Mediterranean Diet Recipes For Weight Loss

The Mediterranean Diet is famous for its many health benefits from lowering the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer's Disease, to reducing the risk of an unborn child developing asthma. What's more, the traditional Mediterranean diet has now been recognized as an effective weight loss diet. Read on for meal ideas for the Mediterranean diet and Mediterranean diet recipes. Your waistline and your taste buds will thank you.
These simple Mediterranean Diet recipes are all suitable as main meals. Mediterranean salad recipes have been included as a healthy accompaniment. Alternatively, fresh steamed vegetables would also be great selections for Mediterranean cuisine.
Spinach, Mushroom, Tomato Frittata with Feta Cheese. (Serves 4.)
Many Mediterranean food recipes incorporate plenty of fresh and colorful vegetables. Try substituting your very favorite vegetable and herbs for a more unique and personalized Mediterranean meal.
Ingredients:
1 Tabspn extra virgin olive oil
8 oz, or 3 cups, sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tspn pepper
1/4 tspn salt
1/2 tspn oregano, or any fresh herb you prefer
10 oz, or 1 bag, fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup milk, preferably reduced fat or skim
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled, preferably reduced fat
6 eggs
2 tomatoes, sliced
Method:
Add oil to non-stick ovenproof pan, and over a medium heat, cook mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs. Stir to prevent sticking for approximately 8 minutes, until all liquid is removed.
Add spinach, cover, cook for about 5 minutes until spinach is just wilted.
Whisk eggs in mixing bowl. Add cheese and eggs to pan containing cooked vegetables and stir gently to mix. Turn heat to low. Place sliced tomato on top and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, until only slight amount of juice remains.
Place under grill for 3-5 minutes until set.
Slice and serve with salad or steamed fresh seasonal vegetables drizzled with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Roasted Mediterranean Style Leg of Lamb With Artichokes. (Serves 10.)
This is a great example of a Mediterranean recipe, featuring such traditional Mediterranean foods as lamb, garlic, and artichokes.
Ingredients:
4lb leg of lamb
1 tspn oregano, chopped finely
1 tspn pepper
2 tspn salt
1 garlic clove, minced
8 oz, or 1 cup of tomato passata
1 cup, or 250 ml, water
9 oz artichoke hearts, tinned, marinated, or frozen
Method:
Heat oven to 325º F.
Rub the combined oregano, pepper and salt into the lamb. Place lamb on rack in shallow baking pan. Bake in oven for 2 1/2 hours.
Remove lamb and baking rack from oven. Drain fat from baking juices and place lamb back in pan without the baking rack.
Combine garlic, passata, and water, and pour over lamb. Place sliced lemon over top of lamb. Place artichokes around lamb in baking dish.
Bake for another 30-60 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce, until meat thermometer reaches 175-180º F.
Serve with salad or roast vegetables, such as potatoes, pumpkin, and sweet potato.
Healthy Greek Salad. (Serves 4.)
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped or sliced
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 Spanish onion
4 teaspn fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspn oregano
salt and pepper as desired
8 pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1 cup feta cheese, reduced fat, crumbled
Method:
Combine cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion in appropriately sized salad bowl.
Combine lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad.
Place feta cheese and olives decoratively on top.
Traditional Tabbouleh (Serves 4 as an accompaniment.)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup bulgur
1 onion, finely chopped
5 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspns extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt if required
Method:
Add boiling water to bulgur in small bowl. Mix, then cover. Stand for about 60 minutes. Drain off any leftover water.
Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Add softened bulgur and mix well.
Conclusion.
You may have noticed that these Mediterranean Diet recipes use extra virgin olive oil. The reason? Extra virgin olive oil is made from the very first pressing of the olives, and as a consequence contains the very highest levels of anti-oxidants. The Mediterranean Diet is famous for being a rich source of anti-oxidants, which are vital for good health and mopping up dangerous free radicals.
Hope you enjoy these Mediterranean Diet recipes for weight loss. Healthy? Yes! Boring? No.

