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The Mediterranean Diet is based on traditional whole-grain breads, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta, bulgur, other grains, and potatoes. Fresh vegetables and fruits along with beans, legumes, and nuts are also consumed in large amounts. Olive oil is the main source of fat in the diet, although omega-3 fatty acids from fish are also an important component. Dairy products are consumed in much smaller amounts and usually in the form of yogurt or fermented cheeses. Fish is the main source of animal protein, followed by poultry, eggs, and, occasionally, red meat. Sweets are an occasional treat. Wine usually produced by local growers, is consumed on a regular basis, but generally in moderation.
While diet is not the same throughout the entire Mediterranean area which includes Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and North Africa, one common denominator that scientists discovered is the low consumption of saturated fatty acids because of the plant-based nature of the cuisine.
The Mediterranean Diet is also as much about lifestyle as it is food. The people are active, and their foods are whole, natural, and inherently more tasty than the highly processed foods consumed in the United States. The sources of fats in the diet are mono-unsaturated, primarily olive oil, which represents 40 percent of the calorie intake.
They do eat a high amount of fat, although it is mono-unsaturated the good fat. In part, that's probably why they don't snack or overeat. Fat is very satisfying. Low-fat and no-fat processed foods, virtually unheard of in the Mediterranean, have not helped the nation's dietary well-being.
I think it's pretty much a documented fact that Americans went to the extreme with these kinds of foods. They may not be high-fat, but many are high-calorie, and few are nutritious, certainly nowhere near as good as eating a luscious piece of fruit that provides nutrients, fiber, and phytochemicals, which we are finding prevents a lot of diseases.
In the Mediterranean Diet, foods are as close to their natural state as possible. In the U.S., we have gone too far in making the use of fast foods, food substitutes, and prepared packaged meals a major component of our daily lives. Americans love fast foods, microwaveable foods, and as a result of the advent of TV dinners in the 1950s, we have forgotten how to cook.
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The important goal for health professionals is to take the Mediterranean diet out of the laboratory and into the dining room. People need to know that this is healthful food that they can actually enjoy. The underpinning of the Mediterranean diet is the simple message that we must learn to take the time to prepare our own food, at least a few times a week. And we must limit the use of the prepared, precooked, ready-to-eat, or fast foods.
It is becoming increasingly clear that an antioxidant-rich diet that is also high in dietary fiber and low in saturated fat is linked to optimum health. Instead of telling Americans to live as they do in Mediterranean countries, it's better to suggest they look in their cupboards and refrigerators to see what they've been eating.
If you're only eating one piece of fruit a day, double the benefit, and eat two, the second as an afternoon snack. If you're cooking with butter, switch to olive oil. Consider whole-grain breads instead of enriched breads. Instead of fruit juices, eat whole fruits. Try at least one new vegetable or fruit each week.
Eat more "meal" salads in which greens and vegetables are the base, and meat or cheese, sliced thin, is added for accent. Substitute fruit for high-sugar desserts, such as an apple baked and dusted with cinnamon instead of a slice of apple pie.
It's also important to search for good information about healthful eating. Nutrition counseling with a dietitian is one way to obtain reliable information. But it is also important to consider the sources of information in newspapers, magazines, and books.
There's a degree of confusion about nutrition. Headlines herald the latest research, and the public tends to think it's the last word when in fact it is part of an ongoing process of
study, just one study among many studies.
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Community pharmacists have a wider role in health promotion than ever before. This expanded role takes a more holistic approach to health generally and includes alternative therapies and advice on lifestyle, as well as the more traditional role of advice on prescribed and non- prescribed medicines.
A relatively new area is advice on diet. The challenge is not just to advise patients taking medication for heart disease or high blood pressure, but to help all customers understand the benefits of a good diet, which may help prevent cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
The bonus of a glass or two of wine, particularly red wine, with meals makes the diet a pleasure to follow, not just for those at risk of heart disease or cancer. Community pharmacists can enjoy their role as advisers on lifestyle matters by recommending a Mediterranean-style diet.
