In the Lyon Study (France) not only were the results remarkable, but the follow-up studies demonstrated that the diet was palatable enough to keep the patients using the diet! Not only that, but its ease of use was another factor in patients continuing the diet.
One of the keys to this diet is that many of the recipes from the Mediterranean diet do not use any meat. Personally, I would suggest for avid meat-eating folks to gradually taper the use of meat. Start with tapering off the size of the portions. Then, eliminate beef first. It is the hardest of all the meat products to digest and causes the most problems to digestive health.
My second recommendation is to purchase the freshest, best appearing, in-season fruits and vegetables. Buy in small quantities, frequently, so that your fruits and vegetables are remaining fresh until depleted. Shopping for food should be an activity that you enjoy, and you should take your time. In Europe, the market is a social venue, just like the promenade (evening walks).
Stock up on whole grains, legumes (beans), lentils, pasta, olive oil, seeds & nuts, and dried fruits. I will be posting a “must-have” pantry list with everything to start a healthy life-style diet. It will also have the most-important kitchen items added to the list.
As far as recipes, I am posting some on my Metamorphis Arts site as the “Nutrition Fridays” blog. you can also find recipes on my daughter's blog: Vegan Iowa as well as other information regarding Vegan diets. The Mediterranean diet does not just cover Italy and Greece, there are diets from other countries as well! Such as: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, and Turkey. I will be including recipes from all over the Mediterranean.
Q: What is a “Serving Size”? To be answered in next Wednesday's blog!
