Mediterranean Diet For Dummies

Introduction

On the television, on radio, and in newspapers and magazines (both print and online), we’re bombarded with ads for diets that purport to melt away the unwanted pounds, books touting proven diet weight loss plans, and rumor mill diets that usually involve some whacky dietary requirement, like eating only peanut butter and pickles for three days straight or some other such nonsense.

Here’s a not-too-well-hidden secret: These diets things don’t work. At least not in terms of losing weight and not in terms of improving health. A diet that does work is the Mediterranean diet.

What makes this diet different? It’s not really a diet, at least not the give up all the good stuff you love and live on celery sticks and sugar-free popsicles variety. Instead, it’s a way of eating and living that celebrates good food, connections to family and friends, stress management, and work and play. In other words, it’s a lifestyle that embraces all that life has to offer.

What’s truly amazing, however, is that this lifestyle isn’t some fad: It’s existed in the Mediterranean region for years, where folks have been so healthy — living longer and avoiding health conditions that have plagued people in other parts of the world — that researchers took notice. Over decades of study and numerous research projects, they demonstrated a direct link between the diet and beneficial health outcomes.

About This Book

With all the information floating around out there about the Mediterranean diet, you’ve probably heard dribs and drabs about the good things it does (reduces the risk of diabetes, for example) and how it does it (it involves using a lot of olive oil or nuts, for instance). You may even have heard inaccurate information (you can’t eat red meat anymore).

This book puts all the key information in one place, describing the conditions that the diet has been shown to positively influence, identifying the key food groups that make up the Mediterranean diet food pyramid, outlining the diet’s key principles, and explaining how to incorporate these principles into your own life.

It’s quite a bit of information, and to help you find what you’re looking for, we’ve divided the discussions into parts, each focusing on a particular topic. One part, for example, is devoted to the health conditions and another to the key foods in the diet. This organization lets you go directly to the information that most interests you. And for those discussion that aren’t vital to your understanding of the Mediterranean diet, we identify them as skippable by putting them in a shaded box or marking them with a special icon.

Within this book, you may also note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these web pages, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the web page.

And because this book includes a chapter with recipes, we’ve established a few conventions to avoid any confusion:

check.png All eggs are large.

check.png All milk is low-fat unless otherwise specified.

check.png All pepper is freshly ground black pepper unless otherwise specified.

check.png All salt is kosher.

check.png All temperatures are Fahrenheit (see the appendix to convert Fahrenheit temperatures to Celsius).

check.png All lemon and lime juice is freshly squeezed.

check.png All flour is all-purpose white flour unless otherwise noted.

tomato.png   This little tomato icon highlights the recipes in this book that don’t include meat or meat products.

Foolish Assumptions

In writing this book, we made some assumptions about you:

check.png You love food that is both delicious and healthy and have heard that a Mediterranean-based diet offers both.

check.png You want to reduce your risk of developing various diseases or, if you have already developed chronic conditions (like high blood pressure or diabetes), you want to mitigate the severity of the symptoms.

check.png You want to know more about the health claims made about the Mediterranean diet.

check.png You’re interested in transitioning a protein-and-starch–based diet to a plant-based diet.

check.png You’re game for any diet that lets you consume fats and nuts without guilt.

Icons Used in This Book

To help you find certain kinds of information easily, this book uses the following icons:

tip.eps This icon appears beside shortcuts and recommendations that can save you time, money, or frustration.

remember.eps This icon highlights key principle or fundamental points that you need to remember.

warning_bomb.eps If something poses a danger — to your health, your safety, or your wallet — you’ll see this icon beside it.

technicalstuff.eps Some of the information in this book is just fun or interesting, but not vital to your being able to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into your life. When you see this icon, feel free to move on past without reading.

webextras.eps You can find a lot of good information online at www.dummies.com/extras/mediterraneandiet. This icon points the way.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the material in the print or e-book you're reading right now, this product also comes with some goodies you can access on the web. Check out the free Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/­medieterraneandiet for information on how to use olive oil in your cooking, a quick guide to serving sizes, and what wines to pair with what foods.

Head to www.dummies.com/extras/mediterraneandiet to find pointers on how to quit smoking, the nutritional benefits of several foods highlighted in the Mediterranean diet, how to increase you activity level simply by walking more, and advice on using olive oil in your cooking.

