Vegetables are Tastier when Eaten the Mediterranean way

It’s now more than four decades since the Mediterranean diet got its first tick of approval in the Seven Countries Study – the landmark study that looked at eating habits and health in seven different countries and found that Crete came up trumps. Cretan men, with their traditional diet rich in olive oil, had the lowest rates of heart disease and some cancers.

Since then studies have linked the diet with less Alzheimer’s disease, greater longevity, healthier bones and better diabetes control, and next month UNESCO will decide if the Mediterranean diet deserves heritage listing too, alongside historic icons like Angkor Wat and the Great Wall of China.

Still, a single Mediterranean diet is as mythical as a Cretan centaur. There are more than 15 countries around the Mediterranean Sea with varying traditional diets, but there are similarities that add up to a healthy pattern of eating - lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes, wholegrains, some dairy food and fish and but not too much meat.

But what makes this eating style so healthy isn’t just the mix of fresh unprocessed food, according to Radd, but also the generous splashes of olive oil and the way the food is cooked.

“Stewing vegetables not only retains most nutrients, but the olive oil also makes some antioxidants more bioavailable. If you stew vegetables over a longer period as the Greeks do, you might lose some vitamin C and the B vitamin folate, but the antioxidants are very stable,“ she points out.
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Mediterranean Diet Menu

When Americans think of a 'diet,' they tend to think of cutting calories and depriving themselves. The Mediterranean diet is different. Instead of focusing on what you can't have, it focuses on what you can have, which is the very best, freshest, healthiest food. The Mediterranean diet menu has been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. How many diets do you know of that you can still entertain friends with and know they'll be delightfully surprised and enjoy? The Mediterranean Diet can be a deliciously social diet if choose.

Mediterranean diet menu is extremely healthy, for the diet focuses on fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, cold-water fish, olive oil and poultry; moderate consumption of dairy products and a limited consumption of red meat.

-A significant amount of food from plant sources
-A strong emphasis on minimal amounts of processed foods
-Most food items are seasonal and locally grown
-The principal fat is extra virgin olive oil which replaces other almost all other fats and oils
-A daily consumption of low to moderate amounts of yogurt and cheese
-Consumption of moderate amounts of poultry and fish weekly (recent research indicates that fish is favoured over
poultry); around four eggs per week is average
-A typical daily intake or dessert of Fresh fruit is the norm; sweets with a significant amount of sugar (most often honey)
-Red meat is eaten only a few times a month and should be lean
-A low consumption of wine (usually red) is also part of the diet (normally 1 glass with meals for women and 2-3
maximum for men)

For a taste of the Mediterranean in your home, take a look at and prepare some recipes from Mediterranean Diet Menu!

Mediterranean Dinner

I chose a Mediterranean inspired dinner theme because it's one cuisine that's great to enjoy during the summer months. It's also fun serving dinner when many of the items are on kabobs - who can resist foods on a stick?! From the flavorful meats and vegetables, paired with fragrant rice, light appetizers and subtle sweets, this was the way I wanted to enjoy the last moments of summer. Here's the menu I prepared for my guests and stay tuned for the recipes which I'll be posting this week!

Being in the kitchen is my relaxation time... even more so when I bake for myself or family and friends. So this weekend was one of those special moments where I got to play in the kitchen out of sheer pleasure and my kind of relaxation. It was pretty fitting for Labor Day because the meal I prepared was a labor of love. I invited a few friends over to enjoy a Mediterranean inspired meal - something a bit more different and cultural than BBQ since I knew folks would probably have their fill of BBQ given the holiday. Mediterranean diet menu

Mediterranean Diet Recipes: Red Snapper with Thyme, Tomatoes, and Olives

* 3 large plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
* 1 shallot, chopped
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 6- to 7-ounce red snapper fillets
* 10 Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives, pitted, halved
* Freshly steamed white rice

Combine plum tomatoes, shallot, and chopped thyme in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut 1 sheet of aluminum foil about 18 inches long. Place on work surface. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil in center of aluminum foil. Place red snapper fillets side by side in center of aluminum foil. Top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with olives. Drizzle fish with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Fold foil over, enclosing contents completely and crimping edges tightly to seal. (Can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead; refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place large baking sheet in oven and heat 10 minutes. Place foil packet on heated baking sheet. Bake until fish is opaque in center, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Open foil packet over bowl to catch juices. Serve fish with juices over white rice.

To view FREE SAMPLE of Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan and to claim your copy of "Mediterranean Diet Menu with 105 Easy to Follow Mediterranean Diet Recipes" visit Best Mediterranean Diet Online.

Living the Mediterranean lifestyle

I have always been fascinated by the cuisine and diet of the Mediterranean region, because each country has its own particular cuisine and tends to favor local ingredients. Areas within regions have their own specialties so it is not possible to identify one Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean Sea links Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

To follow a Mediterranean model of healthy eating you would have to include in your diet lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as breads, grains and beans. Use olive oil instead of other fats. Eat low to moderate amounts of dairy products, cook fish and poultry a few times a week and red meat less frequently. Whatever you do don't forget to exercise — walk, cycle or swim. The diet is based on cereals (bread, pasta, couscous, rice) vegetables, fruit and legumes, olives, garlic and herbs. Food is grown locally and eaten at its freshest and best. Foods from animal sources are used less frequently.

The traditional Mediterranean lifestyle includes a large amount of physical activity and if you make time for daily exercise you will be sure to reap the benefits.


To view FREE SAMPLE of Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan and to claim your copy of "Mediterranean Diet Menu with 105 Easy to Follow Mediterranean Diet Recipes" visit Best Mediterranean Diet Online.

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet

There’s now a consensus on the value of the Mediterranean diet to prevent coronary heart disease and cancer.

Researchers at Université de Grenoble in La Tronche, France summarize the research.

* In contrast to using drugs (including cholesterol lowering), the Mediterranean diet has a striking effect on survival.
* The main explanation is that it protects not only against heart disease and cancers but also other chronic diseases.
* The Mediterranean diet is effective at reducing atherosclerosis and the risk of fatal complications (ie, sudden cardiac death and heart failure) of atherosclerosis.
* Unlike drugs, no harmful side effect is associated with the adoption of this dietary pattern.

Longevity And Mediterranean Diet Link Could Be Due To Specific Foods

New research from scientists in the US and Greece suggests that the health and longevity effects of the Mediterranean Diet are more strongly influenced by certain foods such as not eating too much meat, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, consuming olive oil as opposed to saturated fats, and eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts and pulses. Read more

To view FREE SAMPLE of Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan and to claim your copy of "Mediterranean Diet Menu with 105 Easy to Follow Mediterranean Diet Recipes" visit Best Mediterranean Diet Online.