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Mediterranean Diet




Source of Recipe


By Kevin Vigilante, M.D. and Mary Flynn, Ph.D, R.D.


Recipe Introduction


"The only diet you'll ever love!"

to healthy eating and weight loss. Embrace these strategies and you will be practicing the Mediterranean weight-loss method.

You are what you buy. The diet wars are won and lost at the supermarket checkout. Buy the right stuff, and you are 80 percent there. Have the wrong stuff in your kitchen, and you don’t stand a chance. Today, throw out all the junk you don’t need - chips, cookies, ice cream, soda and empty calories of all sorts. You know what they are. Be ruthless.

Now, stock your pantry with the Mediterranean-style foods we list below. Canned and frozen are fine and will make your life easier. Always have a big bowl of luscious-looking fruit around for snacks, and have plastic wrap and containers on hand for lunches you carry to work.

Watch those portions. Develop an eye for portion sizes of key foods - pasta, olive oil, potatoes, rice and meats. Use the following measurement strategies:

Pasta:
Use short pastas such as ziti, penne or shells because they can be measured in a cup. Plus, they combine better with vegetables. A cup of dry pasta is about 200 calories. Other favorite starches like pasta, potatoes that are chopped or mashed should be estimated by the cup. Just remember that a baked potato 6 inches in length is about 1 cup (200 calories). A cup of dry rice is about 200 calories.

Olive Oil:
It’s an essential part of this diet, and you need to have a little every day. Olive oil adds taste, helps you feel full and is good for your health, but too much will put on pounds. So measure before you use. An average woman should have 2 to 3 tablespoons a day.

Chicken and Fish:
Mediterraneans don’t eat a lot of red meat and neither should you. It’s associated with heart disease, as well as breast and colon cancer. Go for chicken and fish, and estimate portion size by the palm of your hand. One to two palms (about 200 calories) is right for most women.

Don't forget the other proteins:
Discussion of the Mediterranean diet isn't complete without extolling the virtues of beans, eggs and nuts. You really can't eat too many lentils, cannellini beans, red beans or garbanzo beans - and their protein and fiber really fill you up. (Rinsing canned beans helps remove some of the gas-causing compounds.)

Eggs are another great source of protein. Data from the very reliable Nurses' Health Study showed that healthy women who ate the equivalent of one egg a day had no more heart disease than women who ate less than one egg per week. Just avoid the bacon and butter. Poach eggs or fry them with a little olive oil.

Nuts are also a good source of protein, and the Nurses' Health Study also showed that women who ate more than 5 ounces of nuts a week had a 35 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease than women who rarely ate nuts - probably because of the healthy fats nuts contain.

Eat your fruits and vegetables:
These are the secret weapons in the Mediterranean diet. The fiber helps fill you up and the nutrients help prevent disease. Nature endows colorful veggies with the most antioxidants and nutrients. So, go for an extra serving of kale, spinach, broccoli, carrots and tomatoes, rather than potatoes. An unlimited intake of this starchy food can pack on pounds, but it's hard to get fat on broccoli. Aim for at least three fruits a day‚ especially for snacks and desserts.

Start walking:
It is as inseparable from the Mediterranean lifestyle as olive oil and red wine. Unless you are disabled, you can walk enough to lose weight. Twenty minutes a day is good, 30 to 45 minutes of brisk walking is great. Remember, it doesn't have to be at the same time - 15 minutes before work, 15 minutes at lunch and 15 minutes at the end of the day also works. It will benefit your heart as well as your head.

What to avoid:
Some usual suspects. Fast food is number one. Also beware of bread, crackers and rolls, the most significant sources of calories in the American diet. Go for wraps, pita and high-fiber breads. Beware of packaged lowfat foods, which can be high in sugar and calories

Your sweet strategy. Mediterraneans have a long tradition of punctuating the end of a meal with something sweet. They don't call it la dolce vita for nothing. They use fruits, coffee and occasionally confections and pastries in small portions.

If you must indulge, dole out small portions and share, or have them only on Saturday nights. It's better to go out for dessert than to keep cookies around to tempt you. Remember: You are what you buy.

What not to drink. Beware of large bottles of fruit juice - they often have 250 to 300 calories. Stick to single servings of juices lower in calories - tomato, vegetable, grapefruit, orange and others without added sugar. We recommend drinking lots of water and a little red wine.

Make these Mediterranean habits of eating and walking your habits, and you will lose weight gradually and consistently. But most important, you will keep the weight off long-term. Mangia bene!