Definition of Mediterranean Diet
The traditional (European) Mediterranean diet is characterized by an abundance of plant foods such as bread, pasta, vegetables, salad, legumes, fruit, nuts; olive oil as the principal source of fat; low to moderate amounts of fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs; only little amounts of red meat; low to moderate amounts of wine, normally consumed with meals. This diet is low in saturated fatty acids, rich in carbohydrate and fiber, and has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids. These are primarily derived from olive oil.
There is strong evidence that a Mediterranean-style diet, in which olive oil is the main source of fat, contributes to the avoidance of cardiovascular risk factors like dyslipidaemia, hypertension, diabetes and obesity, and therefore to the prevention of CHD. Evidence also suggests that the Mediterranean diet protects against some cancers.
Action Plan
1) Record in your practice workbook exactly what foods you eat today. Find out the calorific value, the fat carbohydrate and protein values of each component and calculate these for your food intake today.
2) Calculate the various fat types in today's intake.
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What a person eats is one of the crucial elements in either promoting or preventing coronary artery disease. The Mediterranean diet has gotten much attention of late as a good eating plan to reduce the risk of heart disease. But does the thought of a Mediterranean diet conjure up images of dipping your bread in olive oil and eating tomatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Let's take a look at the key elements of this approach to healthy eating and how you can incorporate them into your life.
Unfortunately there is no one Mediterranean diet. The countries that border the Mediterranean Sea are culturally diverse, and the diets vary from country to country. Theoretically, a number of Mediterranean diets are possible, depending upon the place, the time in history, and the socioeconomic status of the people.
The food guide pyramid for the traditional Mediterranean diet is based upon the typical diet in working-class households of Greece and Southern Italy in the 1960s. During this period, physiologist Ancel Keys did his research showing that men living in Crete and Greece had the lowest rates of death from heart disease. This diet is somewhat different from the diet of this region in the 1990s, as saturated fats have begun to replace some of the olive oil, and refined carbohydrates are replacing whole grains.
Although the traditional diets of the Mediterranean can vary from one country to another, there are some common elements. In general, these diets are low in saturated fat and high in fiber. While total fat consumed may range from 29-40% of total calories, the principal fat is olive oil. Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts are eaten daily and make up about one half of the diet. Most people eat some cheese or yogurt each day as well. Fish, poultry, eggs, and sweets are consumed sparingly; red meat is eaten even less often. Typically, small amounts of red wine complement meals, and regular physical activity is a part of daily life.
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Several features of the Mediterranean diet make it unique. One of these is the relatively high consumption of olive oil, which is especially rich in the monounsaturated fat oleic acid. While dietary fat is generally considered something that increases a person's heart-disease risk, monounsaturated fats are beneficial for heart health because they tend to decrease total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides while slightly increasing HDL cholesterol. The net result is a more favorable ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol.
Another key heart-healthy aspect of the Mediterranean diet is the high antioxidant content of olive oil, fruits, and vegetables. Antioxidants not only protect cells from damage caused by free radicals; they also prevent "oxidation" of LDL. Scientists believe that oxidized LDL is an important factor in the development of atherosclerosis. Olive oil provides a rich source of vitamin E, while fruits and vegetables offer a good supply of carotenes, another type of antioxidant.
In addition to being a rich source of antioxidants, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are also key sources of folic acid and vitamin B6. Folic acid is especially abundant in dark green leafy vegetables, a staple in the Mediterranean diet. Low levels of these nutrients have been associated with elevated homocysteine levels. And high blood levels of homocysteine have been associated with coronary heart disease.
