Traditionally, people of the Mediterranean region have been admired for their lean, healthy bodies. They got that way not by starving themselves or going on fad diets or other extremes, but by eating fresh, unprocessed foods … a healthy diet we’ve come to know as a Mediterranean diet.
A Lifestyle
A Mediterranean diet isn’t so much a diet as it is a lifestyle. Eating healthy is as sensible and simple as dining on what lives in nature: fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, fish, poultry, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, potatoes, herbs, spices, and healthy oils. Eaten less often are cheeses, eggs, meats, and sweets. Processed foods and food additives are off the menu completely.
So when we’re asked if Tejava has a place in a Mediterranean diet, we are eager to respond, “Absolutely!” Besides a modest amount of wine (advocated for its antioxidant qualities), preferred Mediterranean-style beverages are water and unsweetened tea. Therefore, Tejava fits in quite nicely as a healthy beverage because our tea is refreshingly natural with no sugars, preservatives, or calories.
Success at Weight Loss
Because a Mediterranean diet is all about old-fashioned healthy food and healthy living, those who wish to shed weight can do so through a natural process, not by adhering to any strict rules.
How does eating unprocessed, healthy food in regular quantities help you lose weight? It’s a combination of which foods you load up on, which you minimize, which you avoid, how you eat, and what you do when you’re not eating.
Maximizing the Veggies
Eat more vegetables, less animal-based proteins, and less carbohydrates for your main course. You can spice up your veggies with moderate amounts of cheese, spices, and healthy oils like olive oil – a Mediterranean staple. Here’s a sample dinner menu:
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Begin with a whole-grain baguette dipped in olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with Italian spices.
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Then enjoy a spring mix salad tossed with sliced carrots, cucumbers, red onions, crumbled feta cheese, and dashes of oil and vinegar.
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For your entrée: a modest amount of broiled wild salmon (about three ounces) topped with toasted slivered almonds.
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Accompany your entrée with a side of grilled root vegetables.
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For dessert: sliced peaches drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon.
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For your drink: take your pick from hot brewed Tejava black, raspberry, vanilla chai, or choose our other flavored bottled iced teas such as Mint, Hojicha Green, and Fujian Oolong.
Getting Active
Mediterranean dwellers don’t just sit around and eat. They’re active and on the go. They take long walks along the ocean, stroll through a park, or go bicycling around city streets and open country roads.
Being active isn’t just for activity’s sake and it’s not just for those living in the Mediterranean. Rather, it’s a social and cultural experience. They share activities with others, meet people on their travels, enjoy their environment and the scenery, and breathe fresh air. Moving around in this way is relaxing for mind and body.
Health Benefits Come Naturally
Eating more fresh vegetables and fruits and modest quantities of protein and healthy fats are simple rules of healthy eating. When you follow this regimen and avoid sugary and carbohydrate-rich processed foods, you’re creating important building blocks for optimal health.
Mediterranean-style eating is the practice of concentrating on foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that help keep your muscles strong, energy high, stress low, and brain, heart, circulation, and other organs and body systems working at peak performance.
Foods high in fiber and low on the glycemic index (basically this means low carbs and low sugar), and oils rich in monounsaturated fats are known to help prevent heart disease and diabetes and reduce the chances of obesity and inflammation, which can lead to other chronic and serious health complications.
Eating Slowly
Let’s not forget that eating Mediterranean-style evolved from a culture that encouraged slow eating. Enjoy each bite as you take time to savor the flavors on your palate. Slowing down the eating process makes for conscious, enjoyable eating and helps dieters too. You feel full and quit eating sooner because you’re giving your brain more time to recognize that you’re satisfied.
And there’s no other drink that loves to be savored slowly like Tejava. Original black or flavored Tejava is a refreshment that mixes superbly with contemplative dining and a Mediterranean diet lifestyle.
