Weight loss hormones- Spartan Diet

      Since we live in times far ahead of the ancient Spartan warriors, we can only speculate about the kind of diet and training regimen they had, based upon the historical records we have discovered and the food habits of the local people in Greece, Crete and Southern Italy. Dr. Walter Willamette of Harvard University, School of Public Health, presented the most well known version of the Weight loss hormones Mediterranean Diet.

This diet regimen followed by the local people along with abundant physical exercise is healthy and rejuvenating compared to food habits of American people. Their diet is high in dietary fiber, which comes from plant and vegetable sources, low in dairy products, low to moderate consumption of fish and dairy products, low consumption of red meat (fatty meat).

Low to moderate consumption of wine, having fresh fruits as daily dessert, and use of olive oil in their cooking as it forms their principal source of fat. Their fat intake is about 25-35% of their total calories, high in beneficial monounsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. As a result although Mediterranean people consume similar high levels of fats as the US and Canada, they have lower incidence of heart disease and obesity.

  

         This paradox is due to generous use of olive oil in their cooking and dressings; which lowers blood cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels. Apart from this it also prevents peptic ulcers and occurrence of cancer. As in the French paradox red wine plays its role by supplying the body with valuable flavonoids, which have powerful antioxidant properties, in high amounts.

The people of Greece and Crete also favor a high consumption of legumes, fruits and vegetables, nuts, edible seeds etc. Dairy products are mostly taken as cheese, milk, yogurt etc. Their diet is high in fish and fish oils, low to moderate in alcohol and meat consumption.  According to a British Medical Journal this type of diet provides great protection against type2diabetes, a major health risk in western countries. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (July, 2008) reported that those following a low carb diet and typical Mediterranean diet had the greatest weight loss.

     The British Medical Journal (Sep, 2008) reported that those following Mediterranean diet were significantly protected from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and from the occurrence of cancer and death due to cardiovascular disease. Following this diet you won’t risk kidney failure as in some other diets and it tastes so good you are likely to stick to it lifelong.

      

     If you want to know more about this Weight loss hormones diet and how to inculcate these food habits in your daily lives then you may wish to check out the following site,  which provides reliable info, on the Mediterranean Diet please click here.