Believe it or not, diets come and diets go. And some of them seem to go on forever!

There are low-carb diets, no-carb diets, negative calorie diets, high-protein diets, fat-burning diets, cabbage diets, vegetarian diets, raw food diets...

There`s the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, the L.A. diet, the Personality diet… The list goes on and on.<

Did you know that diet books and diet products are a profit-pulling business nowadays?

It`s estimated that in the USA alone a staggering 33 billion dollars is spent every year on diet-related items.

By now you should know that the overwhelming majority of diets only work in the short term.

Here’s why:

You follow the diet, you lose a few pounds, you get bored, you lose interest, you stop following the diet, you put all the weight back on again....and you move on to the next trendy, flavor-of-the-moment fad, and the same old cycle starts all over again!

In order to lose weight, and stay slim and fit and healthy, it’s not enough to grab some special fad or flavor of the month and just add it to our lives like a new hair-piece or some latest fashion accessory.

No, what we need to do is change our lifestyle - permanently!

Have you ever heard about the Mediterranean Diet?

In actual fact, the Mediterranean Diet is a bit of a misnomer. It isn`t really a diet at all: it`s a way of life. There are literally millions of people today living around the Mediterranean and eating fresh local food that is good for their hearts and kind to their waistline and may even, if the latest scientific research is to be believed, actually prolong their lives.

Don`t you think it might be a good idea to grab a part of this?

So... where do we start?

The foundation of the Mediterranean Diet resides in three things:

* fresh fruit and vegetables (including garlic)

* olive oil (particularly extra-virgin olive oil)

* a moderate intake of wine (preferably red wine)

Add to these some fresh fish and seafood and some lean cuts of meat, game and poultry and you have a "diet" that will protect your heart, enhance your general health and probably even extend your life - as well as reducing your waistline! What more could anyone ask for?

It is the combination of these three elements that is responsible for the long and healthy lives of people living in the southern Mediterranean area.

I suggest you spend a bit more time with your partner or family, eating healthy food and wine, rather than gulping down a ready-cooked meal that`s probably full of salt and saturated fat, just so you can spend an extra few minutes at the local pub or bar!

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Peter Carnes is the webmaster at http://www.heart-of-provence.com/provence-light.html
Click above to discover tons of articles, recipes eBooks (plus a lot more stuff) for a healthy life-style.

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Copyright Peter Carnes - http://www.Heart-Of-Provence.com