Where to Go from Here

One of the nice things about this book is that it’s designed to be a reference. You can go to any topic and find all the information you need right there. You don’t need to start at the beginning and read through to the end.

If you already know the kind of information you’re looking for, simply go to the index at the back of the book or the table of contents at the front, and scan through until you find what you’re looking for. Alternatively, you can simply flip through the pages to see what strikes your fancy and begin reading there.

Of course, if you don’t know where to begin, the beginning is always a good place to start. For those of you who want to jump right in, why not try out the recipe chapter — head directly to Chapter 16. If you want to know about a particular health condition, head to Part II. Wherever you go, you’re bound to find interesting and illuminating information.

In Italy, they say, Buon appetito! In Spain, ¡Que aproveche! In Greece, Kalí óreksi! But the phrase in Morocco — Bil-hanā’ wa ash-shifā’ — best epitomizes the Mediterranean diet:

May you have your meal with gladness and good health.

Part I

Getting Started with the Mediterranean Diet

pt_webextra_bw.TIF Visit www.dummies.com for great Dummies content online.

In this part . . .

check.png Get up to speed on the principles of the Mediterranean diet, like eating healthy fats, increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables, opting for lean protein sources rather than fatty ones, and devoting time to relaxation and fun.

check.png Examine how the dietary and lifestyle components of the Mediterranean diet can improve heart health, reduce cancer risk, prevent or mitigate the problems associated with diabetes, and help you maintain a healthy weight.

Chapter 1

A Guided Tour through the Mediterranean Diet

In This Chapter

arrow Discovering the key components of the Mediterranean diet

arrow Recognizing key differences between the Mediterranean diet and a traditional Western diet

arrow Taking a look at the health benefits

The Mediterranean diet is a way of life — one where you eat lots of fresh food and slow down. More technically, the Mediterranean diet is a modern set of guidelines inspired by traditional diet patterns of southern Italy, the Greek island of Crete, and other parts of Greece. The lifestyle was first researched in the 1960s, and in 2010, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially recognized this diet pattern to be part of the cultural heritage of Italy, Greece, Spain, and Morocco. A more rural lifestyle is a common thread among all these regions.

This chapter gives you an overview of the Mediterranean diet, explaining what it is, what it includes, and how it’s more than just a food plan; it’s also a way to embrace and enjoy life.

Introducing the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Sea, connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the thin (14-mile wide) Strait of Gibraltar in the west and to the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea by the Dardanelles and the Bosporus in the east, has long played an important role in the civilizations that border it. Surrounded by the coastlines of 21 countries — Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Libya, Malta, Montenegro, and Spain to name just a few — it has been an important route for merchants and travelers and a primary source of food for the civilizations that sprang up around it. The climate in the Mediterranean region — hot and dry in the summer and mild and rainy in the winter — lends itself to crops like olives, figs, and grapes; and the rocky, coastal terrain is more suitable for sheep, goats, and chicken than that staple of traditional western diets: beef. The nearby sea provides an abundance and variety of seafood.

This region has long fascinated and inspired the Western world in terms of governance, philosophy, science, mathematics, art, architecture, and more. Now, studies that draw direct links between what is called the Mediterranean diet and reduced risks for heart disease, reduced incidence of cancer and cancer deaths, and reduced incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases have given people another reason to embrace the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean diet relies on fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources, and healthy fats — hallmarks of all healthy diets. So you may be wondering what makes this diet different. Here’s a quick overview of the Mediterranean diet and its effects; the next sections provide a fuller introductions to these concepts:

check.png The recommended proportions: If you look at the Mediterranean food pyramid (see Figure 1-1), you can see a couple of interesting things, the first of which is that the food groups you may be accustomed to (dairy, meats and other proteins, fruits, and vegetables) are regrouped. Specifically, all the plant-based foods — fruits, vegetables, and foods (like grains, legumes, nuts, olives, olive oil, herbs, and spices) that come from plants — are all in one group, and the proteins are divided into no less than three categories, with chicken grouped with dairy products, and red meat stuck at the top with sweets! This division is a key reason why the Mediterranean diet is so healthful: it includes a specific balance of foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and contain the optimum balance of fatty acids.

