… a way of life!
The very word DIET is open to interpretation.
A Latin meaning has it as daily food allowance; in classical Greek diaita means way of living!
Last week in its Health section, The New York Times reported on a remarkable new study of the Mediterranean Diet conducted in Spain and published in the highly respected New England Journal of Medicine:
About 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease can be prevented in people at high risk if they switch to a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, and even drink wine with meals, a large and rigorous new study has found.
Nice to hear about the virtues of red wine! Also dark chocolate gets a nod!
(A square of 90% cacao chocolate and a dried fig make a nice finish to lunch and dinner!)
In the UK, my cookbook is subtitled, Delicious Dishes for Diabetics–a Mediterranean Way of Eating. (The American publisher changed the subtitle!)
The benefits of a diet based on olive oil, garlic and tomatoes have been debated–and some American heart specialists insist the vegan diet is superior–no animal products whatsoever. But not everyone wants to follow that way of eating.
Our friend John in Washington D.C. who builds dry stone walls and massive earth dikes and stoneworks is relishing the Paleo diet which involves eating large helpings of red meat–even at breakfast!
Each to his own.
I suspect most people, at some point in their lives, willingly go on a diet–-to lose weight, for medical reasons or for a general clean out–to feel better.
In the early eighties, I remember astonishing my dinner hostess in London by bringing my own dinner with me–a three pound bag of raw onions–which I proceeded to cook and eat at the table while all the other guests sensibly and politely ate her lovingly prepared meal.
It amazes now me that I could have been so obsessed that I lost all sense of manners!
I can’t remember how long I stuck with the onion diet; I hope I gave it up the following morning, from shame!
The faddishness of diets is well known.
There are always many to choose from and they are usually embarked on with gusto–missionary zeal even—which has a tendency to fade….The Mediterranean Diet certainly has staying power!
http://www.nytimes.com/video/2013/02/25/health/100000002085482/the-benefits-of-olive-oil.html
Mark Bitman of The New York Times says of the Mediterranean Diet:
This is real food, delicious food, mostly easy-to-make food. You can eat this way without guilt and be happy and healthy.
The study is receiving–by and large–a good reaction:
“Really impressive,” said Rachel Johnson, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.
EXPLANATION of the Food Pyramid
I have always enjoyed fruits and veggies, but I think it was when I started coming to your blog and getting your book I really became more attentive to lifestyle changes consistent with the Mediterranean diet.
It is an absolute pleasure to see you healthy and enjoying life Robin. You are an excellent testament to the Mediterranean lifestyle. It is infectious to view and read of your love of well prepared food and your positive love and zest for life. Thank you for sharing so generously with us your humble and adoring public.
Thank you, Robin, for an entry that is both entertaining and inspiring. For health reasons, I’m now cutting out dairy and gluten, and I am already feeling the benefits. The rest of what you write about is also what my husband and I are eating at home–and we’ve even reintroduced an occassional glass of wine (we had stopped drinking all alcohol for many years, but with the studies on the benefits of wine, we are enjoying a glass of vino now and again. Eating grapes, too!).
The real thank you from me, though, is that reading your blog this past year has helped me think of food as a friend, not a temptation. It’s a slow journey for me after a lifetime of up and down weight and overeating because of stress from adolescence on; your blog is so much fun, and everything sounds so darn delicious that it really has inspired me.
Gratefully,
Allyson
Robin: If I were having a dinner party and you came to my house and cooked onions in my kitchen (only onions) and then proceeded to eat them (onions only) while the other guests were enjoying my delicious dinner- I don’t think I would have been able to stop laughing!!!!! snorts!! That is one of the funniest stories I have ever heard! We creative types are an eccentric lot! But trust me, I look back on my life and think: “Judy, what were you thinking??” lol
The medical profession constantly underestimates people’s ability or determination to change their diet. Many people ignore their patronising approach. Your own determination to get to grips with type 2 diabetes dietetically with minimal drug intervention is a case in point. There is MASSIVE evidence that a mediterranean diet can sustain good health and wellbeing especially relating to cardiovascular disease as well as many other degenerative diseases. However, there is also massive evidence that only a plant based diet can REVERSE even severe heart disease. (olive oil contains 14% saturated fat). Many people don’t like to use the term ‘vegan’ as it has negative associations. My husband, Bob was written off by the medical profession nearly five years ago – condemned to drugs, disease and death within a few months. After I had him removed legally from their ‘care’ he has continued on a plant based diet ever since and has had no further cardiovascular ‘events’. The doctors who insist there is confusion should be removed. There is no confusion. Incidentally, Bob just had his 90th birthday on Friday!
