This guest blog is submitted by Valery Fortie, the national awareness coordinator of Mediterraneanbook.com, a non commercial association based in Italy.

Eating meat every day is not necessary in order to get adequate amounts of protein. Complex proteins are an essential part of a person's diet but excessive amounts of meat are not. Eating meat is not the only way to get a healthy amount of protein in the diet. When certain foods are paired together they make up the complex proteins that are an essential part of a healthy diet.

Consuming red meat every day, or several times a week can actually be harmful to health. Red meat contains a high content of calories and fat, and if it is consumed often these can lead to weight gain and heart problems.

However, in our opinion, reducing the amount of calories and fat in a person's diet lowers the risk of weight gain, health problems and disease.

The Mediterranean Diet includes a lot of simple and delicious meals that are composed of ingredients that contain protein but not meat. The diet emphasizes the intake of whole fruits and vegetables and whole grains as the basis. Meat, when it is consumed, according to the guidelines of the diet forms one quarter of a plate, the rest being made up of vegetables and grains.

The foods within these categories contain high amounts of essential vitamins and nutrients including protein, and can well substitute for meat. For example, eating beans and rice together form a complex protein. Other such foods are tofu, eggs and dairy products. Tofu can be prepared in many different ways making it a versatile dish for lunch or dinner. These meat alternatives are a great way of lowering the risk of disease and lowering one's cholesterol.

Eating vegetarian meals just a few times a week can reward you with positive health benefits. In addition, these food choices are cheaper than meat... and so are better for the budget. The Mediterranean Diet provides some useful guidelines to making the most of your diet, improving your health and the health of your budget.

for more info go to http://www.mediterraneanbook.com/lower-high-blood-pressure