Hi all, last week my GP recommended the heart friendly Mediterranean Diet, I had hoped a trip to Greece or Italy would be on my next prescription but alas no.
I like salad but tend to use a good dollop of Mary Berry's salad dressing to really enjoy it.
I am not a great lover of fish (unless it is in batter) or sea food and will only eat them if forced to but do love chicken.
I have done some research with my good friend Google, but wondered if any of you had some 'go to' recipes or menus for a Mediterranean based meal.
I am game to go for it but don't want it to become boring so I go back to bad eating habits.
As always, thank you in anticipation.
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Heather1957
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I sympathise with the problem. A 21st century diet is tasty, cheap, convenient...and every bit as addictive as it is lethal!
Personally I found it took a good few months to wean myself off convenience food staples, and to recalibrate my culinary expectations. At first a piece of fruit after a meal seamed like a chore, but eventually it tasted really sweet and satisfying...but only for as long as I don't compare it with ice cream or Hob Nobs!
I think this whole diet issue is also very personal. Every one has a different route into heart disease. For a small minority it's purely genetic and there's very little they can do about it, for others it's smoking or it's mainly about cholesterol or exercise related blood pressure . But there's a sizeable minority, and I'm probably amongst them, who arrived at heart disease as a side effect of a drift towards Type 2 diabetes. If your HbA1c scores show an upward trend, even if you're in the supposed safe zone, then diet is something you have to take very, very seriously. In particular drastically reducing artificial sugar, moderating carbs, considering limiting your eating to within an eight hour window each day, and strictly maintaining a healthy weight, are all things to seriously consider.
It's never easy, and the way we live our lives today certainly doesn't help, but good luck!
Thanks - yes I am also a type 2 diabetic and am always struggling to keep my blood/sugars to an acceptable level, which they currently are.We also have genetic heart problems in my family so a double whammy. Medication can take us so far and I am well aware that diet and exercise are a HUGE help, I am all for making changes but they have to be changes I know I'll stick to. Of course I am not looking for a quick and easy fix. but I am not a lover of the gym or running, I never have been and at 64 I know that isn't going to change, but I like swimming and the water so will be looking at that as alternative, I also like walking (in the fresh air not the gym) so I know I'll stick to that.
Now I need to look at diet, there are lots of things I do like but it is the protein I'll struggle with as obviously I need to make good choices.
I know people on here try to be helpful but I also need to be realistic so when they suggest couch to 5K as being the best thing since sliced bread I am thrilled it worked for them but know it won't work for me.
I like the sound of the basics of the Mediterranean life style but to stick to it I need a plan so some suggestions as opposed to just slicing up a salad and drizzling it with olive oil would be really helpful.
I am a meat eater so have no desire to be a vegetarian or a vegan thanks.
😀
It would be lovely to be rich enough to hire my own chef!!
Hi Heather. I totally get where you are coming from. I have FH cholesterol … very high levels of the bad stuff and heart attack in August 2020 brought it to light. I struggle trying to eat healthily on this mystical Mediterranean diet. I too am a meat eater but thankfully I’m not into red meat so much these days. I’ve tried so many times to eat well and healthy but live on my own and I do know my eating habits are all over the place. I’ve Googled and find I lose interest as I waste food by buying in too much and then not using it. I’ll follow this post with interest. Have had no Cardiac rehab work or sessions that some seem to have benefitted from due to Covid. Perhaps those sessions fave diet advice and diet sheets ? I don’t know. I have days with chest pain ( angina I believe) so regular long walks my exercise of choice, is not as regular as I would like. Catch 22
Aye it's an uphill struggle balancing out our diets. I need to lose weight and like yourself enjoy eating chicken but it is so bland on it's own so I have been experimenting with various seasonings to 'pep' it up a bit and make it more enjoyable - it's actually working and I am not a great salad eater unless it's the summer so I have started upping my vegetable intake and lowering how much potatoes I have if I have them with a meal. I do also treat myself once a week but I sympathise with you to. Don't be too hard on yourself to begin with as you are right you will get fed up and crumble lol. Good luck and hope you manage to balance out everything whilst enjoying your meals.
I eat quite a few green/brown lentils which I find really tasty if served with vegetables and esp. stir fry mixed veg. that they sell in bags in marks and Sp. I cook the lentils until soft and then add a small amout of marmite ,a good quality tomato puree and ground black pepper and mixed herbs plus finely diced fresh veg while it is all cooking.