The author Ray Darken provides an extensive amount of Mediterranean recipes and a downloadable guide if you have an interest or would like to have your own reference and recipes on easy weight loss. Also, to keep you on your toes and your mouth watering, here are another few Mediterranean diet recipes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Darken

The Danger of Following a Sugar Free Diet For Diabetes

A sugar free diet can do you more harm than good. Sadly many are convinced that diabetes is caused by glucose. This is based on a myth. Diabetes is not caused by sugar and a diet without glucose may do you serious harm. There are a lot of misconceptions about diet based on bad information. Diabetes is a very dangerous illness that can do some very bad things to your body. Those who have a high blood sugar level may have to have their legs removed.
The rapid rise of diabetes has left many people with blindness or having their kidneys shut down. This is a tragic illness that can ruin the body. The sugar free diet is based on very bad science. Glucose is a very important carbohydrate and is the number one source of fuel. The body needs glucose. The removal of this natural sweetener has actually caused the diabetes problem to become even worst. This is due to the harmful effects of artificial sweeteners. Diabetes or borderline diabetes must be attacked fast or you can lose your life.
The key is getting the right healing diet. One of reasons diabetes has continued to grow is the lack of a healing diet. A diet that removes fats and sugars will not heal diabetes actually diabetes has become worst with these diets. The diabetic must find the right diabetes diet. A sugar free diet will never stop diabetes. Medications are dangerous and come with very danger side effects. There is a diet by a filmmaker that has been reversing diabetes. It is based on a healing and you may eat whatever you like. It has been helping people in an amazing way. Do not delay if you have this illness, you may lose your legs or your life. You must take action fast.

You may see the diabetes diet that has been reversing diabetes by clicking here sugar free diet

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Collin_Camino

The Most Effective Diet to Lose Weight!

If you have been trying all sorts of diet programs and still have not found the most effective diet to lose weight fast, then it is time for a fresh change. Most diet programs consist of food restrictions that can either lead you to malnutrition or cause terrible amounts of stress. You know that it is not working and it is something that you will not persevere in because it leaves you feeling fatigued and weak.
As a single mom with no time for the gym, I know how frustrating it can be to follow a diet program and get results. After much research and willingness to try something new I discovered the Acai berry diet and started losing weight within the first week.
The Acai Berry Diet
One such super food that has been found to be the most nutritious and thus should be a part of the most effective diet to lose weight fast is called Acai berry. Acai berry is proclaimed as the topnotch super food among many for good reasons. One is that this special berry from Brazil can slow down the process of aging through its high concentrations of antioxidants, omega-9, and other equally important nutrients. Moreover, recent studies have shown that this particular super food can actually trigger the destruction of leukemia cells in the body.
Acai has become very popular after featured on Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Ray and health expert Dr. Perricone. While celebrity endorsements don't necessarily mean it works, it definitely got me interested to try it.
What Makes Acai More Effective Than Other Diets?
Unlike other diets I've tried, Acai is straightforward and simple to follow. Making drastic lifestyle changes can make it difficult to succeed on a diet. With acai, I have more energy throughout the day and control of what I eat. Cravings for junk foods and sweets are diminished allowing me to reduce my caloric intake while nourishing my body with important vitamins, nutrients, and minerals.
Unlike fat burners and other diet fads that put stress on your body, Acai is completely natural and safe. And most importantly it works!

To learn more about this amazing diet and how to drop 25 lbs in 6 weeks check out my blog at http://www.mydietsolution.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jenny_P_Edwards

11 Day Diet - How the 11 Day Diet Plan Works

If you have already heard of the 11 Day Diet you already know it's a fast and easy diet plan that really does seem to work. But how exactly does the 11 Day plan work? Is it really that easy and can you really lose up to 9 lbs in 11 days?
The answer is yes, and yes! The 11 Day Diet really is easy and you really can lose a significant amount of weight in 11 days. Of course how much exactly will vary from person to person, depending on how far you are from your ideal weight. But one thing's for sure - just follow the plan and you will lose a very worthwhile amount of weight. And this is important - so many of use have been on diets, given them our best and got nothing in return. So what do we do? We give up.
This isn't going to happen with the 11 Day Diet - so long as you follow the plan you will lose weight.
Of course many diets say "just follow the plan" which sounds fair enough until you find out that following the plan isn't easy - at all!
With the 11 Day Plan it couldn't be easier. The "official" name of the 11 Day Diet is actually Fat Loss 4 Idiots, and for good reason.
When you sign up for the this diet (a one-time low-cost payment) you get lifetime access to the Fat Loss 4 Idiots Diet Generator. Log in with your password and this online tool creates an "idiot proof" 11 Day Diet Meal Plan in a matter of minutes, personalized to your choice of foods. And it's a totally complete showing what to eat at each meal for the next 11 days.
For those of us with real lives to leave this is fantastic. It means there is no thinking required with the 11 Day plan. No waking up each day and having to plan out your diet meals.
The foods are ordinary so probably have just about everything already - just skim through the 11 Day Plan and check you do, and that's it. You're all set for the next 11 days.
Each meal is super-easy too. There is no calorie counting with this diet - you just eat until you feel satisfied. And if you have time to walk the dog, or do some other kind of exercise you like, that's great, but exercise is not required for the diet to work.
The 11 Day Diet really is "Fat Loss 4 Idiots" which is why it's been going strong since 2004. If you do your part - follow the plan - it really will pay you back with great weight loss results.
And if you think you'll deserve a reward, that's covered too. You get to take a whole three days off before starting a fresh new 11 Day Diet plan - another way in which this is plan well suited to real people!