Unlike the typical Western diet, the traditional Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant proteins over animal proteins. In fact, red meat which is high in cholesterol and saturated fats is eaten only a few times per month. Other sources of animal protein that are lower in saturated fats, such as fish and poultry, are consumed a few times per week. Plant proteins in the form of beans, legumes, and nuts are consumed daily. Not only are these proteins very low in saturated fats, but nuts are especially rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Also important to the beneficial elements of the Mediterranean diet are two lifestyle components that accompany this way of eating consumption of moderate amounts of red wine with meals and regular physical activity. Red wine contains factors that can decrease platelet aggregation and formation of fibrinogen thereby reducing blood-clot formation. Regular physical activity is also crucial in the prevention of heart disease and contributes to a healthier lipid profile by increasing HDL and lowering triglycerides
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The virtues of the Mediterranean diet have long been extolled by the medical profession, but convincing the British public has not been easy. People have become aware during this century that good health is linked to good diet. The difficulty has been explaining a good diet. The conflicting evidence and advice given, especially over the past 20 years, has not clarified the situation. Meanwhile, the national appetite for junk food continues unabated.
Most people are aware that they should increase fiber intake and cut down on fats, but that not all fats are bad. Unfortunately, much of this information has been gained from sources such as the popular press and television commercials, which do not always present a balanced view of the whole picture.
Small improvements in eating habits seen over the last 20 years have been incidental and usually triggered by other factors. For example, the reduction in egg consumption was because of the salmonella crisis in the late 1980s, and the beneficial changes from butter to margarine and red to white meat can be accounted for by price differences.
The diet followed in the UK, and indeed in much of northern Europe, is high in animal fats, which are very positively correlated with colorectal and breast cancers.
A number of large European and US population studies have also demonstrated that a diet rich in saturated fatty acids found in animal fats raises atherogenic low density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol and is thus causally related to a high incidence of coronary heart disease. The UK has a high incidence of heart disease, and cancers of the breast and large bowel.
On the other hand, the traditional European Mediterranean diet is well known to be associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, obesity, gallstones, diabetes, and cancers of the breast and large bowel.
The Mediterranean diet has always included more cereals, more fish, more fruit and vegetables, and more olive oil than countries in northern Europe. In addition, proteins and fats consumed in the UK tend to be from animals, whereas the Mediterranean diet contains a much higher proportion of fat and protein derived from vegetables.
The traditional source of fat in the Mediterranean diet is olive oil, and the benefits of adopting a Mediterranean-style diet, including the substitution of olive oil for animal fats, provide a clear direction and good news for all involved in the provision of dietary advice, including community pharmacists.
Although documented benefits of the Mediterranean diet concern cancer and coronary heart disease, evidence suggests that this may be mediated through several contributing mechanisms.
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The Mediterranean diet is much better for the heart than the traditional British diet. It is hard to believe that a plate of pasta sprinkled with oil and garlic could be healthy as well as delicious, but statistics on heart attacks prove this to be so. And it is not just replacing butter with oil that makes the difference. Innumerable studies have confirmed the health benefits of moderate drinking. One or two glasses of wine a day is believed to cause a drop of between 30 and 70 per cent in the risk of heart disease. The Mediterranean Diet has been shown to be better for the heart than low-fat diets.
The Mediterranean Diet will keep you fit, well and gastronomically satisfied throughout the winter. Women who follow it can lose a steady pound a week, while men may lose up to four pounds. If you wish to maintain your current weight, you can use the Mediterranean diet to keep yourself healthy from the inside.
Carbohydrate is the cornerstone. Instead of protein, pasta and bread will release energy slowly while providing sufficient bulk to keep the stomach satisfied. Meat is used as a flavoring rather than a main ingredient. Around half of the diet's overall calories are provided by carbohydrates.
Choose from the wide variety of pastas and breads on the market, including specialty Italian loaves such as olive bread, ciabiatta and focaccia. These foods fill you up and, depending on what they're served with, don't need to be fattening.
It does not include fatty spreads such as butter. Plain bread may taste odd initially but you will quickly realize how you've been masking the flavor in the past. The pasta recipes avoid heavy, calorie-laden cream sauces in favor of simple, vegetable-based ones.
