Thread: Mediterranean diet?

Anybody following a Mediterranean diet? I'd like to but am kind of lost where to begin. I guess I'll just get a Mediterranean cookbook and start trying some. I'm just not sure what dishes go with which other dishes and that kind of thing.

Do any of you have good, easy, healthy recipes I can start with?

I follow the Mediterranean diet. For me it's basically lots of vegetables, meat, cheese, fruits, red wine, olive oil. Here is a good article about it.
Mediterranean diet for heart health - MayoClinic.com
In terms of easy recipes, here are some recipes with video instructions:
Easy Mediterranean Recipes | ifood.tv
I use my Mom's recipes and I'm not sure if they are easy. I cook everything from scratch and bring my spices when I visit that region. If you are interested in any particular recipe, let me know. If I have it in my cookbook, I will translate it into English for you

I just got a few of these cookbooks from the library the other day. If I find some good recipes I will post them.

This is one of the books I got - and I love their recipes.

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Simple Mediterranean Cookery

When they say "simple," they're not kidding.

I used to work for a client that was involved (in a way) with promoting this "diet". Trying to remember details now. I know it involves things like using olive oil instead of butter, using yogurt, feta cheese and olives in your recipes and PLENTY of fresh fruits, veggies and shellfish.

Were you looking to improve your diet over all, I would still consider whole grain breads over white, multi-grain pastas and brown rice.

I believe wine is also encouraged (in moderation, of course, lol).

lol! i thought the mediterranean diet was only eating dinner at work after your shows.

You need to watch this video about the Mediterranean diet before going on it.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfBKauKVi4M]YouTube - Olive Oil is NOT Health Food but Sick Food[/ame]

Originally Posted by HubicRuzz

You need to watch this video about the Mediterranean diet before going on it.

YouTube - Olive Oil is NOT Health Food but Sick Food

Only made it 3 minutes before I was tempted to kill someone...

I generally disagree with "goodfood/badfood" thoughts and diets...but...if interest in the hype behind a Mediterranean diet causes the OP to do more of her own cooking from scratch...that's a mighty good step towards living a more healthful life.

Another evidence-based dietary aid is the Harvard School of Health Healthy Eating Pyramid:

Healthy Eating Pyramid - What Should You Eat? - The Nutrition Source - Harvard School of Public Health

Though, personally I think placing oils at the base of the pyramid is a bit misleading because that's based on the percent calories from fat (30% is recommended), not the percent volume. Fat is extremely calorie dense--most edible oils are ~120 calories/tablespoon. So if you're eating a 2000-calorie-per-day diet and getting all of your fat from olive oil (no meat, no cheese, no avocados, etc.), that's only 5 1/2 tablespoons of olive per day.

If I was to recommend a food pyramid I would point people to this one

Udo's Choice™ FOOD PYRAMID for Healthy People!

I laughed when I heard of the Med Diet because I grew up eating that way. Mom cooked Lebanese, Greek, Italian, and French cuisine all the time. I recommend looking for authentic recipes from countries surrounding the Med, and enjoy!

So now olive oil is evil? What next? I cook everything in olive oil; I find it much easier to digest my food that way.

In fact, mostly what I eat is Mediterranean. I recently had some Polish food which, while being extremely delicious, a lot of their food is cooked in lard. For two days I felt like I had a lube job.

Originally Posted by Fotia

So now olive oil is evil? What next? I cook everything in olive oil; I find it much easier to digest my food that way.

In fact, mostly what I eat is Mediterranean. I recently had some Polish food which, while being extremely delicious, a lot of their food is cooked in lard. For two days I felt like I had a lube job.

Olive oil is not evil.

Foods are never evil.

It is simply the idea that olive oil, or any one food, can be used as a "magic food that is gonna fix you" without you making OTHER changes to your eating habits that is Evil.

Originally Posted by Fotia

So now olive oil is evil? What next? I cook everything in olive oil; I find it much easier to digest my food that way.

In fact, mostly what I eat is Mediterranean. I recently had some Polish food which, while being extremely delicious, a lot of their food is cooked in lard. For two days I felt like I had a lube job.

I think the presenter was trying to say that olive oil isn't some magic ingredient that will give you a healthier life. You can't just drizzle it over a fatty peice of steak in the hope it will not clog up your heart.

Essential Fatty Acids is need daily. I normally supplement with Udo's oil blend which has Omega 3, 6 and 9. But that is only 2 table spoons a day and I don't heat it either. An easy way to tell if you are deficent in EFA is if your skin is dry or patchy. The skin is the last organ to receive EFAs.

Thank you, HubicRuzz, for the info. That guy in the video seems to be using hyperbole and not-quite-truths though. He said several times that "you can't just poor olive all over everything and suddenly it's healthy" (paraphrasing), but no proponent of Mediterranean eating has ever said that. His comments like that cast doubt on the rest of his speech, so I'm not sure he's trustworthy.

Here's an article I just came across about how we've been tricked by the government with their purposely dishonest food pyramid. Lots of other health info here too.
The Battle of Darkness and Light

Darbla, I'm sorry but there is no "diet" in the Mediterranean ..l;, . Who can start a diet here with all this amazing food? Probably the best in the world...

Originally Posted by Darbla

Here's an article I just came across about how we've been tricked by the government with their purposely dishonest food pyramid. Lots of other health info here too.
The Battle of Darkness and Light

Yes the old USDA pyramid isn't all it's cracked up to be. It was used to sell people more grain products.

What I haven't seen in this thread is the cultural aspect of the mediterrenean diet. We used to go on holiday to Italy when I was younger, the biggest difference wasn't in what we ate, but in the timing and how we could spend hours on lunch or dinner without eating much.

What attracts you to this type of diet, is it the delicouse food, the health benefits, or do you want to lose weight?

Originally Posted by ANA_bellydancer

Darbla, I'm sorry but there is no "diet" in the Mediterranean ..l;, . Who can start a diet here with all this amazing food? Probably the best in the world...

..l;,..l;,

I agree that by "baptizing" your food in olive oil won't make it healthy but if I could, I would because I love ANYTHING cooked in olive oil.