Learn more about how you can lose weight with the 11 day diet and see an 11 day diet sample menu at http://www.theidiot-proofdiet.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Gardner

The Bad Effect of Diet Pills On Your Health

Diet pills can be extremely dangerous for your health. If you don't believe me just read below to know about the bad effect of diet pills on your health and why you should stay away from them. And do you know that diet pills might not work after a while in helping you lose weight. Most of these diet pills work by curbing your appetite so that you can lower you calorie intake. But if you lower your calorie intake, your metabolism rate might drop down too.
Slower metabolism will then result in slowing down your weight loss. So after a while people taking diet pills might notice that they are not losing much weight as they did earlier. So its really a very short term solution to weight loss.
The bad effect of diet pills range from heart problems, seizures, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, hair loss, nervousness, high blood pressure and many more. These are reported by people consuming such pills.
The ingredients contained in most diet pills, namely ephedrine and phentermine can also cause harmful side effects. Prolonged use of Phentermine is known to cause blurred vision, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting etc.
Ephedrine can cause heart attacks and seizures. It has been linked to many deaths by heart attacks. It can also cause sleeplessness and nervousness.
Even though many people are buying and using diet pills, they do not realize the severe damage they can be doing to their health. Most diet pills are not controlled by government or approved by FDA. The companies are just out there to make some quick bucks and you might be putting your health at risk if you are not aware of the bad effects of diet pills.
So what do you do?
Even though it is important to lose weight, keep in mind that you should look for healthy ways to lose weight.
Eat healthy, maintain an active lifestyle, eat more of fruits and vegetables, drink sufficient quantity of water every day, do moderate exercise regularly and avoid junk food if you want to stay healthy and fit and lose excess weight.
If you are serious of losing weight then I suggest you take a look at this weight loss program which has become super-popular recently and many people have given positive and excellent reviews about this program. It is the Weight Loss 4 Idiots Program

Read my detailed review of this program here: Fat loss 4 Idiots Diet Review
Discover 7 Natural Fat Burning Foods - 7 Natural Fat Burners

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Syd_Hs

Can A Fatty Liver Detox Diet Really Remove Excess Fat From The Liver? Find Out Now

A fatty liver detox diet is intended to reduce the amount of unwanted toxins and fat in the cells (hepatocytes) and spaces that comprise the liver. Although often tied to obesity, fatty liver disease (FLD) can also be caused by diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, some drugs, extreme weight loss, and, in many cases, poor dietary choices that result in too much fat consumption.
The most commonly prescribed treatments for FLD are diet and exercise. If caught early, this is often all that is needed to reduce fat in your liver and slow down or even reverse the condition. However, early stages of FLD are often asymptomatic, making them extremely hard to diagnose.
Many times a patient won't know they have excessive liver fat until they go in for routine checkups or have tests done for another condition and the physician notices high levels of liver enzymes or other indicators that something may be wrong. The most commonly mentioned symptom is discomfort on the right side of the body just below the rib cage. This is due to fat globules taking up space in the liver and causing it to enlarge and get heavier, thereby putting pressure on other areas of the body.
If left unchecked, fatty liver can turn into a life threatening condition in the form of cirrhosis, liver cancer, and, eventually, complete liver failure. The liver is the powerhouse of the body and performs over 200 different functions. If the liver stops functioning, death is soon to follow.
When fat builds up in the liver, the liver can no longer adequately remove toxins from your blood or metabolize fat efficiently. Certain drugs can make the condition worse. Some of these include tamoxifen, tetracycline, and steroids. As the condition worsens, inflammation occurs and liver cells can burst and can be destroyed, leading to a very dangerous situation.
The best way to combat FLD is to take preventative action and detox the liver through a proper diet. A good diet for cleansing the liver is generally composed of foods containing high amounts of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables are also extremely important.
Examples of foods that can help detoxify your liver and reduce liver fat include things like beans, lentils, citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. Try to limit dairy intake and replace 2% milk with skim milk or opt for alternative sources of milk such as soy, almond, or rice. When eating meat, always go for lean cuts of white meat (tuna, turkey, chicken) and avoid processed meats like sausages and hot dogs.

