a minority so their fast is not a main influence on the diet as a whole, yet I observe less reliance on red meat, which only makes an appearance a few times a month - might just be how my family eats.
Lamb is mostly for special occasions, EVOO and olives are a daily must, grains are heavily featured and so are certain legumes. Fruits and vegetables are cheap and abundant, and most kids like dishes with vegetables (because they grew up on them making up the majority of the cuisine) and eat fruits for snacks (in addition to candy and chips haha). Food is often family oriented and eating out or ordering in is the exception not the norm. The main difference, at least in my area, is that unlike the Mediterranean diet, fish is only eaten occasionally and dairy makes a daily appearance in forms of plain yogurt/greek yogurt and local brine cheese, so that might be more dairy than the guidelines suggest?
What's interesting is that what I see (at least in my family) is closer to a Greek diet than a North African - we do more dolmas, pastitsio and moussaka than tajin. In fact, believe it or not, although I've had couscous because I was curious I have never had tajin.
ETA: got carried away and forgot to mention my main point. The characteristics of a Mediterranean diet appear to be so broad that many cultures can relate.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »I think the Mediterranean diet is more conceptual than "eat this, don't eat that"...it's basically a substantively whole foods diet...lots of veg, some fruit, nuts, legumes, lean sourced protein, healthy fats...my diet is very much built on that concept. I have lost weight, maintained weight, and gained weight eating this way.
Let's say it is a 'pattern'.
You can measure your adherence though:
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amusedmonkey wrote: »MelissaPhippsFeagins wrote: »The Mediterranean Diet as studied in the 1940s and 1950s is: no sugar, no yeast, no meat except fish, no dairy, no eggs, no alcohol other than wine and that sparingly. It is the diet of pre-Vatican II Catholics and devout Eastern Orthodox churches today. It is 46 days of self-depreviation in imitation of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. I once heard someone say that when he was a child he thought it was called Lent because Lentils were served at every meal.
Anyway, the original researchers didn't realize that they were asking their questions during a time of fasting. I am not saying that denying yourself those things won't cause weight loss, just that even the original study participants didn't eat that way every day all year. Greeks love their lamb and Italians like their cheese.
Is that really the case? I'm asking because it's intriguing. I eat a mix of Middle Eastern and Russian diet. The Middle Eastern diet generally has many overlapping characteristics with the Mediterranean diet (that's why I said I eat a Mediterranean "style" diet) but Christians are a minority so their fast is not a main influence on the diet as a whole, yet I observe less reliance on red meat, which only makes an appearance a few times a month - might just be how my family eats.
Lamb is mostly for special occasions, EVOO and olives are a daily must, grains are heavily featured and so are certain legumes. Fruits and vegetables are cheap and abundant, and most kids like dishes with vegetables (because they grew up on them making up the majority of the cuisine) and eat fruits for snacks (in addition to candy and chips haha). Food is often family oriented and eating out or ordering in is the exception not the norm. The main difference, at least in my area, is that unlike the Mediterranean diet, fish is only eaten occasionally and dairy makes a daily appearance in forms of plain yogurt/greek yogurt and local brine cheese, so that might be more dairy than the guidelines suggest?
What's interesting is that what I see (at least in my family) is closer to a Greek diet than a North African - we do more dolmas, pastitsio and moussaka than tajin. In fact, believe it or not, although I've had couscous because I was curious I have never had tajin.
ETA: got carried away and forgot to mention my main point. The characteristics of a Mediterranean diet appear to be so broad that many cultures can relate.
I've also read this-that during the time that the study happened was during Lent and it totally skewed everything
Let me see if I can find what I was reading!
eta: so far, just from wiki-
'The second major critique of The Seven Countries Study was published by Nina Teicholz, in The Big Fat Surprise. She was the first to analyze the problems with the data underlying Keys' Mediterranean data (which provided the foundation of the Mediterranean diet), and she was the first to establish that the survey in Crete was conducted during Lent, thereby causing Keys to dramatically undercount the amount of saturated fat eaten. '
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Countries_Study0 -
crazyycatlady1 wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »MelissaPhippsFeagins wrote: »The Mediterranean Diet as studied in the 1940s and 1950s is: no sugar, no yeast, no meat except fish, no dairy, no eggs, no alcohol other than wine and that sparingly. It is the diet of pre-Vatican II Catholics and devout Eastern Orthodox churches today. It is 46 days of self-depreviation in imitation of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. I once heard someone say that when he was a child he thought it was called Lent because Lentils were served at every meal.
