Wonder why the Mediterranean diet is getting so much press coverage lately? The co-authors of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to the Mediterranean Diet discussed with us this diet’s many nutritional benefits and how one can get started. The TweetChat with Kimberly A. Tessmer and Chef Stephanie Green, is listed below.
@CIG_Health: Fantasic @Nutrifocus and @FoodWhiz! Here comes your 1st question! When was the Mediterranean diet 1st developed & why has it lasted?
@Nutrifocus: Mediterranean Diet was created in 1940s and lasts because it is a healthy and realistic whole life approach versus a fad diet or passing trend.
@CIG_Health: Yes, it does seem to suit most lifestyles. Can you explain the basics of the Mediterranean diet?
@Nutrifocus: The basics include a diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, olive oil, legumes, beans, whole grains, seafood, herbs and spices.
@CIG_Health: Sounds yummy! What are the health benefits of this diet?
@Nutrifocus: Many! Helps protect against heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. It may even lower the risk for depression, Alzheimer ’s disease and others.
@CIG_Health: Can we learn the full extent of the health benefits in CIG to the Mediterranean Diet?
@Nutrifocus: Most definitely and in much more detail!
@CIG_Health: Why does this diet aid weight loss?
@Nutrifocus: The Mediterranean Diet can help aid weight loss simply because it is a healthier way of life then what most people are living.
@FoodWhiz: The best thing is the delicious food.
@CIG_Health: @FoodWhiz, the food does sound enjoyable! Can you please describe the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid?
@Nutrifocus: Mediterranean Diet Pyramid is a graphic that helps to you to visualize the diet as a whole. It can be viewed here http://bit.ly/aU2hdK. It is set up much like the old food pyramid with the foods you eat most at the bottom and what to eat less at the top.
@CIG_Health: Interesting… Name the top three essential foods to the Mediterranean diet and why.
@FoodWhiz: Olive oil, seafood and nuts. The oil and fish have heart healthy fats and the nuts provide nutrients and fiber.
@Nutrifocus: Nuts provide healthy fats as well! It is hard to pick only the top three foods as there are SO many healthy foods on this diet.
@FoodWhiz: Absolutely. It is so hard to narrow it down.
@CIG_Health: @dailybeast ranked the Mediterranean diet 1 of the most effective diets. How does it compare to Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig?
@Nutrifocus: Mediterranean Diet is not a weight loss diet but a healthy way of eating and living life with weight loss as an added benefit.
@FoodWhiz: It helps guide you back to the basics of food, and cooking quick and easy meals that happen to be healthy.
@Nutrifocus: So I guess the answer to that @CIG_Health is that you can’t compare them! That is comparing apples to oranges!
@CIG_Health: Where do sweets fit into this diet?
@FoodWhiz: Think naturally sweet foods like fruits and honey. The ways you can use them as star ingredients- fresh, poached and grilled.
@Nutrifocus: Not a sweet, but nuts are a big part of desserts as well!
@FoodWhiz: I agree. Nuts and fruits pair well together.
@Nutrifocus: No “added” sugars in this style of eating!
@FoodWhiz: This way of eating re-tunes your taste buds so that you get more enjoyment from natural fruits and textures.
@CIG_Health: Well then fruits are an important part of the Mediterranean diet! Are all fruits beneficial?
@FoodWhiz: Yes, they all provide vital nutrients that everyone needs in their diets on a daily basis. The only thing is, stick with whole fruit whenever possible to get the full benefit.
@Nutrifocus: You don’t have to eat the fruits popular in the Mediterranean! ALL fruits will do, you just need more of them!
@FoodWhiz: It’s funny but most people need a reminder to eat more fruits.
@CIG_Health: What is the difference between a good fat and a bad fat?
@FoodWhiz: Good is mono/poly/omega 3s which have health promoting effects. Where as bad fats provide no additional health benefits. Get good fats from olive oil, nuts, nut oils and fish.
@Nutrifocus: Not only do bad fats have no health benefits, they can lead to heart disease, cancer and other detrimental health issues!
@CIG_Health: How does one choose healthy seafood?
@FoodWhiz: Choose the freshest you can purchase. Frozen is a great choice too since it is typically flash frozen on the boat. Buy salmon. Barramundi and tuna are also great choices and very easy to cook.
@CIG_Health: Meat is not a large part of the Mediterranean diet, but it should still be consumed. What are the best options?
@FoodWhiz: Think of meat more as a seasoning. Select mostly chicken, turkey or lamb. If choosing beef or pork, go with a tenderloin cut.
@Nutrifocus: Very little red meat on the Mediterranean Diet.
@FoodWhiz: Yes, I think that will be something that people are not used to…getting away from using so much meat.
@CIG_Health: And for our last question, ladies, can you give an example of a Mediterranean menu plan for a day?
@FoodWhiz: For breakfast, try a poached egg on toast, blood orange slices and fat free milk. For lunch try a Lemon Lentil Soup, Parmesan Pepper Crisps, Mixed Green Salad with Balsamic. And for dinner-Roasted Chicken, Rosemary Garlic Potatoes and Broccoli Rabe.
@Nutrifocus: A ton of wonderful recipes in the CIG to the Mediterranean Diet book PLUS menu plans to help you out!
@FoodWhiz: For snacks try a low fat Greek yogurt with almonds and apple wedges and then later have orange rice pudding. All the recipes I mentioned are in the book.
@CIG_Health: Thank you @FoodWhiz and @Nutrifocus for the great info on the Mediterranean diet.
@Nutrifocus: It was a pleasure!
If you have any further questions for Kimberly (@Nutrifocus) or Stephanie (@FoodWhiz) feel free to ask them via Twitter! Don’t have a Twitter account? You can always email your question to us at contactidiotsguides@gmail.com and we’ll find out the answer for you.
Our next TweetChat is just in time for Valentine’s Day with co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to the Chemistry of Love, Victoria Costello. Save the date – Thursday, February 10 at 2:00 pm CT.