Ella Bennett went to the Mediterranean diet after she made the decision to give her heart health top priority.
“I always loved how vivid and fresh her meals were,” Ella says of growing up seeing her grandmother prepare Mediterranean cuisine. “Now I’m bringing that legacy into my own life.”
Fresh, natural foods rule Ella’s Mediterranean dinner plans. Greek yoghurt sprinkled with honey, walnuts, and a little cinnamon is common breakfast fare. “It’s heavy in good fats and proteins, which keep me full until lunch,” she explains.
Ella enjoys making vibrant salads featuring cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese, drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon for lunch. Dinner consists in whole-grain spaghetti mixed with olive oil, garlic, and spinach or grilled salmon accompanied by ratatouille on a side.
With choices like a handful of almonds, hummus with carrot sticks, or sliced bell peppers, snacks are also quite heart-healthy. The Mediterranean diet is not about restriction, Ella says. “It’s about savouring meals in their most natural, most nouraging form.”
Ella advises organising meals around such foods and shopping for seasonal products to make the diet sensible. She also advises paying for premium olive oil. “It makes a world of difference and is a basic component in practically every meal.”
Ella has found better general well-being and reduced cholesterol after following the Mediterranean diet. Her comment, “The best part is how sustainable it feels,” reflects This is a lifestyle rather than a diet.
Advice to others, from her standpoint? “Start with little adjustments like increasing vegetables and substituting olive oil for butter. You will feel and observe the advantages little by bit.
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