Ranking first as the best diet to follow for two years in a row, the Mediterannean diet is a diet that has many benefits and few drawbacks. Modeled after the eating habits of people from Crete, Greece and  Southern Italy during the mid-20th century, this diet simply encourages eating fruits, whole grains, vegetables, legumes and nuts as food sources. By making nothing taboo this diet does not keep you away from your favourite potato chips, instead it simply asks you to limit your consumption. Let us take a closer look at the diet to understand what you can and can’t eat on this diet.

What you should eat:  Fruits, vegetables, avocados, nuts, olive oil, whole grains, fish that are high in omega-3 acids are all encouraged on this diet. You can also eat poultry, eggs and dairy in moderation. The best way to consume liquids on this diet is to stick to water as most processed drinks are fattening and contain sugar.

What you should avoid:  While following the Mediterranean diet you need to avoid added sugar, processed meat, refined grains, refined oils and other highly processed foods.

Benefits

The Mediterranean diet was discovered by Dr. Ancel Keys when he observed that the people living in the Mediterranean region were in good health and living a long and healthy life. To test this theory, Dr. Keys began researching the diet and its effects on people. Today we can confidently say that these are the benefits of this diet as they are backed by more than 50 years of research. Some of these benefits are:

• Decreased risk of stroke and heart disease
• Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Protection against diabetes
• Reduced symptoms of depression
• Longer life spans

The reason most fad diets do not work is because they focus on restricting foods and telling you what to avoid instead of what to eat. On the Mediterranean diet even eating baked coconut laddus is allowed if you eat it in moderation. This is the reason the Meditteranean diet is one that can be maintained over a long period of time.

Disadvantages

While there are no dangers to following the Mediterranean diet, the fact that there are no strict restrictions can also work against it. Many following this diet have complained of weight gain instead of weight loss as there is no clear cut method of counting calories. Another disadvantage is that to reap the benefits it is important to follow the diet plan as a whole. You cannot simply swap your tea-time khari for fruits and expect to see immediate changes. The diet must be followed in all of its aspects to make a significant impact on your life and your health.

The Mediterranean diet places an emphasis on real food, sustainability, longevity and good health. The amount of research conducted on this diet allows scientists to be confident with the benefits. While it is not as simple as switching your fried potato chips for baked potato chips, it is also not as difficult as the other trending diets of today. If your goal is to live a healthier and happier life then this is definitely the right diet for you.