Wow, that is a story!
Congratulations to you both and happy 90th to Bob.
I agree what a story and a wonderful testament to changing eating habits. Hope Bob had a great birthday 🙂
The only diet I have ever been on and in a way still am on is the one my mum had, to eat sensibly,with veriety,the freshest meats, fish, vegs, and fruit that you can afford, and if possible a treat now and then.
She would have appoved of your way of eating Robin – that rear thing a sensible man – you lucky girl Meredith.
Over my lifetime, I have developed eating habits that were hard to break, and I still revert from time to time. But as a way of life, you more than anyone have shown me the Mediterranean way of eating is something I always prefer to resume even when I do backslide to my old comfort foods. It’s not a diet of deprivation, but a vitalizing way of maintaining my love of good food and good health. Hats off to you for possibly extending my life, which means so ever many more replays of Poldark!! 😉
Hi Robin,
Thanks for the report on the Mediterranean diet! I especially liked the info on dark chocolate!! Question: When you get the munchies what do you choose to satisfy them, especially on the Mediterranean diet?
All my best to you!
Nuts!–home–roasted almonds in my case.
Fruit–a clementine or half an apple.
I have been following a Mediterranean style diet and a stone age type of diet because of my health problems. Like Allyson above I`ve had to delete all wheat/gluten and dairy. It has certainly helped me. There are some things I miss but it`s a small price to pay for my health. Cort Johnson has also blogged about this as it may be the best diet for those with M.E./CFS, like myself.
http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/2013/03/04/the-best-diet-for-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-mecfs/
You’re right about the healthy diet. When my mother was diagnosed with diabetes, I admit we didn’t know a lot about it. My Spanish friends sent me some books on the subject. One contained recipes in Spanish for diabetics written by Maria Luisa Merino de Korican and the other by P.E Norris explaining diabetes. Probably you already have read them.
Norris says that after the war and rationing, people tucked into cakes and butter and rich food leading to more cases of diabetes. My mum had gone hungry during war years so when rationing finished, she loved baking and biscuits. I’m trying to cut down on biscuits and chocolate at the moment. It’s not easy to do!! I bought some dried fruit and nuts and eat them as snacks.
My mother was a cake maker too–delicious coffee sponges at 4pm tea time!
She started making her Christmas cake in September!
Luckily I didn’t develop a sweet tooth!
Yes, my mum started our Christmas cakes in September too so that they would have a nice flavour by December. She loved trying different recipes and baking till she was diagnosed with heart problems and diabetes and had to stop making the cakes.
At home, we loved eating the different Italian pastas. I remember my mum making a pasta dish for some of my school friends and their parents. I also remember my friend’s dad refusing to try the macaroni because it was a foreign dish!! So embarrassing for my mum– she had to rush into the kitchen and give him some bread and cheese.!!!!
This is a wonderful posting. This has been the lifestyle change I’ve been looking for. I’m curious about the second photo. Are you a sailor as well? I suppose you would have to be to live the Mediterranean life! Bravo!
I am no sailor! We were on a trip to Corfu and this was a local boat heading for dinner down the coast–how lucky were we!
Eating Mediterranean involves no special sailing skills!
Thank goodness I don’t need sailing skills. I’m a great first mate, but my husband is the sailor in our family. Sounds like a wonderful trip.
Thank you for posting this! We have always thought this was a very healthy way of living. Tasty, full of life giving nutrients and beautiful on the plate. The Pyramid Chart is going up in the kitchen. Take good.
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I like the food pyramid. Was shocked this week when somebody told me they never buy fruit for their family!
Yes, it’s good for everybody to sit down at the table for a meal if they can with work loads and time schedules. Here, a lot of people just use ready meals in the microwave. In Spain, we used to spend ages over a meal discussing things and enjoying it as a social activity and of course, our stress levels went down because of this.