You’ve likely heard of Mediterranean diets that are supposed to be the very thing to help you lose the unwanted pounds you are packing around while allowing you to eat all kinds of good stuff during the process. It sounds like an excellent idea, doesn’t it?

Actually there is no such thing as one single “Mediterranean” diet. Lots of countries border on the Mediterranean Sea. And the diets of the people who live in those countries vary not only from country to country, but also from region to region within those countries.

So-called Mediterranean diets generally follow these rules:

* The main feature is a lot of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds.

* Olive oil is the usual source of fat.

* Fish and poultry are the featured meats, and then only in small-size servings. Beef is almost never eaten.

* Eggs are rarely included.

* Only small amounts of wine are allowed.

So the question is, are Mediterranean-style diets healthy? Do they meat the guidelines set up by the American Heart Association, for example?

The answer to those questions is that the overall Mediterranean-style diet comes close to meeting American dietary standards — close, but not completely. Actually, a relatively large number of calories consumed on most Mediterranean diets are calories from fat. It’s important to note that obesity is a growing (pun intended) problem in all of the Mediterranean countries.

However, the average Mediterranean diet is far healthier than the average American diet, and lot less saturated fat is consumed. It is also important to note that the incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries is far lower than it is in the United States, as well.

Actually, more research needs to be conducted on Mediterranean diets before we’ll know for sure whether they are good or bad.