I bought some yesterday for this recipe. “extra lean lamb leg steaks” and they were trimmed of virtually all fat. I used a very small portion so it was nearly all vegetables. The recipe can be made as a vegetarian dish and it’s still delicious.
Actually they don't. Greek heritage here. My grandparents ate a lot of fish and a lot of green leafy vegetables (and both lived to over 100). Lamb was an occasional treat eaten at Easter and other special occasions. I wouldn't judge the Mediterranean diet on what they eat in Greece today i.e. souvlakis every where. The traditional Greek diet is heavily plant based.
If you're not prepared to make the necessary changes that will be required to benefit your heart health then please don't start moaning if you develop heart disease.
😂😂 thank you for that most helpful post!!! Just because there are things I don't like does not mean I will force myself to eat them. There are plenty of other options which I am more than happy to embrace. You are a bundle of fun aren't you. Have a wonderful day (no doubt full of moaning) LOL!!
I don't think I'm perfect but despite your obvious high opinion of yourself, it is you who are critical of my personality.Like a lot of arrogant arseholes you cannot see or except your own obvious faults.
Sorry to disappoint you, but not many Mediterranean people still follow this diet!I don't use much in the way of recipes, because I try to keep meals as simple as possible, with plenty of veg, some olive oil, and trying to avoid refined carbs. Small amounts of good quality meat or fish.
Salads are a good way to go in summer, and soups like minestrone in winter.
Lightly drizzle peppers, garlic, tomatoes mushrooms, courgettes and red onions with olive oil or cold pressed rapeseed which has less sat fats and roast for 45 mins at 180. Cook 200gms wholewheat pasta. Add to veg and crumble 60gm of feta over the top. Pop back in oven for 10 mins. Season with black pepper and eat...mm Enough for 2 good meals there
I live in Turkey so have great experience of a Mediterranean diet. The food here is simple, nutritious and absolutely delicious. Just like you I hate fish and won't touch it, but thankfully, while fish does figure in their menus, there are many wonderful chicken and vegetarian dishes to chose from. ( Also beef, goat and lamb, which I only have occasionally because I worry about the fat content)İt's not just salads and fruit! .
I suggest you invest in a simple Turkish recipe book and experiment.
I'm sure you'll find many dishes that will become staples.
My favourite soup just now is so easy and healthy......roast 2 sliced red pepper and 4 halved tomato with 2 halved shallots- all skin side down. I rub a little oil on first and a sprinkle of sea salt. Cook in the oven for about 30 mins then blitz up, charred skin too, add a tin of canellini beans, no need to drain, and then add some stock. A dollop of natural yoghurt to finish off, it tastes delicious! The books that Michael Mosley wrote have really good recipes too
We eat an exceptionally healthy diet, sometimes it is Mediterranean and sometimes it is pure common sense.
One of our favourite meals which is exceptionally healthy is wide selection dry roasted vegetables sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, etc. etc. (cut into smallish chunks) and baked on an open flat tray in the oven with a goodly drizzle of olive oil over them. On top of this we will have either dry roasted chicken, yet again cooked with a drizzle of olive oil.
We eat quite a bit of salmon which is either served cooked placed on top of this dry roast veg.
In our house we have 5 exceptionally healthy days of food and on the other 2, I am allowed a curry or similar and or a pitsa all washed down by a copious quantity of the red stuff.
Good luck, oh and by the way, do lots of exercise as well.
Yes! That is similar to my favourite. The vegetables are not planned or in a recipe. When I go shopping I buy a range of veg, what is looking good this week. I tend not to have the sweet potatoes, or even ordinary potatoes but do love to have orange (or yellow) peppers, brussels, cauli, brocolli. Every time it's a little different. For the protein on top, chicken breast, or beans, or near enough anything. Last night it was tinned mackerel fillets
I like to try to aim for a mix of colours, although in winter time green does dominate, but I only roast lightly as I dont like the cauli etc to burn. The lump of garlic goes without saying of course. In summer, I usually just have all the veg raw (laziness again) and get a wider range fresh from the market
The roasted veggies is something we had a lot of when staying in Australia with a friends family and they were a delicious side to any protein. Balsamic vinegar was also added to the oil for added flavour although not sure if that is good or bad!!
Not necessarily! If you look online you might find that cold pressed rapeseed oil is better. Also much of it is grown locally in the UK and not imported so much better for the environment. I changed and am glad I did.
