Eating the Mediterranean Way

One of my New Year's resolutions is to eat the Mediterranean way.  You
might be wondering what that means.  The Mediterranean region includes
Greece, Italy, France, Turkey, Spain, the Middle East and North Africa.
And the native people who continue to eat the traditional diet are some
of the healthiest in the world.  I have to say the "traditional diet" because
like most every place in the world, these areas have become westernized
and many more people are beginning to carry extra weight and suffer from
food related diseases.   The American diet is pretty awful.  Tasty, no doubt,
but, reeks havoc on our health.  We need to make some changes.

I've had the great privilege of traveling to all the areas in the Mediterranean
and the one thing that I always notice is how wonderful the food is.  I like
to travel with "my stomach" and seek out the local foods wherever I am.
When I was in Greece, I was amazed at the wooden barrels of feta cheese
in almost every food related store I entered.  Olive oil was on every table
in the restaurants, much like salt and pepper here.  Italy is a food lovers
dream and I couldn't get enough of walking in the stores and looking at
the variety of pastas and huge wheels of cheese.  The lemons hanging
from the trees on the Amalfi coast were as large as navel oranges and
watching the locals harvest the olives was a highlight of the trip.  One of
the most amazing experiences I had was on the tip of the boot in Italy.
I was traveling on a bus with a group and we had stopped at what would
compare to a convenience store in America.  There was gas, shelf items
and a section for dining.  In America that would probably be a Subway
or McDonalds.  But here, it was a made to order pasta bar.  I stood with
dropped mouth as the cook whipped up Orecchiette with bacon and peas
in a light sauce with fresh parmesan cheese grated on top.  I kid you not.
And this folks is the kind of food you get in a convenience store in Italy!
I could go on and on, but you get the idea.  I'm crazy for good food.

When I returned from my Holy Land trip in November, I remember
talking about how much I enjoyed the food in Israel.  Fresh vegetables
and fruits were everywhere.  I made the comment to a friend, "I could
eat like that all the time."  Later, I started thinking, "why don't I eat
like that all the time?"  Granted, I may not be able to get freshly squeezed
pomegranate juice in NC or eat mangos fresh from the trees, but I can eat
many of the same foods and follow the principles of the Mediterranean diet
right here at home.  As I started looking through my cookbook collection, I
was surprised how many cookbooks I already had that focused on this
type of cuisine.  I checked one out of the library that I've used nonstop.
When I started dripping food on the pages, I decided to just go ahead and
order the darn thing for myself.   These are the books I've been cooking
from lately.  And we've had some good eating!

Cecil was so curious when I was taking these pictures.  He wanted to
get in on the action.  Silly cat.

This is what the diet pyramid looks like

and these are the guiding principles of the 

Mediterranean Prescription.

1- Eat lots of fruits.

2- Eat lots of vegetables.

3- Eat lots of legumes (beans, peas, and lentils)

4- Eat lots of nuts and seeds.

5- Eat lots of whole grains, especially whole grain bread

6- Use olive oil liberally, both in salads and in cooking.

7- Consume a moderate amount of low fat dairy products.

8- Eat fish.

9- Eat the right fats.

10- Engage in regular physical activity.

11- Eat only small amounts of red meat and meat products.

Following this prescription the past few weeks, has given me more energy,
helped me shed that extra holiday weight and put my blood sugar readings
in the double digit range.   I've not been hungry at all and I've enjoyed some
delicious food.  I think I'm on to something here.

Some of my favorite meals have been:

*Tomato- Lentil Soup

*Swiss Chard with Tomatoes

* Roasted Vegetables ( all kinds)

*Tuna with Cannellini Beans

*Spicy Black Eye Pea Salad 

*Salmon with Orange and Lemon

*Seasoned Grilled Shrimp

*Sweet and Sour Tilapia (this was to die for!)

*Baked Chicken with Garlic and Lime

*Grilled Chicken Greek Salad

I plan to post some recipes soon along with focusing on each point in 

the Mediterranean prescription.

The Mediterranean Diet is just part of a healthy lifestyle that would be a good

idea for us all to emulate.  It includes daily physical activity, a slower pace of

living, spending time with friends and family and less stress.  Food is treated

with respect.  The people take the time to eat and share good food with

people they love.  The food eaten is fresh, local and in season.  Mealtimes are 

an event, not something consumed in the car or in front of the tv. 

Sounds like a dream, doesn't it?  A lovely way to live.  But I think the 

principles can be followed anywhere you live.  I'm trying to make dinner

something special, cook fresh, local, in season foods and eat it with the people

I love, which is usually just my husband, but hey, I just might invite you over

for dinner soon! 

*MYOF Goal # 10 - Eat three meatless meals a week

                         # 23 - Try 50 new recipes.

2012 Resolution - Eat the Mediterranean way.