It is common knowledge that people who live around the Mediterranean region tend to live longer and have less overweight related diseases than people in the developed countries except perhaps, Japan.

Not very long ago, the Mediterranean climate was thought to be the reason why people live longer and are healthier in the region. Now it has become rather clear that while the weather of the Mediterranean area may be pleasant and refreshing, it is the diet of the people in the Mediterranean that account for their longer lives.

The Mediterranean diet is not a designed easy weight loss diet plan like the Atkins Diet, South Beach Diet or The Zone Diet. It is the healthy dietary habits and food source of the Mediterranean people which they are eating everyday.

Many food sources that are part of a Mediterranean diet are high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are important compounds found in certain types of food that mopped up dangerous free radicals. Free radicals are produced when the body burns oxygen to produce energy.

The accumulation of these free radicals in the body accelerates the ageing process. Cellular tissues such as skin and muscles wear out and lose their elasticity. Human organs function with less efficiency. Studies have also shown that free radicals clog up arteries which may result in a stroke, high blood pressure and even heart attack. Free radicals are also blamed for other dangerous medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The types of fruits and vegetables that form the Mediterranean diet include richly colored leafy green vegetables which are high in anti-oxidants which are excellent free radical destroyers. Scientists have also found that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risks of certain types of cancers.

The Mediterranean diet includes very little animal fat or saturated fat. Since there is a direct link between the consumption of saturated fat and colorectal cancers, heart diseases and strokes, the risks of getting these diseases are reduced. The main fat source in the food of the Mediterranean people is the olive oil. Not only that the olive oil is a healthy fat source, it had been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

It is concluded on a firm basis that the Mediterranean diet has played a very important role in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease amongst the people of the countries around the Mediterranean region.

There is strong evidence to suggest that eliminating certain items from a diet, like processed salts can lower the risk of hypertension and high blood pressure. There are also evidence that a diet which is rich in fiber and low in animal can help to reduce the risk of hypertension and high blood pressure.

A person who eats like the Mediterranean people will get tremendous health benefits. Not only will the person live longer, because of the moderate carbohydrate, low fat high fiber Mediterranean diet, weight loss and weight control comes naturally with this healthy diet.

If you want to go on a healthy weight loss diet, then the Mediterranean diet will be indeed a good option.

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If you have diabetes or you need to lose weight the Glycemic Index Diet Plan might be just the solution you’re looking for. This diet is based on a diet plan that was developed in the 1980’s as a way for diabetics to better control their blood glucose levels and subsequently manager their diabetes.

It was discovered that the diet plan had a wonderful side effect; efficient weight loss. Since that time the Low GI Diet, as it is often referred to, has become quite popular with non-diabetics as well. Individuals who use the diet claim they are able to lose weight as well as retain more muscle. Many people report the diet helps them to shave off weight in critical areas as well, including the stomach.

Under the Glycemic Index Diet Plan, foods are divided into three categories based on how they rank on the glycemic index. The glycemic index ranks foods according to how quickly the body is able to digest them. Foods that are processed more quickly by the body rank higher on the Index. Foods that take longer to be digested by the body rank lower on the scale. The idea is to base your diet on foods that rank in the low to medium range by eating foods that rank high on the Index sparingly. Some of the low foods which are allowable on the Glycemic Index Diet Plan include broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflower and other fruits as well as whole grains. Legumes are also allowable. Some foods rank in the middle range, including bananas and apricots.

When dieters first start the eating plan they are in what is known as Phase One. Under this phase, dieters are encouraged to eat only foods which are low on the glycemic index in order to lose weight. These foods are low in calories and high in fiber which makes it easier to lose weight. Dieters should plan to be on the first phase of the diet for about three to six months depending on how much weight they want to lose. After that time period, the individual may then advance to the second phase, which is the weight loss maintenance phase.

In this phase, you may eat low as well as medium foods according to the glycemic index. It is important to understand that exercise is an important component in both phases of the diet plan in order for it to work effectively. The Glycemic Index Diet plan by itself is not a complete solution for weight loss. You must be dedicated to participating in an active and healthy lifestyle. It should also be understood that this is not a diet in the true sense of the word but rather a change in lifestyle.

