Mediterranean Diet In A Day

by Meri Raffetto, RD, LDN and Wendy Jo Peterson, MS, RD

Mediterranean Diet In A Day For Dummies®

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Table of ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

What You Can Do In A Day .............................................................. 1Foolish Assumptions ....................................................................... 2Icons Used in This Book .................................................................. 2

Chapter 1: Journey to Club Med: What’s This Diet All About? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Identifying the Flavors of the Mediterranean Coast .................... 4Discovering Where the Food Comes From ................................... 5

Focusing on farming .............................................................. 6Eating seasonally ................................................................... 6Fishing the Mediterranean Sea ............................................ 7

Eating and Living the Mediterranean Way .................................... 7Focusing on healthy fats ...................................................... 9Using dairy in moderation .................................................... 9Eating primarily plant-based foods ..................................... 9Punching up the flavor with fresh herbs and spices ......... 10Enjoying seafood weekly .................................................... 10Limiting red meat ................................................................ 10Having a nice glass of vino ................................................. 11Getting a good dose of daily activity ................................ 11Taking time for the day’s biggest meal ............................. 11Enjoying time with friends and family .............................. 12

Chapter 2: Savoring the Health Benefits of Eating Mediterranean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Highlighting the Main Nutrients of the Mediterranean Diet ........ 14Fighting free radicals with antioxidants ........................... 14Eating colorfully to get phytochemicals .......................... 15Vitamin D: Getting a little of the sunshine vitamin ......... 16Choosing healthy fats ......................................................... 18Boosting your fiber intake .................................................. 19

Pouring a Glass of Red Wine ......................................................... 20Looking at the Mediterranean Diet’s Effect on Heart Disease ....... 20Fighting Cancer ............................................................................... 21Battling Diabetes ............................................................................ 22Aging Gracefully: Anti-Aging Tips from the Mediterranean ......... 23

Chapter 3: Starting with Small Changes to Make a Big Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Grasping the Importance of Meal Planning................................. 25Changing the Way You Fill Your Plate ......................................... 28

Focusing on plant-based foods .......................................... 28Making good use of healthy fats ........................................ 30Finding the right balance with protein ............................. 31Looking at a Mediterranean meal makeover ................... 32

Mediterranean Diet In A Day For Dummies ivChapter 4: Shopping and Stocking Your Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . 33

Sampling Some Meal Options ....................................................... 33Knowing Where to Shop ................................................................ 36

Shopping local, no matter where you live ....................... 36Taking advantage of local farmers’ markets .................... 37Getting involved with your local CSA ............................... 38Discovering hidden food spots .......................................... 38

Finding the Right Products ........................................................... 39Buying produce ................................................................... 39Seeking the perfect seafood ............................................... 40Purchasing beef, pork, and poultry .................................. 41Checking out the dairy case (in moderation) .................. 42Exploring grains ................................................................... 42Getting your caffeine fix ..................................................... 43

Purchasing Plenty of Mediterranean Staples.............................. 43Loading up your pantry ...................................................... 43Buying and storing nuts ..................................................... 44Filling your refrigerator ...................................................... 45Freezing for the future ........................................................ 45Filling your countertop ....................................................... 46

Chapter 5: Creating Healthier, Flavorful Meals . . . . . . . . . . . 47Setting Yourself Up for Success .................................................. 47

Scheduling time for cooking .............................................. 48Finding ways to create quick and easy meals ................. 49Making good use of batch cooking ................................... 50

Cooking with Oils ........................................................................... 51Understanding smoke points ............................................. 51Distinguishing among types of olive oils .......................... 52Identifying the best oils for different dishes .................... 53Storing oils ........................................................................... 54Knowing how much to use ................................................. 54

A Pinch of This and a Pinch of That: Using Herbs and Spices ....... 55Looking at the health benefits of herbs and spices ........ 55Storing fresh and dried herbs ............................................ 56Livening up food with herbs and spices .......................... 57

Including Whole Grains ................................................................. 58Getting a handle on cooking times .................................... 58Adding flavor to grains ....................................................... 59

Relying on Beans and Lentils ........................................................ 60Preparing canned and dried beans and lentils ................ 61Finding cooking times for dried legumes ......................... 63

Cooking Meats for Better Health .................................................. 63

Chapter 6: Where to Go from Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Taking Your First Steps ................................................................. 65Visiting dummies.com ................................................................... 66

Introduction

R esearch has shown that people who live in various regions of the Mediterranean coast have less heart disease and

better longevity than the rest of us. Results of a study of more than 7,000 people in Spain, published on the New England Journal of Medicine’s website in February 2013, indicate that 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease–related deaths are preventable among people at high risk. How? By eating the key components of a Mediterranean diet: olive oil, nuts, fish, beans, and lots of fruits and vegetables. (Drinking a glass of wine with a meal got the thumbs up as well!) In this book, we share some details of these eating habits and how they affect your health and well-being.

We know that changing habits isn’t always easy. Altering eating habits can be especially challenging because doing so requires slowing down a bit, which is at odds with many peo-ple’s busy lifestyles. Our goal here is to show you that imple-menting a Mediterranean diet can be simple and flavorful. You don’t have to follow a strict dietary plan or omit any foods; in fact, the Mediterranean diet is more about adding than taking away. This book is here to help you make small changes so you can find more balance in your life — starting today!

What You Can Do In A DayWe don’t expect you to change your eating habits in an instant. However, we do think you’ll find the advice in this book easy to incorporate into your meal and snack choices right away. (Used to snacking on chips or cookies every eve-ning? Try some walnuts or hazelnuts instead. Easy!) You may need more time to adjust what you stock in your pantry and the types of meals you prepare (or to get into the mindset of preparing a meal for yourself if you’re used to eating out). But whether you’re eating dinner at home or at a restaurant tonight, you can immediately start making choices that incor-porate some of the advice you read here.

Mediterranean Diet In A Day For Dummies 2

Foolish AssumptionsWhen writing this book, we made a few assumptions about you, our dear reader:

✓ You’re looking for meal-planning tips that will help you succeed with your health and weight-loss goals.

✓ You’re looking for ways to get more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants into your diet.

✓ You’re used to the standard American way of eating and wonder whether anything associated with the word “diet” can be yummy and satisfying.

✓ You’ve seen the recent media buzz around the Mediterranean Diet and want to know what it’s all about.

Icons Used in This BookThroughout this book you’ll notice small graphics in the margins, called icons. These symbols are meant to draw your attention to particular ideas.

Even if you forget everything else in this book, remember the paragraphs marked with this icon. They help you make good choices and stay on track with your health goals.

This helpful icon marks important information that can save you time and energy, so make sure you don’t overlook it.

Watch out for this icon; it warns you about potential problems and common pitfalls of implementing a Mediterranean diet into your lifestyle.

Take a break from the text for a quick exercise designed to help you get a better grasp of eating the Mediterranean way. This icon shows you what to do.

When you see this icon, head to this book’s companion web-site at www.dummies.com/inaday/mediterraneandiet. Online, you’ll find information that supplements the topics that we cover in this book.