check.png The holistic nature of the diet: The second thing you may notice about the food pyramid is that its foundation isn’t a food group. It’s a call to live a physically active life and to enjoy meals with others.

remember.eps The Mediterranean Food Guide Pyramid is based on the dietary traditions of the Greek island of Crete, other parts of Greece, and southern Italy around 1960, when chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer were low. As Figure 1-1 shows, the focus is on eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and seafood; eating less meat; and choosing healthy fats such as olive oil. Note also the importance of fun activities, time shared with family and friends, and a passion for life.

© 2009 Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust," www.oldwayspt.org

Figure 1-1: The Mediterra­nean Food Guide Pyramid.

Cooking with healthy fats

Although Mediterranean residents don’t consume a low-fat diet, their dietary pattern is considered heart-healthy. How can that be? Because not all fats are created equal. People in the Mediterranean consume more of the healthier types of fats (monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids) and less of the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and saturated fats other cultures tend to overload on.

The good news: Eating Mediterranean cooking doesn’t mean you have to go on a low-fat diet. You just have to maintain a healthier ratio of these different groups of fats. In fact, people in the Mediterranean consume about 35 percent of their total daily calories from fat but less than 8 percent of their calories come from saturated fats (in the U.S., the average intake of saturated fats is 11 percent of daily calories).

The trick is to focus on different the types of fats, tipping the balance toward healthy monounsaturated fat sources such as olive oil, canola oil, olives, nuts, and avocadoes and away from saturated fats such as animal fats. Using monounsaturated fats is often associated with better heart health. Eating a good amount of dietary fat also helps to keep you feeling full for a longer period of time.

To find out more about the role of healthy fats and olive oil in particular, head to Chapter 8.

Making plant-based foods the foundation of every meal

One of the most important concepts of the Mediterranean diet pattern is consuming lots of plant foods such as fruits, veggies, legumes (beans, lentils, and peas, for example), and whole grains, such as bulgur wheat or barley. In fact, people in the Mediterranean commonly eat five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables each day, which often means having two to three vegetable servings with each meal. The legume and whole grains are the other daily staples. Foods in these categories are naturally low in calories and high in nutrients, which makes weight and health management easy.

Following is a variety of the plant-based foods that are grown in the Mediterranean and feature prominently in the Mediterranean diet:

check.png Legumes: Chickpeas, lentils, peas

check.png Fruits: Olives, mandarin oranges, figs, grapes, lemons, persimmons, pomegranates

check.png Grains: Barley, corn, rice, wheat

check.png Nuts: Almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, walnuts

check.png Vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, garlic, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, broccoli rabe, artichokes

Chapters 9 through 11 feature the details of the benefits of all these plant-based foods.

Eating seafood weekly

Seafood is a weekly staple in the Mediterranean diet, and with good reason. First, it’s a local product. The least expensive seafood in the Mediterranean region includes sardines, anchovies, mackerel, squid, and octopus. Mid-priced fish and shellfish include tuna, trout, clams, and mussels. For a pricey, special occasion meal, options include lobster and red mullet.

technicalstuff.eps During the 1960s, before the area was over-fished, a variety of seafood was available in the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, fish stocks today are significantly low due to overfishing, and many important species, such as tuna, are threatened.

Second, seafood is a great source of those coveted omega-3 fatty acids. You can add seafood to a few weekly meals and reap the same benefits. If you live near a coast, you have a great opportunity to find fresh fish in your local stores and restaurants. If you’re landlocked, don’t discount lakes and rivers for fresh fish.

tip.eps Check out http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx for a list of recommended fish in your region. This guide is a great tool to help you choose local fish with low contaminants and also to protect against overfishing. Don't like fish? You can get omega-3 fatty acids in other ways, such as with fish oil supplements or by eating lots of fresh herbs, walnuts, and flaxseeds.

