Many recent studies have shown that following a traditional Greek diet, one that is rich in monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats is extremely good for your health. It can extend your life expectancy, protect you against heart disease, and can also help to prevent certain kinds of cancer.
Switching to any diet plan is always hard for most people. Being restricted in what you can and cannot eat is tough, and being denied your favorite foods makes it a struggle. However, switching to the Aegean diet is actually quite pleasant. Most of the foods that you might want can be consumed; you just need to remember to keep a balance and not to overdo anything that may be unhealthy in large amounts, like red meat. There are tons of choices and options for creating meals for you and your family, so this can easily become a lifelong way of eating instead of a simple fad to help you lose a few extra pounds.
There are tons of vegetables that appear in nearly every meal in the Aegean diet. Eggplant is one that many people may be unfamiliar with, but is quite good for you. It tends to appear a lot and can even be used as a meat substitute in many recipes. Potatoes, green beans, green peppers, onions and tomatoes are also extremely common in this diet and help you to form fantastic and varied meals each and every week.
Spices are a huge key to keeping meals varied and interesting. Oregano is extremely popular and works well with potatoes and tomatoes. Other spices that are popular in the Aegean diet are mint, dill, saffron, bay leaves, and garlic. Garlic in particular is very good for your health and should be added to as many meals as possible. Though not exactly a spice, honey is very popular in Greece, and is used to naturally sweeten many things. The honey has not been processed in any way and has no added sugars or preservatives so it makes it much better for you than most other forms of sweetener.
Keep one thing in mind when on this diet: The traditional mix is about 10 percent fats, the same amount of carbohydrates, 20 percent of your diet is meat and the rest is a mix of vegetables and fruit. Following these numbers when creating meals will keep you healthy and help you to lose weight. One added note: The only true restriction in this particular diet is that protein and carbohydrates are not to be mixed. For example, you can have meat and vegetables together, or pasta without meat sauce. Remember this restriction when planning meals and you will be successful.