Anyway, the original researchers didn't realize that they were asking their questions during a time of fasting. I am not saying that denying yourself those things won't cause weight loss, just that even the original study participants didn't eat that way every day all year. Greeks love their lamb and Italians like their cheese.
Is that really the case? I'm asking because it's intriguing. I eat a mix of Middle Eastern and Russian diet. The Middle Eastern diet generally has many overlapping characteristics with the Mediterranean diet (that's why I said I eat a Mediterranean "style" diet) but Christians are a minority so their fast is not a main influence on the diet as a whole, yet I observe less reliance on red meat, which only makes an appearance a few times a month - might just be how my family eats.
Lamb is mostly for special occasions, EVOO and olives are a daily must, grains are heavily featured and so are certain legumes. Fruits and vegetables are cheap and abundant, and most kids like dishes with vegetables (because they grew up on them making up the majority of the cuisine) and eat fruits for snacks (in addition to candy and chips haha). Food is often family oriented and eating out or ordering in is the exception not the norm. The main difference, at least in my area, is that unlike the Mediterranean diet, fish is only eaten occasionally and dairy makes a daily appearance in forms of plain yogurt/greek yogurt and local brine cheese, so that might be more dairy than the guidelines suggest?
What's interesting is that what I see (at least in my family) is closer to a Greek diet than a North African - we do more dolmas, pastitsio and moussaka than tajin. In fact, believe it or not, although I've had couscous because I was curious I have never had tajin.
ETA: got carried away and forgot to mention my main point. The characteristics of a Mediterranean diet appear to be so broad that many cultures can relate.
I've also read this-that during the time that the study happened was during Lent and it totally skewed everything Let me see if I can find what I was reading!
eta: so far, just from wiki-
'The second major critique of The Seven Countries Study was published by Nina Teicholz, in The Big Fat Surprise. She was the first to analyze the problems with the data underlying Keys' Mediterranean data (which provided the foundation of the Mediterranean diet), and she was the first to establish that the survey in Crete was conducted during Lent, thereby causing Keys to dramatically undercount the amount of saturated fat eaten. '
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Countries_Study
However from what is reported here (Italy) the Keyes actually lived in southern Italy (Calabria) for awhile.0 -
snowflake954 wrote: »crazyycatlady1 wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »MelissaPhippsFeagins wrote: »The Mediterranean Diet as studied in the 1940s and 1950s is: no sugar, no yeast, no meat except fish, no dairy, no eggs, no alcohol other than wine and that sparingly. It is the diet of pre-Vatican II Catholics and devout Eastern Orthodox churches today. It is 46 days of self-depreviation in imitation of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. I once heard someone say that when he was a child he thought it was called Lent because Lentils were served at every meal.
Anyway, the original researchers didn't realize that they were asking their questions during a time of fasting. I am not saying that denying yourself those things won't cause weight loss, just that even the original study participants didn't eat that way every day all year. Greeks love their lamb and Italians like their cheese.
Is that really the case? I'm asking because it's intriguing. I eat a mix of Middle Eastern and Russian diet. The Middle Eastern diet generally has many overlapping characteristics with the Mediterranean diet (that's why I said I eat a Mediterranean "style" diet) but Christians are a minority so their fast is not a main influence on the diet as a whole, yet I observe less reliance on red meat, which only makes an appearance a few times a month - might just be how my family eats.
Lamb is mostly for special occasions, EVOO and olives are a daily must, grains are heavily featured and so are certain legumes. Fruits and vegetables are cheap and abundant, and most kids like dishes with vegetables (because they grew up on them making up the majority of the cuisine) and eat fruits for snacks (in addition to candy and chips haha). Food is often family oriented and eating out or ordering in is the exception not the norm. The main difference, at least in my area, is that unlike the Mediterranean diet, fish is only eaten occasionally and dairy makes a daily appearance in forms of plain yogurt/greek yogurt and local brine cheese, so that might be more dairy than the guidelines suggest?