Next, now is the time to formulate the best diet plan for reducing a fatty liver: Fatty Liver Detox Diet
If you really want to improve your health and stop FLD from progressing to Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), Cirrhosis, or worse, then learn how to reduce liver fat now by visiting: Diet For Fatty Liver Disease

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=D._J._Atterson

Hypothyroid Diet

Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) can remain undetected for years. People commonly have the symptoms of hypothyroidism even though their blood tests indicate that their thyroid function is 'normal'. This is because standard pathology tests for thyroid function can have difficulty detecting 'sub clinical' cases of hypothyroidism. The most common symptoms of hypothyroidism are chronic tiredness, constipation, feeling the cold and dry skin. If you are in a high risk category for thyroid dysfunction - have a family member with a thyroid condition (especially your mother); are at the menopausal age; have experienced lots of stress in the past two-three years; or have hormonal imbalances - then it's important that you support your thyroid, even if the tests tell that your thyroid is 'normal'. One of the best ways to support thyroid function is with diet.
Certain foods improve hypothyroidism by supplying the essential minerals that the thyroid needs to function and produce hormones.
These include:
1. Tyrosine-rich foods. The amino acid tyrosine combines with iodine to make the hormone thyroxine. These foods include meat, fish, turkey and chicken breast, low fat milk and yogurt, almonds, avocado, bananas, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, lentils. Supplements of tyrosine should be taken on an empty stomach so that it doesn't have to compete with other amino acids.
2. Iodine-rich foods. Iodine is needed to make thyroid hormones. Ideal food sources include Celtic sea salt, seaweed (sushi, nori rolls), salt water fish and sea food. Iodized salt is available but should be used in small amounts once or twice a week along with a good quality Celtic sea salt. Iodine supplements are usually in the form of kelp tablets. Consult your health practitioner before using these, because the wrong dose can unbalance your thyroid.
3. High quality protein. All of our body's glands and hormones are made from protein. Try to eat high quality lean protein at every meal.
4. Selenium-rich foods - meat, chicken, salmon, tuna, seafood, whole unrefined grains, brazil nuts, brewer's yeast, broccoli, dairy products, garlic, onions and black strap molasses.
5. Supplements of Vitamin B complex and essential fatty acids because they help to balance the entire hormonal system.
6. Sunlight - while not a food, its important to get a daily dose of safe sun. Light stimulates the pineal gland, which in turn positively affects the thyroid as well as all the other endocrine glands.
Certain foods are detrimental for hypothyroidism because they can inhibit the production of thyroid hormones.
1. Soy products. Isoflavones are hormone-like substances found in soy products. High consumption of soy products have been found to suppress thyroid function in some people and can even cause or worsen hypothyroidism. In particular, an isoflavone called genistein, appears to reduce thyroid hormone output by blocking the activity of an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase. This enzyme is responsible for adding iodine onto the thyroid hormones.
How much is too much soy? Each person can tolerate a different amount and unfortunately soy is hidden in many processed and refined foods. If you have a family history of thyroid disease or a diet low in the minerals iodine and selenium, you need to be careful of your soy intake. Reduce your consumption of soy products (soy milk, tofu, tempeh, miso, soy sauce) to a maximum of two or three times per week. If you have already been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, or you display the common symptoms, then reduce your intake to less than twice in a week.
2. Cruciferous vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, mustard, rutabagas, kohlrabi, and turnips. Isothiocyanates are the category of substances in cruciferous vegetables that have been associated with decreased thyroid function. They appear to reduce thyroid function by blocking thyroid peroxidase, and also by disrupting messages that are sent across the membranes of thyroid cells. Cooking these vegetables does make the isothiocyanates less available. Also, because they are so good for us in other ways, only restrict this group if you have been actually diagnosed with hypothyroidism or have strong symptoms.
3. Low progesterone goes hand in hand with low thyroid, so avoid foods that promote oestrogen dominance. This includes any animal product that has not been produced organically (chicken, eggs, dairy, beef, lamb, pork, etc.). All of these foods are available organic.
4. It is believed by some researchers that chlorine and fluoride (found in most tap water) block iodine receptors in the thyroid gland, eventually leading to hypothyroidism.
5. Gluten is linked to thyroid dysfunction (both hyper and hypo thyroid) so if you have any digestive problems or any one in your family with a gluten sensitivity, it would be worth dramatically reducing your gluten intake.
Please note: The information in this article is not intended to take the place of a personal relationship with a qualified health practitioner nor is it intended as medical advice.

Alison Cassar is a naturopathic practitioner and nutritionist and runs a busy clinic in Sydney, Australia. Her particular interest is chronic tiredness as it’s a very common presenting symptom in clinic. Her website and e-book http://whydoifeeltired.com/explores the many causes of tiredness as well as solutions and prevention.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cassar