If you abort the diet plan after losing weight and return to eating large amounts of highly processed and refined foods it is quite likely that you will regain weight, particularly if you are not exercising on a regular basis.

One of the major advantages of this diet plan is that it is not as restrictive as many other diet plans. For example, you can have some carbs on this diet as long as they are good carbs and they rank low on the glycemic index. In addition, it is perfectly okay for you to eat out. Once you have become familiar with which foods rank low on the index you can then usually find something on any menu which is acceptable according to the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan.

Vegetarians frequently find that many low carb diets do not work well for them because they place a strong emphasis on meat. With the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan there is no such problem because proteins from vegetables can replace meat.

With time and dedication the Low Glycemic Index Diet plan has proven to be quite effective at managing diabetes, promoting weight loss and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

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The low glycemic index diet is based on a theory that eating foods which score lower on the glycemic index will help you to not only lose weight but also manage diabetes if you suffer from that disease and possibly stave off other related health conditions such as heart disease.

The glycemic index came out in the 1980’s originally as a way to help diabetics better manage their diets. The index was designed to rank foods according to how fast they cause the blood sugar levels in the body to rise within a few hours of eating them. Because the pancreas must release insulin in order to help return excess levels of blood glucose, or blood sugar, to normal it was conceived that the ranking of foods could help diabetics better gauge the effects specific foods would have on their bodies.

If they were able to know which foods would raise their blood sugar levels they would then be able to avoid or eat little of those foods and therefore keep their blood sugar levels in check. After awhile it was discovered that the low glycemic index diet could also help individuals to lose weight as well. Today, it has become one of the most popular diets around and many famous diets, including the South Beach diet are based on the idea of a low glycemic index diet.

According to the low glycemic index diet foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 110. Foods that rank with a score of 55 or lower on the scale are considered to be low on the glycemic index. Those foods which rank from 56 to 69 fall in the moderate category while those foods that are scored at 70 or above are considered to be ‘high’ glycemic index foods. High GI foods are believed to raise blood sugar levels the highest after consuming them and should therefore be avoided are eaten in small amounts.

Foods which are allowed on the low glycemic index diet include nuts and seds, yogurt, milk, vegetables, fruits, etc. The types of foods which commonly rank highest on the glycemic index include caffeinated beverages such as coffee and sodas, desserts and candy.

Beyond managing weight loss and blood sugar levels for the purpose of diabetes the low glycemic index diet also has many other advantages as well such as an increased alertness and energy level. Individuals who find they are frequently tired and lethargic in the afternoon may notice they no longer feel that way when on the low glycemic index diet. This is because it has been shown that diets which are high in high carbohydrates frequently result in a lack of energy in the afternoon.

Individuals on the diet have also noticed thy tend to feel less stressed out on this diet and also have a general improvement in their mood. Unlike other diets the body is also frequently able to retain more muscle with the low glycemic index diet. This is especially important when you are dieting and trying to lose weight. Many people find that while on this diet their bodies begin to feel trimmer even before they have actually lost a significant amount of weight. This is due to the body storing fat more efficiently, resulting in a retention of muscle over fat. Since muscle weighs more than fat you may feel trimmer and notice your clothes fitting looser without losing as much weight as you might expect.

Finally, individuals who have found they have difficulty losing weight in the stomach area are often delighted with the results of the low glycemic diet because it enables them to tone of their tummy area more quickly than with other diets.

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The Low Glycemic Index Diet has become quite popular because it provides numerous advantages. While the diet was first developed as a way for individuals who with diabetes to better manage their condition it quickly evolved into a weight to lose weight and even as a lifestyle change to effectively maintain weight loss.