Download the easy meals app. My wife started using some of these recipes. She also bought various sorts of tinned beans from Aldi, which bulk up vegetables in soups, chilli ( with minimum mince) etc. There are also quickcook lentil varieties there too e.g. Spanish lentil mix to which we add some peppers and onions and 2 poached eggs. Baked sea bass or salmon with tray baked veg once a week. We use less meat and a lot more veg. and now have an 8 week meal rota which we can chop and change. Very few of the meals take more than 45 mins to prepare and cook.
Hi Heather, fish n chips won't do you too much harm from time to time 😊. You already know what is involved in the med diet, olive oil, fish, salad. You could try different fish, tuna steaks, swordfish etc. but haddock and cod can be nice, shallow fry in olive oil with a squeeze of lemon perhaps. If you are OK with herbs, try a few fresh herbs sprinkled on your fish. Small potatoes boiled in their skins, not too much water in your veg and only boil for a short time, turn off and leave the lid on. I don't know Mary's salad dressing, but they are sooo easy to make, don't be shy about experimenting. The basic sauce is olive oil and vinegar, a bit of mustard, pepper (salt if you have to, use low salt) a bit of sugar. If you want to spice it up a bit, then add anything you fancy, Worcestershire sauce, fresh herbs, lemon, apple sauce, tobasco, anything you enjoy, then dribble this on your salad. Best tip is to take the salad out of the fridge at least an hour before you eat. You can eat meat (even lamb 😂) all in moderation. Lean is good, but fat holds the flavour so you could cook with the fat on but try not to eat it. Grill or oven cook, no need to add fat (oil), I only use olive oil when cooking these days, don't let it get too hot that alters its composition. I even have olive oil in my deep fat frier (healthy chips 😀🤫).
My mantra is, enjoy life, some compromise needed perhaps, but if you aren't happy............
If you're trying to wean yourself off meat, try Quorn. Use chunks or mince in curries, spag bol, etc, and the meat-style alternatives in the freezer sections of supermarkets.
No I am a meat eater and not looking to come off it. I respect the decisions of vegetarians and vegans not to eat meat, I am happy to continue to do so.
Hi Heather1957 l eat healthy the majority of the time l always have look for low fat reduced sugar in anything you buy l made a trifle yesterday with fresh raspberries reduced sugar jelly low fat custard and squirty low fat cream on top it was really nice. We eat a lot of chicken and have fresh salmon once a week, rarely eat potatoes just load the plate with veg. Yesterday we had creamy Tuscany chicken it was delicious and all low fat. I have even made broccoli and Stilton soup but instead of using full fat Stilton l use low fat laughing cow blue cheese. Have a look at the pinch of nom books you will get lots of ideas. Having said all that l do have high blood pressure and plaque in my arteries and on statins but my cholesterol is and always has been on the low side so genetics plays it part. Good luck
Dear Heather1957
Sounds like some good thoughts on eating in reply to your post. No one mentions portion size.
I am I the only one horrified at the BHF portion size chart when they use hands to measure.
I have big hands but still would find it hard to keep to those portions !
Portion size is so important! I spent a week weighing everything, every single thing. Logged it all, looked up everything in the carb and calorie counter book and got a good idea of what I was really eating. Then adopted the simple technique of putting down my tools between each mouthful. Sort of mindful eating. I now have a good internal picture of what is a sensible portion of most things. Took a while though
Hi, I live the Mediterranean way of eating since my diagnosis. I mainly stay away from anything processed and cook from fresh. I sometimes bulk make and freeze so if I can't be bothered cooking I've always got what I've already prepared. I use olive oil instead other days and oils. I've got a few cook buts but there is that much on the internet giving me ideas for recipes. I make my own salad dressing. Olive oil, balsamic or white vinegar with lemon and Greek herbs. If I can I use fresh herbs if not the ones out the jars. I don't add salt. If I want a creamy sauce I use Greek or coconut yoghurt.
It was hard to start off get my head around but I've got used to it now. I don't even buy pre made sandwiches I make my own.
I use turkey mince, chicken, and fish. Most times it's thrown in a soup or stir fry instead of eating as on piece. ☺️
This is worth a try…Mackerel fillets or a slice of Salmon with a chilli salsa.
To make the salsa I use some jalapeño to your taste (I use about a tea spoon or less chopped). Some bell pepper and some onion all shopped to small pieces to make a rustic salsa.
I cut the bone out of the mackerel so each fillet ends up with two slices of mackerel (I can’t be doing with bones).
