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Why is the Mediterranean diet so important?

The article in the Wall Street Journal clearly explains why the latest results of the massive study conducted on more than 7,000 patients in Spain and published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine are extremely important.

The WSJ  says “Few previous studies have succeeded in proving a direct link between a diet (rich in EVOO, seafood, beans, good grains, vegetables and fruit) and a reduction in life-threatening events like strokes, instead assessing the diet’s impact only on weight loss or certain cardiovascular risk factors, like blood pressure or cholesterol”.

For this post I interviewed Dr. Rascazzo (cardiologist, whose e-book inspired the Stile Mediterraneo Cooking School’s principles).

Based on her experience, she says that this study is really important because it proves that extra virgin olive oil and the Mediterranean diet or “way of eating” have the same preventive effect of taking statins!!
This is important for several reasons:
1) people can do PREVENTION WITH FOOD instead of medicines;
2) statins may have side effects! (EVOO does NOT have any side effect!);
3) by doing prevention (with food) the whole HealthCare System can benefit in terms of reduced public expenditures;
4) the Mediterranean-style way of eating is NOT a DIET to lose weight. It is a style of eating that features TASTY FOOD: people feel WELL and HAPPY instead of getting depressed!

Unfortunately, as the article correctly mentions, today also in the Mediterranean countries we are running the risk of losing the Mediterranean-style way of eating, especially among the new generations.
Recent researches have found that heart diseases have increased also among new generations. This is due to the introduction of “modern” ways of eating which are rich in bad fats and sugars.

At the Stile Mediterranean Cooking School Italy we strongly believe that it is so much better to prevent diseases with food than with medicines.

Stile Mediterraneo’s goal is to promote an “old” way of eating which is simple, tasty…..and healthy …..but AT RISK of being lost.

This is why we wrote the ebook: The Cuisine of Southern Italian Women – Mediterranean Secrets for a Healthy & Happy Life.
With this e-book we want to promote a way of eating which is based on: good fats (EVOO), good proteins (seafood, beans, little meat), good carbs (good grains) and vegetables and fruit. Red meat and sweets are also admitted, but as treats and not the rule.

We want to promote balance and moderation.

We also want to promote an ancient COOKERY METHOD which is about simplicity and does not feature complicated preparations in order to enhance the ingredients’ taste.

We want to highlight the role of Southern Italian Women in handing down this un-written cookery method, which is now UNESCO heritage.

The beauty of the Mediterranean style diet is that this way of eating and cooking can easily be replicated in other countries and cultures: ingredients are easy to find and cookery methods are very simple, not requiring sophisticated cooking techniques.

We hope more and more people adopt this way of eating which is healthful and delicious.

For information about our cooking classes and Cookery School in Italy please contact us.

I am often told by those attending our Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tasting Tours of the difficulties in selecting a good olive oil when they shop at home.

They are not familiar with the brands, nor can they meaningfully translate the information on the label into helpful knowledge.

So, invariably, their selection is based on price or packaging, or what a famous chef recommends. Regrettably, they do not know what is meant by EXTRA VIRGIN, how to decipher the label, or simply decide if the quality of the oil will be good.

So, as  I am a certified extra virgin olive oil taster I have put together some information, and ten basic rules which will help you to choose the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil (“EVOO”) in the store where you shop.

BENEFITS OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (VS OTHER OILS)

First of all, contrary to other oils, extra virgin olive oil has lots of health benefits, which make it the best fat to be used both raw and for cooking.

It is rich in monounsaturated fats (the good ones!). Many other oils are rich in saturated fats (which are bad for us!).

Lots of medical research has proven that using not more than 4 tbsp of evoo per day can reduce risks of several heart diseases.

Extra virgin olive oil is also rich in antioxidants which help protect cells from damage.

Moreover, EVOO is extracted only by physical means, contrary to many other oils which need chemical solvents to be extracted or to be refined!

Finally, to enhance food’s nutrients and flavors you should never cook at high flame. This means that it’s not really important that the EVOO does not have the highest smoke point  (even though it is already pretty high!).

WHAT DOES “EXTRA VIRGIN” OLIVE OIL MEAN?

When you buy olive oil you should always look for the two MAGIC words EXTRA and VIRGIN on the label.

OLIVE OIL (without those two words), PURE, or LIGHT olive oils mean something completely different (they are refined using chemicals)!

An olive oil which is extra and virgin is a PERFECT olive oil. What makes it perfect is the combination of a low acidity level AND zero defects at the organolectic test conducted by a panel of certified extra virgin olive oil tasters.

To be extra virgin (or perfect) olive oil these things have to happen.

SIGN UP to find out about the meaning of EXTRA VIRGIN  and the 10 RULES  to buy the BEST EVOO!

