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Mediterranean Diet May
Reduce Heart Disease


Mediterranean diet recipes feature fresh vegetables, fish, & olive oil.

A high fat diet is heart healthy ...

That's the conclusion of a ten-year study on heart effects conducted by Australian researchers.

Australian nutritionists discovered that some Mediterranean people who consumed a high fat diet had an unbelievably low rate of death due to heart disease. 



 

Olive oil supplements the natural heart protecting properties in foods and it's this combination that has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. 

 

I have researched the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet - you can find details below:

  • Info on the Mediterranean Diet study

  • Major findings and recommendations are briefly summarized here.
    The links below go directly to sections of my report.  The section on meal plan & dietary guidelines is the basis for the recipes on this page.

Lowest rate of Cardiovascular Disease in 7 country study

It's not what you eat, it's how you eat it

Meal Plan and Dietary Guidelines

Mediterranean Diet Cookbooks


Components of the Mediterranean Diet

  • Lots of breads, pasta, rice, couscous, and potatoes

  • Lots of fruits, vegetables, and legumes

  • High consumption of antioxidants

  • Grilled and steamed fish - twice weekly

  • Moderate amounts of olive oil

  • Small occasional portions of lean red meat and pork

  • Small amount of red wine

  • Regular physical activity

Foods to avoid
  • Lard & other animal fats

  • Butter

  • Margarine


Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Mediterranean Diet Cookbooks - Review of cookbooks featuring
Mediterranean recipes.


Zucchini and Eggplant Casserole

Serves 4

Ingredients
 

500 g (1 lb)

500 g (1 lb)

8 Tbsp
1 medium
1 medium bunch

2 cloves

4 medium

2 medium

1 can


zucchini
eggplant

olive oil
onion, thinly sliced

parsley
garlic

potatoes

green bell peppers

stewed tomatoes

salt to taste

pepper to taste

oregano to taste

     
Directions

Wash the eggplant, remove the stalks and cut crosswise into 5 mm (1/4 inch) slices. Soak the slices in a bowl of cold, salted water for about 20 minutes to remove bitterness.

Wash and dry the bell pepper and zucchini and also cut into 5 mm (1/4 inch) slices. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes and onions. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (350 F).  Drain and dry the eggplant. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and fry the eggplant until lightly browned on both sides, turning once. Drain fried eggplant on paper towels.

Layer the sliced eggplant on the bottom of a deep casserole dish and lightly season with salt and pepper.  Place potatoes as the next layer followed by the zucchini, parsley and bell pepper. Lightly season each layer with salt, pepper, & oregano to taste.

In a medium saucepan, combine olive oil from the frying pan with onions, garlic and tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until warm. Add 500 ml (16 oz) of water, mix thoroughly, and pour over vegetables in casserole dish.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Check every 10 minutes to ensure that there is sufficient water.
 

 

 

Lentil soup

Serves 4  

Ingredients

Directions

500 g (1 lb) dried lentils

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely diced

2 Tbsp olive oil

200 g (8 oz) tomato sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Place the lentils in a saucepan with 1-1/2 liters (48 oz) water and boil for 30 minutes or until tender.

Finely dice the onion and garlic. Add with tomato sauce and olive oil. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

 

Chickpea soup

Serves 4

Instructions:

320 g (12 oz) dried chickpeas

1 small onion

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

Soak the chickpeas overnight in water (approx. 12 hours).

Drain and thoroughly rinse the chickpeas.

Sauté the onion in olive oil until browned.

Combine 1 liter (quart) of water, chickpeas, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until chickpeas are tender.

 

Salads

For the following salads, combine all ingredients and toss lightly.

Tomato salad
Serves 2

Cabbage & carrot salad
Serves 2

2 whole tomatoes, each cut into 8
   wedges

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp onion,
chopped
1 medium cucumber, sliced
Lemon juice to taste
 

2 cups cabbage, sliced
2 Tbsp carrot,
grated
Lemon juice to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

 

Chicory salad
Serves 2

Lettuce & cucumber salad
Serves 2

120 g (4 oz) chicory, boiled
1 Tbsp olive oil
Lemon juice to taste

3 cups lettuce
1 medium cucumber, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
Lemon juice to taste

 

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