Transcript Mediterranean Diet April 1st , 2015 • Mediterranean Diet is not a recipe of diet, but rather a lifestyle of the people.

Mediterranean Diet
April 1st , 2015
• Mediterranean Diet is not a recipe of diet, but rather a lifestyle of the people of the countries
surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. That includes Southern Europe, North Africa and West
Asia.
• TimesCast: The Times's Gina Kolata talks about a new study,
published on The New England Journal of Medicine's Web site,
focusing on the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet.
Published on Feb 25, 2013
• Mediterranean Diet
Historical Background
• Economic factor:
Countries of North Africa have lived on “poor” diet for decades. Mainly fruits and
vegetables, beans and nuts, healthy grains, fish, olive oil, small amounts of dairy, and
red wine.
• Sociological factor:
People enjoy eating together, sharing food with others, and have deep appreciation for
eating healthy food.
• Availability of resources:
The abundance of water and large areas of agricultural land made people focus more
on farming and agriculture.
Variation of climate within the same country allows for growing a variaty of plants.
Mediterranean Diet, A cultural Model for Healthy
Eating
• It incorporates daily activities.
• Dining with family and friends.
• Abundant of plant food and natural products.
• It incorporates the basics of healthy eating:
Olive oil.
Plant products, Fruit, whole grains, Nuts, Figs, …
Using herbs and spices
The traditional cooking style.
• Low in saturated fat and total fat.
Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan,
Mayo Clinic Study
• Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces
the risk of heart disease.
• “An analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults demonstrated
that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced
risk of death from heart disease and cancer, as well as a reduced
incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases”.
• Other health reports indicate the lowest recorded rates of chronic
diseases and the highest adult life expectancy over fifty years period.
Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
• Based on food pattern of Crete, Greece, and Italy in the mid 1900.
• Mediterranean diet pyramid is a well-known worldwide and is
universally recognized as the “gold standard” eating pattern.
• It promotes lifelong good health.
• It has been widely used for years by consumers, educators, and
health professionals to implement healthier eating habits.
• Unlike “modernized” food that focuses on more of red meat (Beef),
diary products, and processes food, Mediterranean diet continues to
focus on fruits, vegetable, beans, and seafood.
Recent Developments of the Mediterranean Diet
Pyramid
• During the Mediterranean Diet Conference in, several major updates were
made to the Classic Mediterranean Diet Pyramid by the
• These changes focused on grouping in one group plant foods (fruits,
vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes, seeds, olives and olive oil) to emphasize
their health benefits.
• The modified Mediterranean Diet Pyramid features the addition of herbs
and spices to it, for reasons of both health and taste.
• Also, herbs and spices are widely used in various Mediterranean cuisines.
• The committee changed the placement of fish and shellfish on the
pyramid, recognizing the benefits of eating fish and shellfish at least two
times per week.
Oldways 2009
Herbs & Spices
Herbs & Spices
Sage
Oregano
Rosemary
Basil
Saffron
Mint
Sesame
Black Seeds
Mediterranean Dishes
Falafel
Couscous
Za’atar
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Recipe for Hummus
• Pour 4-5 teaspoons of Tahini into a food processor.
• Pour one can of cooked chickpeas.
• Add ingredients as you will (lemon juice, garlic, salt).
• Run the food processer until the mixture becomes like paste.
• Pour the paste in a plate, add olive oil, then serve with pita bread.
•
+
+ Ingredients 
Recipe for Foule Mudammas
• Pour bean mixture into a large bowl.
• Add garlic, salt, and lemon juice.
• Stir and smash ~ half of beans with the back of a spoon.
• Sprinkle cayenne over beans, and evenly distribute parsley, tomatoes,
and radishes over top.
• Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve warm or at room
temperature.
+ Ingredients

Recipe for Maqluba with Eggplant
• Heat 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan, add onions and pieces of
chicken (~ 2 lbs) and stir over a medium heat for couple of minutes.
• Season with salt, black pepper, allspices, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaf ....
• Add 4 cups of water, cover the pot and let it cook until done.
• Use vegetable oil to fry (~ 1 lb) eggplant slices (1/2 in thick) and sauté both sides
until golden brown. Place them on paper towel to absorb oil and set aside.
• In a large pot, layer the meat, eggplant slices, and rice that was soaked in water
for 45 min then rinsed for few times from the carbs.
• Pour enough of the chicken stock soup, bring the pot to a boil over a medium
heat. Then cover it and turn the heat down to low and let simmer until rice is
cooked (from 20 to 30 minutes).
• Leave the pot to cool for 15 to 20 minutes, and then carefully flip it up-side down
over a serving platter. Serve hot with fresh yogurt or Arabic salad.
Recipe for Plain Yogurt
• Bring milk to boil (can use microwave oven or gas stove), then let it
cool down to about 115 ○F.
• Combine with a little bit of already-cultured yogurt (2 tablespoons
per quart of milk) and let it sit in a warm spot (wrapped with a warm
blanket) for several hours, then the milk turns into yogurt.
• If you want to keep making your own homemade yogurt, save some
of the last batch to help start the next batch of yogurt.
Recipe for Kebabs
• Marinate cubed chicken, 3 tablespoons vinegar, garlic powder, all
spices, salt, and pepper.
• Skewer with onion pieces and grill.
• Mix 1 pound ground beef, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon all
spices, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, and 1 teaspoon paprika.
• Skewer and grill.