Britons tend to structure our meals around fatty foods such as pies, pastries, fried foods and meat. Following the Mediterranean Diet will help you re-educate your palate.
At the end, you should be able to apply the basic principle of building meals around starchy carbohydrates with the addition of a small amount of protein.
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Authorities on the cuisine of Nice (including recently incarcerated former mayor Jacques Medecin, author of the definitive book on the subject) express outrage at the sins committed in the name of this famous, gloriously simple salad. Perhaps no dish of the region is more frequently or profoundly misinterpreted -- and the silliest misinterpretation of all, to the Nicoise, is the use of fresh tuna in a salad that has depended, since its creation generations ago, on preserved fish (either tuna or anchovies -- never both). The real thing, say the experts, has no lettuce and no cooked vegetables (potatoes, green beans, or otherwise). The particulars vary according to availability of ingredients, but this is a standard version. 6 tomatoes, ripe but still firm, quartered
Ingredients Required:
Salt
2 green peppers, ribbed, seeded and cut into rings
1 cucumber, sliced
6 small fresh artichoke hearts, sliced thin
3 to 4 ounces Nicoise olives
3 green onions, chopped
12 anchovy fillets, or 7 to 8 ounces top-quality oil-packed white tuna
3 hard-boiled eggs, halved, optional
Extra-virgin olive oil
Season tomatoes to taste with salt on all cut surfaces. Set aside.
Procedure:
• Arrange green peppers, cucumber slices and artichoke hearts on 6 plates, dividing evenly. Scatter olives and chopped green onions on top of vegetables, dividing evenly. Arrange salted tomatoes, anchovies or tuna (crumble tuna by hand into large chunks) and hard-boiled eggs on plates.
• Drizzle salads with olive oil to taste. Season to taste with salt. Do not toss.
• Makes 6 servings.
Each serving contains about:
211 calories;
206 mg sodium;
93 mg cholesterol;
52 grams fat;
13 grams carbohydrates;
13 grams protein;
0.82 gram fiber.
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In the Ligurian entroterra or back-country above Sanremo and Ventimiglia, savory tortas (tortes) used to be eaten more often than pasta. This particular one even borrows the word pasta -- though in this case it doesn't mean noodles at all, but a pastry. This recipe was given to me by Sandro Oddo, director of the tiny folklore museum in Triora, and a student of local customs and gastronomy.
Ingredients Required:
6 medium-sized baking potatoes
1 1/2 cups flour
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 egg
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
2 tablespoons ricotta
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
Freshly ground pepper
3 full sheets filo, cut in half
Procedure:
• Bring large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add potatoes, unpeeled, and cook until done, 10 to 30 minutes, depending on size.
• When potatoes are cooked, remove from water, cool slightly, peel and put through ricer or crush potatoes with masher or fork.
• Add egg, 1/2 cup Parmigiano, ricotta, milk, 2 tablespoons butter and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until blended.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Lightly grease 11x17-inch baking dish. Lay 1 filo sheet half in bottom and lightly brush with melted butter. repeat with 2 more sheet halves.
• Add potato mixture and smooth surface. Top with 1 filo sheet half and brush with melted butter. repeat with remaining 2 sheet halves. Tuck in edges. Score top with knife in diagonal pattern. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Bake at 450 degrees until browned, about 30 minutes.
• Makes 16 appetizer or 12 side dish servings.
Each serving contains about:
116 calories;
48 mg sodium;
34 mg cholesterol;
6 grams fat;
11 grams carbohydrates;
5 grams protein;
0.16 gram fiber.
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Forget that coffee-shop bowl of canned beans and carrots and soggy noodles. Real minestrone is a wonderful soup full of the mingled flavors of fresh -- but long-cooked -- vegetables. It might include green beans, peas, favas, escarole, Swiss chard, turnips, leeks, carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin or zucchini blossoms, and many kinds of both summer and winter squash. Some cooks add pine nuts; some also add tomatoes, though this is frowned upon by traditionalists. In Genoa, where the soup was quite possibly born, a particularly well-made one, with an abundance of ingredients -- the kind one might make to honor a guest, for instance -- is sometimes called Signore Minestrone.
