Happy International Mediterranean Diet Month!
May 2023
The month of May is International Mediterranean Diet month. Although I like to talk-up the Mediterranean Diet year round, it strikes me as a good opportunity to do a pitch on easy tricks to go Mediterranean.
What is the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet—one of the traditional diets common to the 27 countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea—is based on age-old food traditions that have evolved over almost 5,000 years. The diet, which emphasizes seasonal and local foods, was first studied in the U.S. over 50 years ago when researchers discovered that men from the island of Crete had lower rates of cardiovascular disease than their counterparts in most other countries. The scientists concluded that this benefit was because these men ate a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and legumes.
How exactly does it work?
The secret behind the Mediterranean diet i because the foods included in it contain far fewer of the harmful substances responsible for causing inflammatory and oxidative stresses in the body. These “irritants” to the cells in the body are thought to be at the root of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.
Scientists have confirmed that the Mediterranean Diet can save your life! That’s according to a large multi-year study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers found that a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, lentils, fish, fruits, and vegetables reduces heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular death more effectively than does a typical low-fat diet. This outcome is remarkable because it provides a very high level of confidence in the connection between long-term health benefits and eating a diet made up of lots of seasonal fresh foods, with only small servings of meats, desserts, and processed foods Among the study’s participants, those who ate a Mediterranean diet showed robust benefits. These “Mediterranean” subjects showed a 30 percent reduction in their risk for cardiovascular events.
About 35 percent to 40 percent of the calories in a Mediterranean diet are from fat, mainly from unsaturated fats which are vegetable in nature. Study participants enhanced their diets with either a supply of extra virgin olive oil or whole nuts, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds. Participants in this Mediterranean study also drank at least seven glasses of red wine each week (more about this later)
Build your own Mediterranean Meal
Now, to get an idea of what’s for dinner, let’s go on a “virtual tour” of the Mediterranean region, as you start to assemble a Mediterranean meal. First, place a 9-inch dinner plate on the kitchen counter and, in your mind’s eye, divide it into quarters.
· Poultry or fish. In one quarter of this plate, place a 2-oz. to 3-oz. portion of lean poultry or fish that you’ve baked, broiled, grilled, or poached.
· Fruit. In another quarter of the plate, place a medium-sized piece of fruit (about 4 oz. in weight).
· Vegetables. In the next quarter, place a generous (heaping) mound of vegetables (about 1 and 1/2 cups).
· Grains and oils. In the remaining quarter of your plate, nestle 1 cup of whole grains, plus 1 of the following choices:
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil, or
- 3 tablespoons of nuts, or
- 15 olives, or
- 1/4 avocado
And voilà! You’ve built yourself one quite imposing Mediterranean meal!
Some suggestions on how you can “go” Mediterranean"
· As much as possible, choose whole and unprocessed foods.
· Include an abundance of vegetables at every meal. (At breakfast too? Why not?)
· Eat fish at least twice a week (tuna, salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, and sardines).
· For your fruit, opt for whole, fresh produce over the canned or dried varieties.
· Choose whole grains, beans, chickpeas, and legumes over rice or the breads and pastas made from white flour.
· When adding fat, either at the table or during food preparation, choose monounsaturated fats such as peanut and canola oils, or the oils extracted from hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds.
· Enjoy avocados and olives as condiments.
· Limit foods like butter, cream, and whole-fat cheeses, which contain unhealthy fats.
· Restrict to an occasional treat all sodas, sweets, processed meats, and high-fat dairy products.
· Enjoy a daily glass of red wine if desired—but limit this serving to 5 oz. and don’t forget to count those calories!
JUMPSTART YOUR MEDITERRANEAN PLAN THIS MONTH! Taking inspiration from our beloved Mediterranean Diet dogma, here are are eight simple changes you can make this May to live like you’re in the Mediterranean!
1. Pre-cook whole grains for convenience . Get into the habit of batch cooking fava, black and red beans and green peas, chickpeas, lentils whole wheat couscous ,barley and polenta. Store these prepared grains in and airtight container the refrigerator for up to four days and reach into this supply for a quick side dish in your meal prep.
2. Find creative ways to add extra veggies to your meals
From a simple plate of sliced fresh tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and crumbled feta cheese to stunning salads, garlicky greens, fragrant soups and stews, healthy pizzas, or oven-roasted medleys, veggie are vitally important to the fresh tastes and delicious flavors of the Med Diet.
3. Cook with olive oil
Heritage diets such as the Mediterranean limit saturated fat, which typically comes from animal products like red meat and butter. Instead, they emphasize sources of unsaturated fats. This type of fat can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood, which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. It also provides nutrients to help develop and maintain your body’s cells.
Some simple ways to incorporate unsaturated fats in your diet include cooking with olive ,sesame, hazelnut and walnut oil . Pay attention to measurements. Aim for two to three teaspoons of oil for a portion.
sauteing, roasting, broiling and grilling with these flavorful oils adds much more character than corn or canola oils and can add a lot of a lot of deep interesting flavor to your meals.
4. Season with herbs and spices
You can reduce your reliance on the saltshaker and boost the flavor of your meals by adding aromatic spices such as: cumin, cardamon, cinnamon, ginger turmeric, and rosemary into soups, sauces, marinades and toppings..
5. It’s Ok to use bottled, smoked and canned seafood such as herring, tuna sardines and anchovies
The goal is to eat seafood at least twice a week. Pre packaged seafoods are a simple and affordable option full of nutritional benefits such as Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamins and minerals such as B12, iron, Vitamin D and selenium.
6. Go easy on the cheese. Add cheese sparingly as a condiment or garnish on the plate.
If you eat meat, have smaller amounts – small strips of sirloin or fish in a vegetable sauté, or a dish of pasta garnished with diced prosciutto.
7. Eat fruit for dessert
Whole fresh fruit is a perfect dessert Popular Mediterranean fruits include apricots, pomegranates, persimmon,, prunes plums and raisins. Try adding fruit, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, or even vegetables to make a delicious dessert that also happens to be on the healthier side. Or to go one step further, base desserts around the seasonal fruit you love.
8. Make a habit of going meatless once a week
Build meals around beans, whole grains, and vegetables, and heighten the flavor with fragrant herbs and spices.
There are many cliché’s that convey the idea of lessening your reliance on meat:
‘Meatless Monday.”
'No whiskers Wednesday'
'Fur- free Friday”
No matter how you name it , discover more ways to mix up beans peas pulses and veggie patties to minimize the presence of meats in your diet. Doing this will reduce that concentration of pro-inflammatory animal fats in your diet. Down the road, try two nights per week!
