writing this book, we made the following 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 want to incorporate these recipes into your lifestyle.
❯❯ You have an understanding of cooking basics. In other words, you know your way around a kitchen and know how to use a knife without cutting your finger. If you need to brush up on your cooking skills, check out the latest edition of Cooking Basics For Dummies by Bryan Miller and Marie Rama (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) before you get rolling.
❯❯ You’re used to the standard American way of eating and wonder whether anything called a “diet” can be yummy and satisfying.
❯❯ You aren’t afraid to embrace a lifestyle that goes against the grain of what many around you may be doing.
❯❯ You’re looking for ways to get more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants into your diet.
❯❯ You’re genuinely willing to make changes and stick to them until they become habits.
The icons in this book are like bookmarks, pointing out information that we think is especially important. Here are the icons we use and the kind of information they point out:
Where to go from here depends on your immediate needs. Ready to start cooking and want to make some fabulous seafood tonight? Head over to Chapter 18. Interested in finding out more about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet? Sit back and read Chapter 2.
For an online Cheat Sheet with helpful information that you can refer to again and again, head to www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/mediterraneandietcookbook.
If you’re not sure where you want to begin, peruse the table of contents, pick out the topics that mean the most to you, and start there. Mediterranean Diet Cookbook For Dummies, 2nd Edition, contains a wide variety of recipes, so we encourage you try as many as you can at your own pace. We hope that you end up with lots of smudge marks on this book because you use it so lovingly and frequently in your kitchen.
Part 1
Exploring the Mediterranean Lifestyle
IN THIS PART …
Know the history of the Mediterranean diet and how researchers found that those individuals who live in specific regions of the Mediterranean had an interesting connection between lifestyle habits and improved longevity, as well as a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.
Discover the seasonal foods and dietary patterns that make up what is now called the Mediterranean diet.
Examine the main components of the Mediterranean diet including key antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, healthy fats, fiber, and functional foods. Recognize how those foods impact health and wellness.
Understand the scientific research behind the Mediterranean diet and its health benefits.
Use the Mediterranean diet as a weight loss tool and discover how to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way.
Chapter 1
Introducing the Mediterranean Diet
IN THIS CHAPTER
❯❯ Exploring the origins of the Mediterranean diet
❯❯ Focusing on Mediterranean lifestyle habits
❯❯ Peeking at the Mediterranean food guide pyramid
When you picture the Mediterranean diet, you may imagine the sea lapping up on a beach near a quaint village whose residents are lounging and eating fresh grapes and olives. That picture is a good start. 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.
Research shows that following a traditional Mediterranean diet significantly reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. The key word here is traditional. The Mediterranean region is changing, with faster-paced lifestyles and more modern conveniences. These changes bring with them an increased prevalence of heart disease and cancer.
Although diet is a big component of the health benefits experienced in the Mediterranean, all the lifestyle patterns combined, including physical activity and relaxation, may provide insight into the health benefits found in this region. This chapter serves as your jumping-off point into the Mediterranean diet and breaks down the Mediterranean dietary patterns and lifestyle choices that you can use as strategies for your own healthy lifestyle.
The Mediterranean Sea is actually part of the Atlantic Ocean; a total of 21 countries have a coastline on the Mediterranean. However, only a few truly epitomize the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle that we discuss in this book. Having a decent understanding of these countries and their cooking styles can help you have a better appreciation for this way of life.
The recipes in this book are inspired by Mediterranean cooking – specifically, the areas of southern Italy, Greece, Morocco, and Spain. Although you may see some of the same ingredients in many recipes, the flavors used in different countries or regions create entirely different dishes. For example, if you’ve eaten both Italian and Greek meatballs, you know that the two varieties sure don’t taste the same. 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
Although you may be used to cruising to the grocery store and buying whatever you need, folks on the Mediterranean coast 50 years ago didn’t roll that way. Instead, they depended on what was farmed and fished locally, making culinary specialties