Ingredients Required:
2 quarts Water
Salt
1 bunch spinach, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 bunch kale, rinsed and coarsely chopped
2 small zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut in 1/2-inch slices
2 small Japanese eggplants, cut in 1-inch slices
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked 20 minutes in warm water, then drained
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound tubetti or fideos pasta
2 cups cooked white beans
2 generous tablespoons pesto
Procedure:
• Lightly salt water and bring to boil in large pot. Add spinach, kale, zucchini, potatoes, eggplants, mushrooms and oil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook, uncovered, 1 hour.
• Add pasta and cook about 10 minutes longer, or until pasta is almost done. Add cooked beans and cook about 5 minutes more.
• Remove pot from heat. Adjust seasonings to taste. Let cool about 10 minutes, then stir in pesto and serve.
• Makes 4 servings.
Each serving contains about:
539 calories;
228 mg sodium;
0 cholesterol;
14 grams fat;
87 grams carbohydrates;
21 grams protein;
4.96 gram fiber.
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The Mediterranean diet is like U.S. tax law. Every year there's more to know.
Since the day Ancel Keyes published his groundbreaking Seven Countries Study in 1958, revealing that people who live in the Mediterranean basin lived longer and healthier lives because of their diet, scientists, doctors, and nutritionists have studied the reasons why.
The research has revealed important information about the beneficial aspects of Mediterranean cuisine in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, obesity, cancer, and diabetes.
Scientists now know that carotenoids, folic acid, and fiber, all abundant in the Mediterranean diet, play important roles in the prevention of certain cancers, coronary heart disease, neural tube defects, and cataracts. Scientists also believe that diets rich in
Mono-unsaturated fatty acids may play a pivotal role in the management of non-insulin-dependent diabetes.
Cholesterol-lowering properties of the Mediterranean diet are under investigation as well. Studies have shown that diets in which mono-unsaturated fatty acids are the predominant fat source, such as the olive-oil-rich diets of the Mediterranean countries, are also the most heart-healthy.
Epidemiological studies indicate a lower incidence of disease among people who eat a diet composed of vegetables, grains, and fruit. People who live in countries on the northern rim of the Mediterranean, Greece, Italy, Spain, and southern France, live and eat differently from us, and they also are half as likely to die of heart disease.
Americans, by comparison, consume twice as much milk, cream, and butter, but only half as much fish and aged cheese. Americans also eat:
• 20 % less whole grains and beans.
• 66 % less vegetables and 10 % less fruit.
• 45 % more meat.
• 16 % more eggs.
• 1/4 as much olive oil.
"Americans don't even eat the healthy American diet," said Diane Guagliani, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Studies have shown that we're not getting the minimum of five fruits and vegetables a day even though this is something that teachers, the government, and nutritionists are promoting in this country. Going to the Mediterranean diet with its abundance of grains, legumes, fruits, and olive oils would be quite a leap."
Despite the good press and a multitude of cookbooks, most people don't understand the Mediterranean diet, Guagliani said. "They have a vague notion that it's Italian, but that's not the whole picture," she said.
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According to modern-day culinary mythology, there is a nutritional system known as the Mediterranean Diet, and it goes something like this: whole gardens full of vegetables, glorious fruit straight from the tree, copious quantities of grains and legumes, very little meat or animal fat, an abundance of just-caught seafood (simply grilled or roasted, then dressed in delicate olive oil and scattered with fresh herbs), a bit of crusty homemade bread, a bit of wine -- everything fresh and bright and perfect, and in admirable moderation.
That's a very attractive idea, of course. But in truth, it sounds more the way people eat at Chez Panisse or Spago than the way they eat, and have traditionally eaten, in the Mediterranean, or at least in the part of the Mediterranean.
