The Mediterranean Diet is definitely a lifestyle versus a Fad that includes a diet high in plant foods, also a moderate percentage of fat (mainly olive oil) also including low to moderate alcohol and meat consumption levels (typically in wine, also fish or seafood). Also for Dairy there is basically just cheese and low-fat yogurt. Other than that this diet doesn’t have specific calories but approximately 55% of your diet is Carbohydrate (YUM!!!) that should also be a majority of whole grains. Next we have fats again the healthy polyunsaturated fats at about the 30% of your diet leaving only 15% of your diet for Proteins! Being more of a normal dietary habit I will be using an equation to determine how many calories I should be consuming. The Mediterranean has shown to have low incidence of heart disease, coronary heart diseases, and other chronic diseases that are the leading cause of death. This is one of the most widely discussed and praised dietary routines in current clinical research! The name also foreshadows on where it came from, in the more southern parts of Europe this is a customary nutritional routine.
Mifflin St. Jeor equation: This will determine your BMR or the calories you expend each day. [If you’re interested in following along the equations and conversions are all here 🙂 ] Males [10 x Weight(kg) + 6.25 x Height(cm) – 5 x Age] = BMR Females [10 x Weight(kg) + 6.25 x height(cm) – 5x Age – 161 = BMR Pounds / 2.205 = kg. 1 inch x 2.54 = cm.
Activity level factors Sedentary = Little to no regular activity BMR x 1.2 Mild activity = 20 mins 1-3 times per week BMR x 1.55 Heavy activity = at least 60 mins 5-7 times per week BMR x 1.7 Extreme activity = Elite athletes with daily training or construction type work daily with heavy intense work loads BMR x 1.9[10 x 83 kg] + [6.25 x 183] – [5 x 25] = 830+1144-125 = 1849 x 1.7 = 3,142