What's interesting is that what I see (at least in my family) is closer to a Greek diet than a North African - we do more dolmas, pastitsio and moussaka than tajin. In fact, believe it or not, although I've had couscous because I was curious I have never had tajin.
ETA: got carried away and forgot to mention my main point. The characteristics of a Mediterranean diet appear to be so broad that many cultures can relate.
I've also read this-that during the time that the study happened was during Lent and it totally skewed everything Let me see if I can find what I was reading!
eta: so far, just from wiki-
'The second major critique of The Seven Countries Study was published by Nina Teicholz, in The Big Fat Surprise. She was the first to analyze the problems with the data underlying Keys' Mediterranean data (which provided the foundation of the Mediterranean diet), and she was the first to establish that the survey in Crete was conducted during Lent, thereby causing Keys to dramatically undercount the amount of saturated fat eaten. '
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Countries_Study
However from what is reported here (Italy) the Keyes actually lived in southern Italy (Calabria) for awhile.
Also, while there's a lot of criticism of Keyes, the guy lived to be 100 years old and worked almost until the end of his life-he must have been doing something right (or had stellar genes).0 -
I came from and live in Mediterranean country and in many terms I am raised on the Mediterranean diet.
What I can see as a difference in our cooking compared to even other parts of my country is:
- simple meals with few ingredients
- cooking/boiling in water is main cooking technique that we use
- When we eat veggies, we eat plenty of it, not just to make a greet accent on the plate (for example, when we cook mangel we fill biggest pot with it for 3-4 people).
- We usually use oils (olive) after cooking for dressing
- We rarely prepare sauces or any complicated dishes (Maybe we just don't know how to cook complicated meals )
- We love bitterly foods, like wild asparagus, artichokes & wild plants available at spring
- We eat plenty of tomatoes fresh and in salsas.
- We make cakes as an exception, only for important celebrations
One very important thing is that Mediterranean diet (at least the one from my country) was result of a very poor living. Most people didn't have much food choices except fish, lambs,wild greens and very little grains and corn (because of the lack of water and poor soil they could not produce more).
But, nowadays, very few people eat like this anymore. Most of us are following word's trends, young people eat mostly fast food. I can hardly recognized plants that my parents grew up on.
5 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »MelissaPhippsFeagins wrote: »The Mediterranean Diet as studied in the 1940s and 1950s is: no sugar, no yeast, no meat except fish, no dairy, no eggs, no alcohol other than wine and that sparingly. It is the diet of pre-Vatican II Catholics and devout Eastern Orthodox churches today. It is 46 days of self-depreviation in imitation of Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness. I once heard someone say that when he was a child he thought it was called Lent because Lentils were served at every meal.
Anyway, the original researchers didn't realize that they were asking their questions during a time of fasting. I am not saying that denying yourself those things won't cause weight loss, just that even the original study participants didn't eat that way every day all year. Greeks love their lamb and Italians like their cheese.
Is that really the case? I'm asking because it's intriguing. I eat a mix of Middle Eastern and Russian diet. The Middle Eastern diet generally has many overlapping characteristics with the Mediterranean diet (that's why I said I eat a Mediterranean "style" diet) but Christians are a minority so their fast is not a main influence on the diet as a whole, yet I observe less reliance on red meat, which only makes an appearance a few times a month - might just be how my family eats.
I'm skeptical of it, since I've always heard it explained as low meat and dairy, not none, AND involving olive oil and red wine (in moderation).
The Greek Orthodox fast, as I understand it from a good friend whose family immigrated from Greece in the '60s (you have more knowledge on the Orthodox fasts, I imagine, and I know it varies some) is NO meat, NO fish (except shellfish), NO eggs or dairy, NO olive oil. The Med diet has never been described like that in anything I've seen.
(Also, I doubt any researcher would be so stupid not to be aware of eating patterns.)
I have seen arguments that the frequent religious fasts (no meat and the like) that are observed throughout the year, as well as in Lent, plays a role in the health of the traditional diet.
I'd be interested in reading the original papers. (I also don't consider Nina Teicholtz a good source, if that's where this is coming from, but would look at her sources.)1
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