The Mediterranean Diet: A Diet to Remember

The Mediterranean Sea, the sun, the joie de vivre, the perfume of aromatic herbs, the freshness of salads, the sweetness of fruit, and the deep flavor of fish are all part of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. You may be asking yourself what all this has to do with what you consider a "diet". And you may be right, probably nothing. But the "Mediterranean diet" is not the dull ensemble of foods, typical of most diets that we adhere to with a specific goal in mind. To the contrary, the Mediterranean diet is a splendid way of life.

.

The pleasure of gathering with your love ones
The pleasure of gathering with their love ones around the table to savor a tasty meal forms an intrinsic part of the Mediterranean way of life. The time to eat is the time to get together with family, friends, or co-workers. Mediterraneans like to take their time to slowly savor the different dishes while chatting lively about the most recent political events or just sharing their "tribulations" of the day. If you asked me,I will say this sounds like the best and cheapest psychological therapy you can find in town.

The virtues of the Mediterranean diet
A colorful diet, its virtues reside in the selection and combination of the different ingredients to be used. The basic elements of this diet are fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish and seafood, olive oil and red wine. The combination of these foods supplies a large variety of nutrients that protect our health while they significantly enhance our quality of life. In addition, the nutrients of a Mediterranean cuisine help us prevent heart disease and even cancer.

Something to remember is that the Mediterranean cuisine is closely linked to the lifestyle and personality of the people of the Mediterranean countries. Natives of this region would go insane if they had to live like many people in northern industrialized countries. And by that I mean, having to swallow the food on their plates as fast as possible to go right back to their jobs. This definitely doesn't go well with the Mediterranean mentality.

And this is because Mediterraneans look at the act of eating as a sensual pleasure, as one of the most enjoyable moments of the day and which requires taking the time to taste the food. This way of looking at food is the result of centuries of tradition, a very benign climate as well as an exceptional abundance and variety of agricultural products.

Luckily, as time goes by, more people in industrialized countries are becoming aware of the advantages of slowing down at meal times and are emulating Mediterraneans. Taking the time at the table allows you to savor the food, indisputably one of the main pleasures of life; to have a better digestion, essential for good health; and to prevent stress, a modern scourge that eventually presents its bill when you least expect it.

But the Mediterranean cuisine offers you more than just pure pleasure; it contributes to maintain and restore your health while at the same time it allows you to enjoy wonderful dishes that not only they are not fattening but that they can help you lose weight.

To prepare healthy meals you need to start by choosing healthy foods. The food pyramid shows you the ingredients you need to use; however, to obtain healthy meals, several other factors need to be taken into consideration when dealing with the ingredients: shopping, conservation, and preparation.

Fresh is better
Try to buy fresh foods; avoid the pre-cooked or processed varieties. Fresh fruit is easy to identify by their solid colors and firm skin. Try to buy seasonal fruits since they are richer in nutrients than non-seasonal. Keep in mind that each fruit and vegetable has its time of ripening and that's when they taste better; in addition, seasonal produce is cheaper.

Avoid canned fruits. However, fruits and vegetables that were frozen immediately after the harvest are more nutritious than produce stored in warehouses for long periods of time. Don't buy frozen fruits and vegetables that have a lot of ice. This applies also to meats.

Proper storage at home is important
Maintaining the properties of foods after buying them depends very much on how they are stored. Light, oxygen, and heat destroy vitamins quite fast thus, fruits and vegetables should be kept in a cool and dark place, preferable wrapped or in boxes. Lettuce and spinach should be used as soon as possible after buying them but other vegetables can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. However, to avoid spoilage or flavors been mixed, it is better to keep fruits and vegetables in separate drawers.

The right handling
To prevent fruits and vegetables from losing their nutrients, it is recommended to wash and peel only the amount to be eaten immediately. Wash them carefully and cut them at the very last moment. Never leave fruits cut in pieces at room temperature or soaked in water since the oxygen in the air destroys the vitamins and the water dissolves them along with the mineral salts

Remember that the Mediterranean diet does not mean sacrifice and deprivation. You can lose weight and have a strong heart, two secrets to longevity, while enjoying healthy and tasty meals. The idea is to learn how to eat well. By doing so, you would be able to enjoy your food and keep the good habits for the rest of your life without feeling constantly deprived of one of the most universal pleasures in life: eating. This will be easy to achieve if you follow the Mediterranean diet

Scientific studies have associated the Mediterranean diet with a healthy heart. To learn the ins-and-outs of the Authentic Mediterranean Diet and the Mediterranean Cuisine, check out my book; I wrote it explicitly to help you apply the Mediterranean diet principles into your life and those of your loved ones. Thus, don't forget, the Mediterranean diet is a diet to remember.

Have a great while maintaining longevity in mind.

Emilia Klapp, BS, RD.