The so-called "Riviera" region that extends from Nice across the border into Italy and along the coast of Liguria, past Genoa, all the way to the Gulf of La Spezia and the Tuscan border has traditionally been a poor one. The single most important source of nourishment in the mountains for those who worked the land was probably the chestnut tree. Chestnuts were dried, then reconstituted in broth or milk as a kind of soup, or were ground into a flour that could be used to extend white flour (which was imported and expensive) in breads and pasta dough.
The favored seafood, for those who could afford it, was not fresh tuna but stockfish, the long-lasting air-dried cod (a little of which went a long way) imported from Norway. In fact, much of the food consumed, even by the wealthy, was preserved: dried fish, dried fruit and vegetables, dried pasta, olives and vegetables pickled or marinated in oil, cured ham and sausages.
Moderation was imposed by insufficiency and by the dietary laws of the Catholic Church (mandating periods of fasting and of abstinence from meat and other animal products), not elected as a secular moral -- or nutritional -- choice. Pork products, organ meats, cheese and eggs were all used enthusiastically when they could be obtained (and were permitted). Those who could afford it were gourmands; the ideal in 19th-Century Nice, for instance, was to be able to eat a crepa pansa -- until you had to unbutton your waistcoat.
If all this is true, then what is Mediterranean diet all about? The respective name given to the diet doesn't suit it at all.
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How can people in the United States, an ocean away from the Mediterranean, adapt their daily eating plan to include the beneficial elements of the Mediterranean diet? Choosing to dine at the local Greek or Italian restaurant once a week won't do the trick. But eating Mediterranean style is possible with a few simple changes to our current eating habits.
• Aim to make the diet rich in monounsaturated fats. Although olive oil can be expensive, canola oil is just as rich in monounsaturated fats and is more affordable. Choose salad dressings made with olive oil or canola oil. Substitute canola oil for butter, shortening, margarine, or other oils in baking. Use canola or olive oil for saut&Egraving. Add nuts to your meals and snacks. Spread peanut butter or almond butter on your sandwich, toast, or celery sticks. Read food labels and aim for ìright-fatî foods, rather than low-fat or fat-free foods. Look for products made with canola oil.
• Enjoy fruits and vegetables at every meal. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CFSII), the average American consumes only 1.5 servings of fruit and 3.3 servings of vegetables each day. Increase your intake of these foods. Aim for a colorful plate where vegetables dominate! Be especially careful to consume dark green leafy vegetables every day. For salads, choose spinach or a dark leaf lettuce such as romaine, rather than iceberg.
• Limit red meat to two to three servings per month and poultry to two servings per week. Fish can be consumed three to four times per week. Enjoy beans, nuts, and legumes every day. Invest in a vegetarian or traditional Mediterranean diet cookbook and learn new ways to prepare these plant proteins. Eat moderate amounts of low-fat dairy products daily, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. Limit the use of high-fat cheeses to a dusting over salads or pasta.
• Stick to whole grains rather than refined carbohydrates. According to the CFSII, the average American consumes only one serving of whole grains and a whopping 5.8 servings of refined grains each day. Contrary to popular belief, pasta is not the only carbohydrate typical of a Mediterranean cuisine. Try including whole-grain breads, barley, brown rice, kasha, polenta, and bulgur into your menus.
• Limit the use of simple sugars and desserts. Consumption of sugar displaces other foods that contain important micronutrients. Excess sugar intake has also been linked to higher triglyceride levels. In Mediterranean countries, meals often end with fruit. Desserts such as cakes and cookies are reserved for special holidays or Sunday guests.
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The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: Recipes from the Island of Crete for Vitality, Health, and Longevity
By Jacques Fricker (Author), Dominque Laty (Author), Pierre Hussenot (Photographer), Pierre Cabannes (Photographer)
The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook reveals a collection of Mediterranean recipes, rich in flavour and healthy antioxidants, and low in saturated fats and cholesterol combined with the significant nutritional benefits and boundless culinary delights of the healthy cuisine enjoyed for centuries on the island of Crete.