A massive and rigorous new study conducted on 7,447 people in Spain showed that 30% of heart diseases and deaths can be prevented switching to a Mediterranean diet rich in extra virgin olive oil, nuts, seafood, beans, fruit and vegetables.

Low-fat diets did not reach these great results!

CBSNEWS wrote today: “If you want to reap heart-healthy benefits, you may want to go on the Mediterranean diet.  A Spanish study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Feb. 25, showed the Mediterranean diet was able to help people who were at high risk for cardiovascular disease more than a low-fat diet. What’s more, subjects who ate a Mediterranean diet heavy in nuts had the largest reduction in stroke risk”. Read more on the CBSNEWS website and watch their very interesting video!

Yesterday, also the New York Times published an article about this study, where Dr. Steven “points out that low-fat diets have not been shown in any rigorous way to be helpful as they are also very hard for patients to maintain”. Read more on the New York Times

Dr. Willett from the Harvard School of Public Healthy pointed out to USA TODAY that the beauty of the “Mediterranean diet is that in addition to offering great variety it also includes healthy fats such as Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and walnuts” Read more on USA TODAY.

I and Marika are very delighted to know that the Mediterranean diet is getting more and more recognition.

It is not a diet….to lose weight. It is a “way of eating” which is healthy and also very TASTY. It is about EATING HEALTHY & FEELING HAPPY!!!

It is not just about using fresh ingredients and extra virgin olive oil (a GOOD FAT).

It is also about a very peculiar and ancient COOKERY METHOD that is now Unesco heritage and that has never been written down but always handed down from mother to daughter for centuries.

At the Stile Mediterraneo Cooking School Puglia we teach this cookery method and the principles behind the Mediterranean cuisine. We teach to cook ingredients in extra virgin olive oil and in a way that preserves all flavors and nutrients.

Please check out our calendar for information about our Mediterranean Cooking Classes and Culinary & Wine Programs in Puglia Italy.

Marika (who also works as a cardiologist) dedicated her e-book to Southern Italian Women and to their role in preserving this cookery method till today.

In the Southern Italian Women ebook, Marika shares the Mediterranean secrets for a Healthy & Happy life.

Hope to have you here in Italy and enjoy together the wonderful Mediterranean Lifestyle!

In Puglia we don’t define ourserselves as vegetarian people, but we certainly eat lots of vegetables, legumes and dishes which would be perfect for vegetarians.

This may be due to the fact that in Puglia we produce lots of vegetables (in fact we are also known as the garden of Italy); or to the fact that, having a sunny and warm weather for most of the year, we prefer eating simple and fresh dishes, not rich in proteins and fats.

Lots of our dishes do not include any meat at all, but just cheese, eggs and vegetables: from eggplant balls (similar to meat balls, but made with eggplants instead of meat), to eggplant parmigiana, to fava broad beans and chicories.

When we do have meat, we would never have a steak (Puglia is definetely not the region where to go to if you like steaks!). Meat will always be a sort of side dish to all the vegetables we have at any meal: from zucchini, to eggplants and bell peppers prepared in all the possible ways.

One of the most interesting things about the cuisine of Puglia, is that even at the end of a meal we would have a plate of vegetables. If the French end up their meal with a plate of that delicious cheese, in Puglia we finish our meal with a plate of crudité: from cucumbers, to carrots and fennels (when in season). These are all vegetables that facilitate digestion. However, I would say that the main reason why we do that is to spend more time at the table!

If you come to Puglia, you find cucumbers at any market from June to October. They are very sweet and very different from the more bitter cucumbers you may find in other regions.

They are very delicious, dressed with just a bit of fruity extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. They are also very nice when added to a tomato salad.

Summer has definetely arrived in Puglia and we have been experiencing unusual warm temperatures for the whole week.

This also means that we can also finally find all the super delicious summer fruit.

Marika has been making all sorts of fruit salads, which not only are very delicious, but also very refreshing and healthy.

Today she made a fruit salad with cantaloupe melon and pineapple.

She says this is the best fruit salad to have on a very hot day, like today!

Due to its water and mineral content, this juicy and fresh salad made of cantaloupe melon and pineapple can help rehydrate our body on such a warm day!

Pineapples and cantaloupe melons are perfect for salads, juices, fruit cocktails, snacks and also if you like decorating with fruit. We tried to make a swan using just  toothpick!

Cantaloupe melons have lots of other health benefits. They are a good source of potassium and are rich in anti-oxidants that can help prevent cancer and heart disease. They are very rich in Vitamin C, beta-carotene and Vitamin B complex.

Pineapples also have many other health benefits. They are a good source of Vitamin C (which acts a powerful anti-oxidant against free radicals) manganese, calcium, potassium, fiber and bromelain enzyme (which aids digestion and the immune system).

What is your favorite summer fruit salad? How do you make it?