Mediterranean Diet Best Diet Ever!
The Mediterranean diet is becoming very popular. It is from the people living around the Mediterranean Sea, mostly to the north, in countries such as Greece, Turkey, Italy, and Spain. Lots of tasty food, all fresh and well-balanced. There is no highly processed food so no ingredients you can’t pronounce. For me, a diet that says I can’t eat this or that doesn’t work. I need to focus on good food and eat less red meat but more importantly less refined sugar and flour. The Mediterranean Diet checks all those boxes. A problem I identified in my menu was homemade muffins, the more muffins I ate the rounder I was getting. Also at work, break time was eating time. When I am home, I don’t eat that often.
Mediterranean Diet and Olive Oil
This diet is primarily plant-based, including lots of olive oil. They use it to grill, bake, dip bread and marinate. I questioned the marinate part so I looked it up and voila, a tasty recipe for chicken, I tried it and it was delicious, the vinegar and lemon juice made the chicken so tender. Olive oil contains antioxidants, vitamins A, D, E and K, and olive oil is fat. Fat is OK in moderation but one tablespoon contains 119 calories. Sure it is better than most other oils. Is the expensive stuff better than the grocery aisle olive oil? The answer is maybe. It is mostly about taste, if you would like to try the specialty store oil, ask for a sample or buy the smallest bottle. Look for extra virgin olive oil that is either cold-pressed, first pressed or cold extracted.
Mediterranean Diet and Fresh Vegetables
Your plate should be at least half-covered with brightly coloured vegetables. Vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, and greens including arugula, dandelion greens, kale, and spinach. These vegetables can be baked, roasted, boiled, or served fresh. The downside of the Mediterranean diet is the cost of fresh vegetables Compare the canned green beans to fresh green beans, fresh is usually more expensive unless you are able to visit a farmer’s market or buy in bulk. But when fruits and vegetables are canned, it is when they are the freshest, that many of the vitamins and minerals are locked in.
Mediterranean Diet and Canned Vegetables
Fresh tomatoes vs canned tomatoes, canned fish vs fresh. In-season fresh vegetables can be costly. Canned vegetables are a great substitute but they can contain tons of salt. Choosing a low salt variety is better for you and if you prefer salt, you can control the amount added. Don’t get me wrong, I use canned tomatoes a lot, it is one of my pantry staples. Most experts suggest using herbs instead of salt for flavour, which would be the healthier choice. Also, choose foods that are not over-processed, to quote The Food Network, if your great grandparents don’t recognize a certain item on the list of ingredients, don’t buy it.
Spinach, Cooked or Raw?
Which is better, cooked or raw spinach? Women our age need calcium and cooked spinach contains tons of it, 30mg in a cup. Served raw it has a high oxalate content. When served fresh in a salad, oxalate binds with the calcium and makes it hard to absorb, therefore much of the calcium passes straight through. 80% of kidney stones are made of oxalate but this mostly concerns people who are prone to them. Here is the good news, cooking breaks down the oxalate. This is why the calcium in spinach is more available to your body if it is cooked. Everywhere I looked, it is recommended for women of our age to be 1200mg of calcium. That would be a lot of spinach so I add two cups of almond milk and I take Calcium in a tablet form. (I take calcium, magnesium and zinc in one tablet
What about the Other Vegetables?
Spinach isn’t the only vegetable that is better for you cooked than raw. Examples of this are carrots, asparagus, broccoli, and tomatoes. These vegetables contain more antioxidants when cooked, please don’t cook them until they are mush, just until crisp-tender. Antioxidants destroy free radicals in the body. They are called free radicals because they are unstable, ping around inside cells and cause damage to both cells and tissues. Antioxidants can neutralize free radicals. When I think of antioxidants, I think of blueberries. One great and delicious way to cook vegetables for the Mediterain Diet is to roast them in the oven or even on the barbecue.
What is the Protein of Choice?
In the Mediterranean, the protein of choice is mostly fish followed by chicken and turkey. Whereas beef is served rarely. Stay away from deli meats because of salt, sugar and nitrates. Beans, legumes, eggs and grains are all examples of good sources of protein. Tofu is also a great source of protein. I have written a blog post on the pros and cons of tofu. It seems tofu is good for you but like other proteins, in moderation. For example, In the Mediterranean, I don’t believe you would get a T-bone steak slammed down on your plate. “Toto, this isn’t Texas anymore.” (Sorry, I could not resist.)
Mediterranean Diet and Grain
First of all stay away from processed flour, this means white bread, cookies, and crackers. Many of the grains are in the Mediterranean diet such as farro, millet, bulgur, rice (brown is better)oats, barley, and couscous. I have another blog on fermented food that will explain the reasons why fermented and sprouted grains are better for you. I believe that white flour will languish in your gut passing through uneventful, whereas the fibre in whole grains with scrub your colon clean and help prevent constipation.
Fibre is Good but what about Constipation?
Constipation has its own set of problems that get worse as we age. Whole grains contain prebiotics that feeds the friendly fauna in our gut. There is emerging evidence consumption of whole grains can decrease the risk of colorectal cancer. I am including a link to more in-depth research. But again, a high-fibre diet has its issues. The first thing that comes to mind is fibre needs water. Without lots of water, you will become blocked. So drink plenty of water, not necessarily eight cups. Think of fibre as a sponge absorbing water, wet and smooth as opposed to dry and hard. My go-to is apples for constipation, maybe that is why they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, I believe the Mediterranean Diet is the best diet ever. Plenty of fruits and vegetables, little red meat and a variety of whole grains. This diet is much easier to sustain. Also, you don’t have to serve other people differently than what you eat. No special foods, just eat less of things like white pasta. You can also substitute whole wheat pasta for white.