Mediterream Diet thoughts

Yesterday my husbands doctor recommended he try it.  Is anyone following it?  Any good books you could suggest to get us started?  Any recipes?  I just glanced at it online and it seems doable for a RYN patient.

It's perfectly reasonable and a substantial improvement over the standard western diet.  However, remember that the Mediterranean diet doesn't mean "dump olive oil on everything."  It's relatively lower in meat, butter, and cream while higher in breads, fruits, and vegetables.  Even olive oil, the hallmark of the diet, is in fact used in moderation.

While I don't specifically follow it, it matches my diet reasonably well.

Yes, I was thinking of the way we eat after RNY. I do not eat hardly any red meats, some chicken and fish and lots more greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, etc.  I need more legumes in our diet.  I just use Pam spray and not hardly any oil.  Maybe I am Mediterrean and didnt even know it.  Quasi Mediterrean as we do occasionally eat Mexican food!  In Texas how can you not hit the cantina once a month.  😈

You would definitely need to closely monitor your carb intake, because even the carbs from healthy vegetables add up throughout the day, and this diet (although heart healthy because of the emphasis on healthier types of fats) could easily have way too many carbs!

No way would it work for me.

Lora

So how many carbs do you allow yourself per day?

I don't "allow" myself only so many calories or carbs or anything else except protein per day, but I know that too many carbs, even if they are from fruits, vegetables, dairy, beans, etc. cause me to crave more carbs and, even if I don't give in and eat the "white carbs", it negatively affects my weight.  

Many of the people that I know who do track carbs try to stick to under 50 when they are actively trying to lose and under 100 during maintenance.

I have also discovered that "whole grains", while far preferable to processed flour products, cause the same kinds of issues as the "white carbs". Having a couple of whole grain crackers or a piece of whole grain bread causes the same kind of carb cravings as a couple of Ritz crackers or a piece of white Wonder bread.

Too many carbs for what?

So how many carbs are too many carbs?  I dont eat bread so i guess it would be fruit and veggie and bean carbs.  How many crbs do most allow per day.  I need to check with my nut on this I guess.

I don't know if you meant to ask this of me but I'll answer.  I don't track or limit "carbs" because "carbs" are not a food.  I simply avoid foods that contain refined sugars and starches and I never think twice about eating potatoes, beans, fruit, etc.

I like this answer!  Crackers are evil and bread too so I avoid them totally but I eat fruit a lot.  It goes down so easy.  And some veggies but more fruits .  I know I will catch it for this but I am a fruitaholic.