Mediterranean or Western Diet – Which One is Better?

Mediterranean vs Western Diet

what-is-the-difference-between-mediterranean-diet-western-diet

“Healthy People are those who live in the healthy Homes, on the healthy diet, in an environment equally fit for birth, growth work, healing, and dying… Healthy People need no Bureaucratic interference to mate, give birth, share the human condition and die!” – Ivan Illich

Which education and certification courses can help you teach your clients about various diet and meal plans?
Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist Certification
Fitness Nutrition Coach Certification
Holistic Nutrition Coach Certification
Personal Fitness Chef Certification

Rightly said, Health is Wealth! There appears an unending list when we search for the benefits of healthy living, certainly, for a body, nothing can be more blissful than to know what’s good for it! But the problem comes when you confront a food you like and you have to avoid for the sake of health. But do you know, a Healthy living or a healthy food doesn’t forbid you to move away from flavor your tongue loves. However, there is an endless discussion for what’s healthy and what’s not! Today, we have two famous diets to discuss – a Mediterranean and a Western diet! Most of the people are yet puzzled about the health benefits and hazards of these two, they intertwine things to differentiate in both. Are you confused? Do you want health benefits and taste at the same time? Yes? You should know the difference.

“There is no Diet in the World that will do what eating healthy does…Skip the Diet! Just Eat Healthy.” – Ellie Krieger

You might have heard people saying “Balanced Diet” – what the heck is that? It’s a kind of diet containing all vital nutrients that fit a body and lead it to the betterment. But, the question that often rattles in the brain is which one is balanced – the Mediterranean or Western Diet?

A Mediterranean Diet is a traditional diet has been characterized by a high intake of vegetable oils while there is comparatively a low addition of Protein intake. It may sound similar to the Keto Diet however, a diet specialist says that Mediterranean Diet is really not a diet but a lifestyle as it emphasizes you to have all those foods that make you get weight and provides a number of health benefits.

A Western Diet, it is also known as “American Standard Pattern Diet”, it’s a type of modern diet. The pattern consists of a high intake of red meat, high sugar intake, packed food, fried foods, fat-rich products, refined potatoes, corns, and grains. Over the last few years, the diet got much popularity and spread worldwide. ¼ of world population switched to it.

What are the common Differences between Mediterranean and Western Diet?

These two are opposite to one another. However, the crown of the healthiest diet goes to “Mediterranean Diet” because it has all the important nutrients to offer that make a body healthy. While, epidemiological studies found that the western diet is positively related to the obesity, cancer and heart problems that may cause death when left untreated.

  • The most common difference is that a Western diet mainly has a high intake of red meat. It may be tasty but it generates a certain compound in the body that increases the risk of cancer (mainly colorectal cancer) plus, it disturbs the blood cholesterol level which leads to heart diseases.
  • Western Diet has a small margin for vegetables, fruits, and nuts while the Mediterranean diet plan emphasizes to consume more – a handful of all these regularly. Consuming more veggies and fruits give your body a fresh look, provide you important vitamins and minerals that participate in different metabolisms while nuts are helpful to modify the brain progress. That’s why; nutritionists suggest switching on the Mediterranean Diet.
  • Another major difference marked on the basis of fibers. Western Diet gives you less fiber, we have found a number of people suffering from a number of diseases from Constipation to colon cancer and the main reason were common among all – their fiber intake was low. On the other hand, a Mediterranean diet gives a sufficient amount of fibers that not just make you regular but save you from a number of diseases.
  • Noteworthy is, a western diet is also known for the high intake of sugar, while the Mediterranean isn’t. High intake of sweet beverages and foods can increase your weight, disturbs your blood sugar level, and increase the chances of diabetes, acne, heart problems, aging, Depression, and also harmful for blood cells.
  • Eating packed and processed food is highly recommended in the Modern American Diet, these are high in salt and fats and go through ultra-high heat processing that damages all the essential nutrients vital for different metabolism. Experts say that consuming processed foods doesn’t cope with the body demands and lead it to diseases. On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet strictly disallows having processed food in a diet plan.
  • Western Diet also provides Trans fats or saturated Fatty acids that increase LDL level which is harmful to the heart and other body parts, also increase the body weight. However, the foods in the Mediterranean diet are highly rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids that protect the human heart by making a sheath around and increase HDL level.

Why the Mediterranean Diet is Healthy???

