Mediterranean Diet: 5 Common Mistakes

The real traditional Mediterranean diet is fairly different from what we might see today in Italy, Spain, Southern France, Greece. 

Due to modernisation and increase in production, some products that used to be rare and only seasonalcan now be easily found on the table every day, such as salami, cheese, and big cuts of meats.

In order to get the benefits and the most of your nutrition we need to be able to distinguish the traditional diet from the WRONG ONE.

Here are some of the most common mistakes:

TOO MANY CALORIES AND TOO LITTLE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The mediterranean diet research has been conducted on an very active population (farmers, fishermen and shepherds) so if your profession is sedentary, make sure you commit to daily physical activity.

FOOD FREQUENCY AND PORTIONING

As I said some food like pork, beef and cheese weren’t available daily as their production was limited. When they were consumed, the portions were frugal. Make sure you do not consume them more than once a day and in limited portion.

PRESERVED-FOOD INSTEAD OF FRESH AND SEASONAL

opt to buy seasonal vegetables instead of frozen. Try to consume fresh products raw or grilled instead of fried.

EXCESSIVE BREAD AND PASTA

This might represent the most common mistakes in nowadays diet. Bread can be present in your meals, however, it needs to be considered a side to vegetables and animal protein.

Pasta can be a good substitute to bread but these should never be consumed along with bread or other Carbs like potatoes, especially not in large quantities.

OVERINDULGE IN OLIVE OIL AND WINE

Olive oil and red wine are some of the key components of the mediterranean diet but these have to be consumed in extreme moderation. It's very easy to over consume olive oil, as you can use for cooking and dressing the fat content of each meal can go over the roof unnoticed.