Diet: Your Big Lean Greek Diet

by Kristen Fletcher

Whether originally inspired by those skimpy togas or the buff gods of their myths, the traditional Greek diet is still one of the healthiest ways to eat, and on June 26 more evidence of its benefits were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. In a 44-month study of more than 22,000 Greek men and women ages 20 to 86, researchers from the University of Athens Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health found that higher adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet was associated with a lower risk of dying from heart disease and cancer.

The diet emphasizes vegetables, whole grains, fruit, beans, nuts and fish and derives up to 40% of total daily calories from olive oil and other healthy fats. It also allows for a glass of wine or two. Providing a more balanced approach than plans like Atkins that banish carbohydrates almost entirely and more satisfaction than low-fat regimens, the Mediterranean diet is an approachable and palatable plan for healthier eating. Dr. Mary Flynn, an assistant professor of medicine at Brown University, a registered dietician and the coauthor of Low Fat Lies: High Fat Frauds & the Healthiest Diet in the World, shared some tips on how to shop, cook and order from a restaurant menu while following the guidelines of the Mediterranean diet.

When grocery shopping, Flynn recommends loading up on vegetables--the darker the better. She says it's OK and sometimes better to use frozen and canned products that take less preparation and don't spoil. Stock up on canned tomatoes, artichoke hearts and olives and fresh or frozen spinach, kale, broccoli and other colorful vegetables. Buy a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, and a stash of canned beans, whole grain pastas and breads. She encourages her clients to consume at least three tablespoons of olive oil a day, and recommends making quick and delicious meals of vegetables sautéed in olive oil with wheat pasta. Sweets, starchy carbohydrates like white bread and rice, red meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products should be eaten sparingly.

For breakfast,
Flynn recommends adding a few tablespoons of walnuts to your cold breakfast cereal or oatmeal. The healthy fat in the nuts will prevent you from being hungry at 10:00 A.M. when someone shows up at the office with donuts. She also advises relying on fresh fruit instead of fruit juices: "Stop drinking juice--it has too many calories."

For lunch,
pick a veggie sandwich with oil and vinegar or a vegetable pizza. "There's no need to have meat everyday and certainly not in the quantities most Americans consume," says Flynn. If you order a turkey sandwich, have the deli make it with less turkey and more vegetables.

For people who eat out occasionally, restaurant meals can be a time to indulge in meat, but if you dine out often look to the vegetarian offerings or fish entrees that aren't fried. Fish like salmon, trout and tuna that contain omega-3 fatty acids are especially good picks, but watch out for sauces made with butter or cream. If weight is a concern, Flynn recommends ordering off the appetizer menu to control portion size and always splitting dessert.

Of course, the other element of the Mediterranean diet is activity so find at least 30 minutes on most days to walk, run, swim, bike or dance like Zorba.

Forbes Fact
With the average Greek consuming 16 kilograms of olive oil each year, Greece has the highest per capita olive oil consumption in the world. Although it is the third-largest worldwide producer, Greece exports the most extra virgin olive oil--the oil made from the first cold pressing of the olives with no refining. In 1997, the world's top olive oil producer, Spain, generated 535,000 tons, followed by 467,000 tons from Italy and 307,000 tons from Greece.

http://www.forbes.com/2003/07/08/cx_kf_0708htow.html