One of the main reasons why people switch to a low GI diet is that they want to lose weight and this diet has proven to be effective in helping people to lose weight. There are also many other advantages; however. For example, research indicates that diets that are based on low GI foods can also help to reduce the risk of developing many health conditions such as diabetes and cancer as well as heart disease. Some research suggests that you can even cut the risk of developing these diseases in half by following the Low Glycemic Index Diet. Another major benefit is the ability to lower blood pressure as well as lower cholesterol levels.

Additionally, individuals who have followed the diet have been found to have their body’s ability to fight disease boosted. This is accomplished by strengthening the immune system, providing numerous other overall health benefits.

The Low Glycemic Index Diet is able to bring about these benefits because it is based on consuming foods that are relatively low on the glycemic index and restriction consumption or avoiding foods that are high on the index. The glycemic index itself ranks foods according to how fast the body is able to digest them. Those foods which are digest more slowly by the body and therefore do not raise the body’s blood sugar levels as high rank low on the scale and are acceptable. Other foods are digested slightly more quickly and dieters are therefore advised to proceed with caution regarding those foods; however, they are not restricted. These foods rank from 56 to 69 on the glycemic index. The final category consists of foods that are digested very quickly by the body, rapidly raising the body’s blood sugar levels. These foods score between 70 and 110 on the glycemic index. For the most part, these foods consist of highly processed and refined foods such as sugary foods.

Most vegetables, as long as they are not starchy vegetables, are quite allowable on the Low Glycemic Index Diet. Fruits are also encouraged, unlike may other diets which warn against the consumption of too much fruit because they are considered to be high in natural sugars.

While the advantages of this diet are quite obvious it should be understood that this is not a diet which can be followed for a short period of time and then abandoned with the expectation of keeping the weight off. One of the important considerations of this diet is that it is more of a lifestyle change rather than a short term diet. Individuals following the diet can expect to remain in the first phase of the diet for three to six months depending on how much weight they wish to lose. A

fter that, they can move on to the second phase of the diet for weight maintenance purposes. Moderate exercise is required of both phases of the Low Glycemic Index Diet in order to assure weight loss and continued weight loss maintenance. Failure to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle can result in failure to lose weight or gaining weight back.

If you’re ready to take advantage of a healthier lifestyle, reduce your chance of developing serious health conditions and lose weigh the Low Glycemic Index Diet may be just right for you.

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While the Low GI Diet is one of the most effective diets around and the easiest for many people to stick with over the long term, some people have found it difficult to come up with low GI Diet recipes they can fit into their diet plans. Below are two low GI Diet recipes that can be easily fit into your plan and prepared right at home.

For a great main entrée consider this recipe below for grilled salmon served with elegant baby spinach leaves.

Grilled Salmon

Ingredients
Baby spinach leaves, lightly rinsed
2 oz watercress
16 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 salmon fillets, trimmed and boned
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, halved
balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cannellini Bean Sauce
14 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove, crushed
1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

First, start by preparing the cannelloni bean sauce. Place the beans, lemon juice, thyme, oil, garlic and 2 tbsp of water in the blender. May add salt and pepper to taste. Blend until the mixture has formed a smooth sauce. You may need to add a bit more water. Move the mixture to a saucepan and heat it on low heat for 5 minutes. Stir frequently until the mixture is very hot.

While the mixture is heating, cook the salmon. Start by placing the garlic in a non-stick frying pan and heating it for about 1-2 minutes. Next, add the salmon and cook for another 5 to 8 minutes. Be sure to turn the salmon halfway through the cooking process.

Next, drizzle the spinach leaves with some balsamic vinegar and toss them well. Place the cannellinni sauce on each plate along with a few additional spinach leaves. Top everything with the salmon. You may wish to add some olive oil for additional seasoning. Serve alongside the salad immediately.

Don’t forget to top your meal off with this luscious and creamy low GI diet recipe for yummy ice cream. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare and is ready to eat after another 2 hours in the freezer.