Limiting your consumption of red meat

Many people automatically consider protein foods such as beef, poultry, pork, and fish as an entree. But in the Mediterranean, beef is only served once or twice a month rather than several times a week, as it is in many U.S. kitchens. And when it does hit the table, it’s usually as a small (2- to 3-ounce) side dish rather than an 8-plus-ounce entree. This habit helps ensure a reasonable intake of saturated fats and omega-6 fatty acids. (See the earlier section Cooking with healthy fats for info on why balancing fat intake is important.)

technicalstuff.eps Red meat used to be a luxury item in rural parts of the Mediterranean, so folks there ate it less frequently. Even though it’s now more accessible to the average Joe, the serving limits have stuck over the years.

Before you panic, keep in mind that the Mediterranean diet doesn’t require that you eliminate all red meat. The goal is simply to eat less animal protein and more plant-based protein. Fortunately, you can easily replace a portion of your traditional meat serving with lentils or beans to add plant-based protein to your meals. For example, instead of having an 8-ounce steak, you may choose to have a 3- or 4-ounce portion but also have a lentil salad or sprinkle some nuts on a salad. This strategy also helps you add more vegetable servings to help fill the plate.

Who knows? You may even discover that you don’t miss the meat. Because of their use of spices and herbs, many Mediterranean recipes featuring beef, for example, are so full of flavor that a small serving becomes more satisfying.

You can find what you need to know about both seafood and animal protein sources in Chapter 12.

Using dairy in moderation

You may think of the Mediterranean as a cheese-eater’s heaven, but the truth is that people in the Mediterranean areas from which this diet comes don’t consume an abundance of cheese. Dairy is consumed on a daily basis in the Mediterranean diet, and cheese (along with yogurt) is a common source of calcium; however, moderation is the key.

Incorporate two to three servings of dairy products daily. One serving may include an 8-ounce glass of milk, 8 ounces of yogurt, or 1 ounce of cheese. Stick with the low-fat versions of milk and yogurt to help lower your saturated fat intake; because you’re eating so little of it, you can go with regular cheese if you want.

Enhancing flavor with herbs and spices

Fresh herbs and spices not only add tremendous flavor to food but also have many hidden health benefits. Oregano and basil in your spaghetti sauce, for example, do more than provide a distinct Italian flavor; those herbs are also plants, which means they have all sorts of health benefits that can make a big impact on your overall health. Simple seasonings such as ginger and oregano contain phytochemicals, which are natural health-promoting substances that have been found to protect against conditions such as cancer and heart ­disease.

You may be surprised to hear that herbs and spices are also loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which help decrease inflammation in the body. Check out some of the specific health benefits of commonly used herbs and spices:

check.png Basil is shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and may be useful for people with chronic inflammation, such as arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease. Basil also protects against bacteria and is an excellent source of vitamin A, which helps reduce damage to the body from free radicals.

check.png Cinnamon helps people better control their blood sugars because it slows digestion and therefore the rise of blood sugar — not to mention that it’s a wonderful flavor for baking or in a cup of tea!

check.png Oregano is a nutrient-dense spice containing fiber, iron, manganese, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, and omega-3 fatty acids. It’s shown to have antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

check.png Parsley is a rich source of the antioxidants vitamin A and vitamin C, providing protection from heart disease and cancer. (And you thought eating your parsley garnish was silly.)

check.png Turmeric acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, helping protect against arthritis, heart disease, and certain cancers.

Other herbs and spices common to Mediterranean cooking include rosemary, sage, dill, thyme, mint, and fennel.

If you already use ample herbs and spices in your own cooking, you’re on the right track. If not, try to discover new flavors and ways to add more of these plants into your diet. Chapter 17 lists ten must-have spices to add to your repertoire.

Drinking wine with your meals

Drinking a glass of wine with dinner is certainly a common practice in the Mediterranean regions. Red wine has special nutrients that are shown to be heart-healthy; however, moderation is important. Enjoying some red wine a couple times a week is certainly a good plan for heart health, although you want to check with your doctor to ensure it’s okay for you. Check out Chapter 13 for specifics on the benefits of red wine.

Embracing life

Historically, the people in the rural Mediterranean got plenty of daily activity through work, getting where they needed to go on foot, and having fun. Although you may rely heavily on your car and think the Mediterranean lifestyle isn’t realistic for you, you can still find ways to incorporate both aerobic exercise (which gets your heart rate up) and strength-training exercises regularly.

tip.eps Walking encompasses both aerobic and strength training and helps relieve stress. If you live close to markets or restaurants, challenge yourself to walk to them rather than drive, or simply focus on taking a walk each day to unwind.

