Freshly baked whole grain bread right straight from the oven, cold pressed olive oil to dip it in, Chianti wine from San Gimignano, homemade pizza, an array of fruits and vegetables, almonds picked off trees in my grandparents home town of Toritto (Bari), cappuccino, fish, grapes picked off the vine, figs, pasta dishes with mouth-watering gorgonzola cheese sauce – these are just of the foods and beverages that my cousin and I devoured during our trip through Italy. With my taste buds stimulated and my perception of food drastically altered, I came back home with a new passion for the Mediterranean Diet.
The Mediterranean Nutrition Pyramid has physical activity at the base – first and foremost – along with sitting down and spending time with other people, lingering over meals versus scarfing down a whopper with fries while driving. This is one of the most drastic things I saw in Italy (and I imagine that this is similar in other Mediterranean countries), people sit down and take their time while they are eating. They gather in the piazza (open square or plaza) at night and talk, play cards or a game of chess, visit with one another and enjoy fresh gelato. In America we go home, stay inside and watch TV while sitting on our couch. The environment over there was drastically different and something I wish I could capture here in the States.
The next part of the pyramid includes fresh fruits, vegetables and grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices – many of these things are sorely lacking (especially the produce) in our diets. Fish and seafood are also very important especially fatty fish – our best bet for obtaining those heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids. After poultry, eggs, cheese and yogurt, meat and sweets are at the very top.
Another thing that really stood out (aside from people stopping to enjoy life) was that the portion sizes were on target. It seems that many of the European countries don’t have that “bigger is better, let me stuff myself” mentality. I would imagine they are also less likely to eat for emotional reasons (boredom, stress, etc.) because their life involves other outlets and time to relax.
For more information about the Mediterranean Nutrition Pyramid, see: http://www.oldwayspt.org/
And if you get a chance, hop on a plane and see another country or visit http://mediterraneanmark.org/ and whip up a taste of the Mediterranean right in your own kitchen.
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