Mango Orange Ice Cream Dessert

Ingredients
4 large oranges, halved
2 large mangoes, peeled and stoned
2 tablespoons finely grated
unwaxed orange zest
3 tablespoons low-fat natural yoghurt
3 tablespoons low-fat
crème fraîche
2 squares plain chocolate, grated

Directions

Begin by scooping out the fleshy part of the fruit from the oranges, but making sure you have left the skins of the oranges intact. Place the flesh of the mangos and the oranges in the blender along with the orange zest, crème fraiche and yogurt. Blend the mixture until smooth; may take a few minutes. Next, spoon the blended mixture into a freezer safe container. You may need to stir the mixture from time to time to break up any ice crystals that have formed. This dessert can be served in a bowl or you may choose to spoon it back into the orange halves for an elegant presentation. If you choose to serve it in the orange halves, you may need to return it back to the freezer for another 30 minutes or so. Garnish with grated chocolate for an even more decadent dessert.

With a little creativity and imagination it doesn’t have to be hard to follow the low GI diet. These low GI diet recipes are just two examples of how easy it can be to dine well and still lose weight on the diet plan.

If you need to better manage diabetes or lose weight consider the Low GI Diet Plan. It provides numerous advantages such as reducing the risk of life threatening illnesses along with the ability to lose weight and maintain weight loss.

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Consult your physision before starting any diet program.

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The Zone diet was developed by Barry Sears and depends on getting your nutrients in certain ratios. Sears, a biochemist, claims that keeping within ‘the zone’ balances the hormones and helps us achieve optimum health.

What Does It Involve?

You have to eat so that you have a balance of approximately 40% calories from carbohydrates, 30% from protein and 30% from fat at each meal. Smaller, more frequent meals are advised. There is no particular limit on the calories that you eat.

Sears recommends this for a typical Zone diet meal: “Eat as much protein as the palm of your hand, as much non starchy raw vegetables as you can stand for the vitamins, enough carbohydrates to maintain mental clarity because the brain runs on glucose, and enough monounsaturated oils to keep feelings of hunger away.”

Plans are provided but even a small change from them can send your ratios off, so if you want to plan your own meals  you would use a nutrient tracker. These are provided at many free websites such as nutridiary.com.

Why Does It Work?

Sears says that this nutritional balance is best for the body and will help it achieve its ideal conditions including achieving and maintaining a normal weight.

Studies seem to bear this out. A TV show called Scientific American Frontiers ran a comparison of various popular diets. While this study was not managed under strict scientific research conditions, the Zone diet came out best, both in terms of weight loss and of building or maintaining muscle mass. It may be particularly good for men who tend to be more concerned than women about not losing muscle mass when they lose weight.

This diet will represent a small cut in fat intake for most people. The average American gets about 35% of calories from fat and that figure is probably higher for people who are overweight. Some people go as high as 65%. At 30%, the body will not store fat, but will use all that it takes in.

However, the Zone diet would not be described as a low fat diet. Sears criticizes low fat, high carbohydrate diets, claiming that high grain consumption is what causes people to gain weight.

The main the Zone diet would be difficult for vegetarians to follow, but Sears has published a more vegetarian friendly version called ‘The Soy Zone’.

Any Negatives?

Although calories are not counted or restricted, the diet has been criticized as being just another low calorie diet in practice. For example, Sears has apparently said that the Zone diet is not a high protein diet because a person would eat only a normal amount of protein a day, around 60g for the average woman. This would give her 240 calories. If this is 30% of her daily calories, she would consume only 800 calories per day. This is extreme calorie restriction: she would require more than twice that amount to maintain her weight.

Sears has also been criticized for apparently not following his own diet. According to Dr Joel Fuhrman in ‘The Eat To Live Diet’, Sears has said that he himself has around 100g of protein a day. If he were in the Zone this would give him 1330 calories per day. He is a tall man and on 1330 calories a day he should be losing around 2 pounds per week (300 pounds in 3 years), but he apparently says that he has lost only 35 pounds in 3 years. Fuhrman concludes that he must be taking in around 2300 calories a day and cannot therefore be in the Zone: he must be eating a higher percentage of either carbs or fat or both.

Nevertheless there are plenty of people who are happy with their results on the Zone diet including various Hollywood stars.

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Consult your doctor before starting on the zone diet.

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