Community spirit is a large part of the Mediterranean culture and is something that’s disappearing in American culture. Getting together on a regular basis with friends and family is an important priority for providing a sense of strong community and fun. The fun and laughter that come with friendly get-togethers are vital for stress management. Without these little joyful experiences, stress can tip to an unhealthy balance.

tip.eps To put this strategy into practice, invite some of your close family and friends over each week, perhaps for dinner. It can be as casual as you like. The important thing is to add this type of fun and enjoyment to your life more often.

The Mediterranean coast is full of sunshine, good food, and beautiful surroundings, so the people who live there naturally tend to have a strong passion for life, family, friends, nature, and food. Choosing to have a strong passion and love of life is associated with more happiness and fulfillment and less stress. So what are you passionate about? Perhaps you love the arts, or maybe nature is your thing. Whatever your passions are, make sure to find a way to make them a regular part of your life.

Chapter 14 describes the Mediterranean lifestyle and offers suggestions on how you can incorporate those qualities into your own life.

Getting Started

The things that differentiate the eating habits of people living on the Mediterranean coast and other cultures are actually quite subtle. These small differences include eating smaller portion sizes and regulating how often certain foods are consumed. The changes may be small, but they make a significant difference for weight management, health, and well-being. You may have trouble believing that such small shifts can really make that big an impact, but they really do.

This section dives into meal planning to show you some small changes based on the Mediterranean lifestyle that have big effects on the amounts of calories and nutrients you consume. You can also find some valuable lifestyle ideas to get you into the Mediterranean spirit.

Identifying the flavors of the Mediterranean coast

As noted previously, 21 countries have coastlines that border the Mediterranean Sea. Having a decent understanding of these countries and their cooking styles can help you have a better appreciation for this way of life.

Table 1-1 lists some of the countries in the Mediterranean that are part of this lifestyle and the associated flavors and cooking styles commonly used in those areas.

Table 1-1 Common Mediterranean Flavors by Region

remember.eps Although you may see some of the same ingredients in many recipes, the flavors used in different countries or regions create entirely different dishes. If you’ve eaten both Italian and Greek meatballs, for example, you know that the two varieties sure don’t taste the same.

Grasping the importance of meal planning

Meal planning provides you a road map for the week of what you’re going to eat, when you’ll prepare those meals, and what foods you need to have handy in your kitchen to do so. By taking the steps to do some planning, changing to a Mediterranean diet is much easier and less stressful.

Meal planning on some level is important for several reasons:

check.png It ensures that you’re efficient with your time and have everything you need on hand from the grocery store and markets. This preparedness also helps keep you on track with your Mediterranean lifestyle because you always have the fixings for fresh meals at your fingertips.

check.png It makes cooking easier during the week because you already know what you’re making instead of trying to think of what you can cook with the chicken and cauliflower you bought.

check.png It saves you money by decreasing food waste. Do you ever buy broccoli and then wonder what to do with it as it starts yellowing in your refrigerator? Waste.

tip.eps If you have a pit in your stomach right now and are ready to skip this section, hold on! Meal planning needs to (and can) work into your lifestyle. Here are a few different approaches; hopefully, you find one that works for you:

check.png The detailed meal plan: This plan is for those who love details and planning. Sit down and write out a plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each day of the week. (You may want to include snacks as well.) You can make each day’s foods interchangeable, but this planning method at least makes sure you have a plan and can go on your way this week with everything organized.

check.png The rotating two-week meal plan: If you like details and convenience, this setup is perfect for you. Spend some time making up a two-week meal plan, complete with shopping list, and you’ve done all the work you need. You still get plenty of variety with a two-week meal plan, but you may need to change it up every couple of months to make seasonal menus.

check.png The fast meal plan: If you don’t want to waste time on making a meal plan for each and every meal for the week, think about your habits and plan accordingly. For example, if you regularly eat a few different items for breakfast and usually eat leftovers or sandwiches and fruit for lunch, you can focus planning dinners and the few staples you need for the other meals. And if you typically use