For Mackerel .Put a little Bertolli butter with olive oil in a frying pan (sometimes I add Rice Bran oil [Rice Bran oil is fantastic, look it up] ).
For Salmon I just use a little Rice Bran Oil.
Put the fish in flesh side down and cook until seared and the flesh is caramelising (going light brown ish colour).
Then turn over onto the skin and actually cook the fish skin side down.
For Mackerel, cook until the skin goes crispy but not burned.
For Salmon, cook until the fish is cooked through. If it’s a thick piece use a lower heat to make sure its cook through.
About three minutes before the fish is cooked throw in the salsa and scoop the salsa over the fish from the pan as it’s frying so the flavour is imparted to the flesh of the fish.
Serve on a bed of rice or couscous.
Mackerel serve flesh side down to keep the skin crispy. I eat the skin too.
Salmon, I either take the skin off before serving or serve skin down but do not eat the skin it’s yuck.
I tend to use the packets of rice with vegetables or rice with mushrooms. Around 90 seconds or two minutes in the micro.
Couscous I tend to use similar. I tend to put in a bowl then add the required amount of boiling water (I do not boil the water with couscous in it), stir and cover and leave stand for around 4 or 5 minutes.
A little low-fat mayo and you could be in the Med with warm sun on your back and a glass of white or red (this dish is robust enough to take a cheeky red).
Actually, I’m having the salmon version of this tonight! Not sure if it’s going to be rice or couscous though. My wife likes a man of mystery 😂😂😂😂
Hi there, try “theMediterraneandish.com” they send regular recipes and links to their recipe books. Best of all it’s free. They are also on Instagram.Sweet potato stew done in the slow cooker is great.
There is one goto recipe I use a lot and that's ratatouille. Healthy and you can add chilli, curry and North African spices to make it taste different. Not sure if you want to use rice or couscous but I often have this with chicken or the dreaded fish. You could also add lentils or any other type of pulse for additional bite.
I actually was out for a meal on Saturday and had ratatouille, it was okay and I doubt it was healthy, I haven't made it myself for a long time but if I do say so I used to make a mean ratatouille and I should get back to it.
Like many others I have a lot of weight to lose and have found it hard to adjust from what I thought was a relatively healthy to diet to one which is actually more healthy. I joined Second Nature a company recommend by the NHS and in some regions of the country they will pay your fees. This is a lower carb but not KetoDiet, they have loads of good recipes on their web site which you can access on the internet without being a member.
All complex carbs ( which in essence means not heavily processed and brown) plus proteins, fats and reduced sugar which are aligned to the Mediterranean diet.
I have also started to use the alpro yogurts which are delicious with some fresh berries. (Hobnobs are no longer permitted) the yogurts are plant based protein, which you would not really know. Plus I use natural nuts as a treat. These help fill you up.
It has taken me 8 months since my HA to adjust my thinking, I hit the wall just before Xmas and had not been kind to myself eating all the wrong stuff.
If you don’t like fish, think about turkey, pheasant, veal even duck if it is cooked right to render all the fat out once in a while and some shellfish as suitable alternatives.
It’s your mind that will help change your palette not the other way round.
Good luck, I have loads of recipes if you have something in mind, just drop me a message.
Have you looked into Dr Michael Mosely's diet. It is based on Mediterranean style recipes and there are lots of different versions (Intermittent fasting and/or strict calorie control, 3 meals a day or 2 etc). Put Fast800 or his name to your friend Google and have a look at his research and recipes. Good Luck
Thank you but I don't want to look at different fads like intermittent fasting, I want to eat like a normal person but make better choices and the GP suggested the Mediterranean diet. I have tried every diet under the sun so know how to lose weight but the hardest thing to do is keep it off, as the GP said it should become a lifestyle. Thank you.
My GP is a she and I WANT to stick to that. At my age there are very few things I haven't tried. I like the sound of fresh fruit and veg med style so while I really do appreciate there are lots of alternatives, this is one style I would like to give a go, it'll put me in a holiday mood too.
Hello heather1957 I don’t know if this is any use but I do the slimming world diet I think with this diet you can eat and not feel guilty plus you are filling up on precisely the fruit veg and salad that are good for you there are loads of recipes and it’s recommended by the NHS having worked in this field it was always highly recommended it’s probably one of the diets that stops you getting bored which lets face it is key hope you find something that suits you Heather take care - there’s also a very good section for type 2 diabetes which affects my husband but he does this diet with me it really keeps him on track 😊x
I am a professional SW attendee although never have made my target.Great for losing the weight (I would always recommend it) but it isn't a way of life diet for me.