The traditional Crete diet seamlessly combines good nutrition with extraordinary gastronomic pleasure. Physician and nutrition specialist Jacques Fricker teams up with chef and health writer Dominique Laty to explain the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet and the subtle alchemy it achieves through balanced nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
The premise of the Mediterranean Diet as always been in line with my own philosophy: the combination of a healthy diet and enjoyable lifestyle. The Cretan principles are simple and unchanging. It is based around seasoning and cooking in olive oil, drinking loads of water, eating in moderation and having a jolly good time.
The Cretans indulge in having red wine several times a week and enjoy red lean meat only 3 to 4 times a month. They also eat small amounts of fried foods, cakes, pastries and chocolates. Pure delight!!
In the Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, you are treated to 70 tantalizing array of recipes inspired by the cuisine of Crete that combine ease in preparation with good nutrition and unalloyed delight to the senses. The recipe ranges from featuring richly diverse harvest pleasures for the impatient (Mediterranean Diet Cooking class 101) to the sublimely done Veal Escalope with Pine Nuts and Roasted Tomatoes.
The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook treats readers to a visual feast as well thanks to the lavish photography of international acclaim for their photographers, Pierre Hussenot and Pierre Cabannes.
About the Author
Dominique Laty is a specialist on the relationship between health and nutrition, as well as a highly regarded chef. She is the author of several books published in France on foods, lifestyle and well-being.
Jacques Fricker is a physician specializing in nutrition. Dr. Fricker is affiliated with Bichet Hospital in Paris, France. He is the author of several books published in France on nutrition, dietetics and health.
"We offer in this book some of our Cretan recipes, which were inspired by the products of our land and our present way of life," the authors observe in the foreword to The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook.
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Quick Chicken Kebab Recipe
Lamb Kebab over Salad Recipe
Flounder Marmaris Recipe
Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Recipe
Chicken Kebab Recipe
Shrimp Kebab Recipe
Shepherd Salad Recipe
Israeli Salad Recipe
Chicken with Mushrooms Recipe
Anatolian Salad Recipe
Tel-Aviv Salad with Grilled Chicken Recipe
Sicilian Antipasto Salad Recipe
Grilled Chicken over Shepherd Salad Recipe
Mediterranean Spinach Salad Recipe
Artichoke And Walnut Salad Recipe
About Ayhan
Ayhan has devoted his career developing restaurants, food products and marketplaces (both online as well as a gourmet shop in Long Island) to make the wonderful offerings of the Mediterranean available to all. Born on the island of Cyprus which lies in the eastern Mediterranean, Ayhan came to the United States as a young man and soon became a successful restaurateur. Today he owns 5 restaurants as well as the renowned Mediterranean Cafe & Marketplace in Port Washington. He is now also marketing several food products (i.e. Ayhan's Famous Salad Dressings and more) under his own label and sells these fine Mediterranean delicacies both in his stores and on here at the Mediterranean Marketplace.
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Grilled Romaine Salad with Feta Recipe
Grilled Iceberg Salad with Walnuts Recipe
Grilled Veggie Salad Recipe
Grilled Asparagus and Tomato Salad with Shrimp Recipe
About Ayhan
Ayhan has devoted his career developing restaurants, food products and marketplaces (both online as well as a gourmet shop in Long Island) to make the wonderful offerings of the Mediterranean available to all. Born on the island of Cyprus which lies in the eastern Mediterranean, Ayhan came to the United States as a young man and soon became a successful restaurateur. Today he owns 5 restaurants as well as the renowned Mediterranean Cafe & Marketplace in Port Washington. He is now also marketing several food products (i.e. Ayhan's Famous Salad Dressings and more) under his own label and sells these fine Mediterranean delicacies both in his stores and on here at the Mediterranean Marketplace.