The Mediterranean Diet plan is highly based on the traditional foods being eaten in Spain, Greece, Italy, and some other countries. Nutritionists around the world have noticed that people who rely on this diet are usually healthy but as the time passed when people tried to enhance their lifestyles with the advent of different technologies, the decline in health was noted. A number of studies disclosed that the Mediterranean diet is Healthy and more than simple to follow. It fosters active living doesn’t forbid you to move away from your favorite flavor or to suppress your appetite to stay healthy – Not at all! Along with the number of benefits that it harvests for you, it allows you to make your way forward to what you love. Let us encounter some amazing benefits that may leave you dumbfounded.

  • When you switch on something healthy and clean to eat, that means you are cutting off the calories. However, gym exercising, yoga, and a morning jog are the healthy activities but suppose along with those when you don’t eat according to the body requirements, they are of no use for sure! Mediterranean diet helps you losing extra appearing pounds to shape up the body.

Following foods are helpful for shedding off your weight:

  1. Cruciferous Vegetables
  2. Chicken Breast
  3. Boiled Potatoes
  4. Tuna
  5. Nuts, beans and legumes
  6. Dairy Products
  • Enhances Mood – vegetables and fruits are able to make some sort of chemicals that primarily boost up the mood and helps you manage the anger.

Foods to boost up the mood are:

  1. Oily fish (salmon, sprat, trout, and other)
  2. Grains in every breakfast
  3. Moderate consumption of caffeine
  4. Vegetable and fruits (One daily)
  • Prevents you from cancer – different naturally found foods in the Mediterranean diet gives an especial resistance against the production of the carcinogenic cells.

Foods to prevent cancer are:

  1. Add carrots, Garlic, Broccoli, and lemon in routine.
  2. Nuts
  3. Must have kiwi and blueberries in fruits
  • Foods in the Mediterranean diet are highly rich in good quality fats that give a heart an additional protective layer and also increase the good cholesterol that is beneficial for arteries run throughout the body.

Foods to foster your heart progress are:

  1. Add berries and avocado in your fruits’ list.
  2. Fish Oil
  3. Dairy products
  4. Walnuts
  5. Beans and Legumes.
  • Mediterranean diet provides you enough essential minerals i.e. Calcium and Magnesium to strengthen the bones and muscles.

Foods to strengthen the bones are:

  1. Calcium-rich foods
  2. Moderate Calorie foods
  3. Vitamin-rich foods
  4. Protein-rich foods
  • The diet does manage and enhance the blood sugar level and has also beneficial effects on improving diabetes if you think there’s someone in the family is already suffering from this then you have to switch yourself on this effective diet plan to stay at the safe side. It does manage and enhance blood.

You can manage the blood sugar by adding the following foods in diet:

  1. Green vegetables
  2. Low-calorie Drinks and food
  3. Protein-rich foods.
  • There is no escape from depression and anxiety but the important thing is how a person deals and reacts. A study showed that on-job people are more likely to get depression as compare to the others however the diet they take has an effective role to play and to cope with anxiety attacks like your Mediterranean diet.

By adding the following foods in your diet you can manage the stress:

  1. A plateful of green vegetables regularly
  2. Legumes
  3. Grains
  4. Olive oil
  5. Healthy Fats

What foods are not allowed in the Mediterranean diet?

It is all about getting healthy and is primarily based on traditional and natural recipes. However, it is also characterized by some foods you need to control and avoid. These are mentioned below:

  • You need to limit the intake of Red Meat; it is rich in Trans fats and may put you in heart diseases.
  • Avoid taking processed food, the carbohydrates it contains is refined and may cause a quick spike in insulin and blood glucose level.
  • Limit your sugar intake as these are saccharides that lead body towards obesity.
  • Try to replace your hydrogenated oil with olive oil because it helps raise LDL level which is harmful to cardiovascular health.
  • Avoid hard liquor and only stick yourself to wine.

What’s Next?

If you want to help clients with food, diet, weight management and improving the results of their fitness routines, the Fitness Nutrition Coach course is for you. You will learn about optimal nutrition, including proven techniques for increasing energy, optimal health and decreased dependence on medications. Instantly increase your job and career opportunities with this popular professional credential.

Check out what it takes to start a career in personal fitness training. This is your most affordable and fastest way to become a highly qualified personal trainer.

Or become a Certified Lifestyle and Weight Management Specialist and help your clients achieve their weight loss or weight management goals using the latest proven strategies.

Our programs are open to anyone with a desire to learn and help others. There are no prerequisites.

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