The Mediterranean way of eating
includes snacks made up of two or three
simple, fresh foods and meals that take
place over several small courses. In
America, we think of a meal as a
heaping plate filled with everything
that’s on the table. In the Mediterranean,
people enjoy one part of the meal at a
time.
They may start with a small plate of
green salad or roasted peppers, savor a
small bowl of delicious soup, move on
to a delectable filet of fish on a bed of
rice, then enjoy some cheese and fruit
for dessert. This way of eating is all
about enjoying each portion of the meal
for what it is, rather than lumping
everything together and rushing through
it.
The terrific bonus to this way of eating
is that you end up eating a lot less, while
enjoying it more. It takes approximately
twenty minutes for your stomach to
signal that it’s full. In that time, most
Americans will have already eaten way
more than they should. By the time their
stomachs notice they’re eating, they’ve
already overeaten.
If you change your pattern to eating
smaller portions, in a course-by-course
meal, you’ll already be starting to feel
satisfied before you’ve gotten to the
main part of your meal. Therefore, you’ll
usually eat far less than you were before.
At first, try focusing on your portions
and the time you take to eat, rather than
looking at how many calories you’re
taking in. After a week or so, if your
weight loss isn’t as fast as you’d like it
to be, go ahead and follow our
guidelines for speeding up your weight
loss by taking in fewer calories and
burning more.