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Balsamic Mushrooms Recipe
Balsamic Chicken Kebab Recipe
Marinated Fish Kebab Recipe
Marinated Shrimp Kebab Recipe
About Ayhan
Ayhan has devoted his career developing restaurants, food products and marketplaces (both online as well as a gourmet shop in Long Island) to make the wonderful offerings of the Mediterranean available to all. Born on the island of Cyprus which lies in the eastern Mediterranean, Ayhan came to the United States as a young man and soon became a successful restaurateur. Today he owns 5 restaurants as well as the renowned Mediterranean Cafe & Marketplace in Port Washington. He is now also marketing several food products (i.e. Ayhan's Famous Salad Dressings and more) under his own label and sells these fine Mediterranean delicacies both in his stores and on here at the Mediterranean Marketplace.
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Traditional Greek Salad Recipe
Shepherd Salad Recipe
Cyprus Salad Recipe
Tel-Aviv Salad Recipe
About Ayhan
Ayhan has devoted his career developing restaurants, food products and marketplaces (both online as well as a gourmet shop in Long Island) to make the wonderful offerings of the Mediterranean available to all. Born on the island of Cyprus which lies in the eastern Mediterranean, Ayhan came to the United States as a young man and soon became a successful restaurateur. Today he owns 5 restaurants as well as the renowned Mediterranean Cafe & Marketplace in Port Washington. He is now also marketing several food products (i.e. Ayhan's Famous Salad Dressings and more) under his own label and sells these fine Mediterranean delicacies both in his stores and on here at the Mediterranean Marketplace.
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Oxidative mechanism:
There is extensive evidence that oxidation of LDL plays an important role in atherogenesis. Oxidation of LDL begins with peroxidation of PUFA in the LDL molecule. The fatty acid composition of LDL is subjective to the dietary fatty acids. A high MUFA intake renders LDL more resistant to oxidation than a PUFA-rich diet. MUFA-rich diets also lead to a higher MUFA content of cell membranes and so higher cellular resistance to oxidative damage.
Dietary antioxidants found in olive oil, fruit and vegetables provide additional protection against oxidation, further reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.
Coronary heart disease:
In the Seven Countries Study2 (Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Finland, US, Netherlands and Japan), published in 1970, death rates at 15 years were low among populations having a high olive oil intake where SFA was low (i.e. a high MUFA: SFA ratio), specifically Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia.
On the other hand, high MUFA intake in the US seemed to be counteracted by a high SFA intake (i.e. a low MUFA: SFA intake) and CHD mortality was high.
Many randomized prevention studies have confirmed the links between dietary SFA, serum cholesterol and CHD. Most involved reducing SFA and increasing PUFA and these had positive outcomes. None of the trial diets was particularly high in MUFAs therefore the typical Mediterranean diet has not been directly tested in the primary prevention of CHD. Diets similar to the Mediterranean diet have been shown to lower serum and LDL cholesterol without adversely affecting HDL cholesterol. Such reductions result in reduced morbidity and mortality.
The Lyons Diet Heart Study in patients recovering from heart attack showed that a Mediterranean-style diet, high in monounsaturated fatty acids, even when adapted to a Western population, protects against CHD better than other recommended linoleic-acid rich diets for such patients.
The components of the Mediterranean diet have a beneficial effect on risk factors for CHD both through direct effect and by protective effects like antioxidant activity.
National and international guidelines for the prevention of coronary heart disease recommend the following:
• total dietary fat should be no more than 30 per cent of the calorie intake
• SFA should be below 10 per cent
• PUFA should be 7-10 per cent
• MUFA should be 10-15 per cent
• dietary cholesterol should be below 300mg/day
• Intake of complex carbohydrates and fiber should be increased.
The Mediterranean diet helps to achieve these as it has:
• large quantities of plant foods, bread, grain products, vegetables, legumes
• fruit
• low to moderate amounts of animal products
• olive oil as the principal source of fat with its high MUFA content
• low SFA
• high carbohydrate and fiber content.
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