I never stuck to the diet as they publish but adjusted it especially as cutting the carbs for my diabetes , but the Med diet is more heart friendly which is what I am aiming for.
Hi Heather! Give a look at this website, there are a lot of Italian recipes, some are really easy to make. Some are healthier than others, but you can judge by yourself
I have lived in Andalucía for over fourteen years and my diet is 100% ‘Mediterranean in that I buy local products and grow all kinds of fruit and vegetables in my garden. I was diagnosed with severe cardiomyopathy nine yearsago, now ‘light’ and had a pacemaker implant in 2019. I am 77 years old and reasonably fit for my age. I walk five miles daily and have an active social life.For me the Mediterranean diet involves cooking with best quality virgin olive oil, no butter for anything, plenty of sea food and fresh fish, sourdough bread, no processed or frozen food. A glass or two of good wine with lunch or dinner.
Everything I eat is available in good supermarkets or smaller shops in the UK.
To be honest I don’t eat differently in Spain than I did in the UK.
No magic about the so- called Mediterranean diet. A stress- free life, good air quality and plenty of sunshine are also helpful.
The Mediterranean Diet isn't so much a "diet" to lose weight as it is a lifestyle choice to eat healthy. I grew up eating the Mediterranean diet (grandparents from southern Italy) and there was a lot of plant-based food and not that much meat. I think it would be difficult for a person who isn't used to this style of eating to adapt to it, but not impossible. First of all, chicken is good but you will not be eating it a whole lot, fish also. A couple of times a week. Lots of veggies (think Minestrone and Lentils), fruits, grains. If you like salads I have a nice recipe for Greek salad dressing: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1/2 salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Shake it up and you will have dressing for a week. Also, there is a web site called The Mediterranean Dish and you can sign up for the recipes - they are pretty good.
Whole wheat, lentil or chickpea pasta (one serving), with steamed broccoli florets, kalamata olives, a little extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkled with small bit of Parmesan cheese. Very delicious
Thank you all for taking the time to reply with recipes, suggestions and links. I am blown away by your responses.I am aware I have not acknowledged all the replies, I am afraid to say I have been trying to work today but kept popping in so some I answered and some I haven't got around to, hopefully I will work my way through the whole thread.
I certainly have have found a lot of helpful tips and from what I have read so have others.
Now to get the shopping in and try some out, I am sure they would taste even better sat outside on the balcony or terrace overlooking the Mediterranean sea.
With respect you may mean well but I don't think you need to know my likes and dislikes. I felt it was sufficient to say I am a meat eater, I know from previous experience you are very quick to judge to have no intention of sharing that info with you.
I should have pointed out though the book contains vegetarian recipes there is also a fully vegetarian version available as well. Personally I enjoy meat and fish though I never eat lamb as it is against my religion...
Hi Heather,There is a book called Eat More Weigh Less by Dean Ornish.
It is for heart patients and other people conscious of their health.
I have bought it but not used it yet as I have a toddler and no time to prep right now🙄.
There are many recipes and also much info about lifestyle.
It may be worth a read.
Also I did the Liver Cleansing diet in 2001 by Sandra Cabot. It is only for 8 weeks but really gets you in touch with your body and how you feel from eating certain (unhealthy) foods.
Thanks for this, as I have said I am a rubbish cook, I have always worked a professional job with long hours so never had the time (or inclination) I need 'simple' recipes and to be sure they are heart healthy as we know it is never 'that' simple.
I think the word diet should be removed altogether, and it should be replaced with 'lifestyle'. Diet tend to indicate it is a temporary thing when we know it should be a lifestyle as it is a new way of life.
That may be the case, but we all know what the accepted meaning is. In fact when my GP was talking to me about it she said that I should look at it as a lifestyle choice rather than a diet and she is right.
So difficult. Your doc is right if it involves change in other things besides how you eat, which is necessary for most of us!As a scientist, it really annoys me when people do not use terms with their correct meaning, but I have to accept that language changes.
Hi Heather1957, I’ve been following the ‘Fast 800’ programme by Dr Michael Mosley. He advocates a Mediterranean diet. He has published books with lovely recipes and also a website you can dip into. It’s not all olive oil and tomatoes. Good luck.
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