Doctor's Kitchen Monday: The Mediterranean or Omega Diet

Fresh Cherry/Strawberry bread with low fat Cardomom/Honey Cream Cheese

At work, Ashley has gotten about a dozen of us together to play The Biggest Loser-The Work Version where everyone is measured by percent body weight lost, minimum 10%, and the reward is not only looser jeans but everyone's throwing in $1/week. The contest runs from yesterday through Halloween, 18 weeks.  Nice time frame to really accomplish some health changes and a nice little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for someone.  We're focusing on the 10% since, being in the medical field, we're all aware of the studies that have shown that for folks who have weight to lose, even a 10% change can reap medical benefits in lowered blood pressure, lowered cholesterol, etc. 

I'm not going on any weird diet, just going to refine what I'm doing now, cut out the junk, and get back into a solid exercise plan.  For years, since Gene's heart attack, I've focused on excising transfats from our diet and focused on more veggies and complex carbs, but we've gotten lax.  The truth is the biggest bulk of eating right is about what you allow yourself to buy at the grocery and how many times you take the time to cook even when it's easier to run through a drive through.  I've gotten bad about being lazy with cooking.  I tend to forget that simple can be better for you, and as much or less trouble than getting in the car to pick-up take-out.

The basic rules of the Mediterranean, or Omega Diet**, are mostly what we already know:

• Eat foods rich in Omega-3 Fatty acids such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel), walnuts, canola oil, flaxseeds, and green leafy vegetables.
• Use monounsaturated oils such as olive and canola oil, expeller pressed (not heat processed).
• Eat seven or more fruit and vegetable servings every day.
• Eat more vegetable proteins: beans, peas, and nuts.
• Choose lean meats and low-fat dairy items over high fat meat and full fat dairy products.
• Avoid transfats:  basically anything in a box at the grocery, from the bakery, or is ordered at a drive-thru window.

**From The Omega Diet by Dr. Artemis Simopoulos and Jo Robinson.

Getting back into the Mediterranean routine, I purchased expeller-pressed canola and walnut oils at The Cheddar BLOCK on Saturday to make salad dressings (no way to get that many veggie servings in without making more salad meals), and I've stocked our crisper with veggies and berries, and have refilled the "fruit bowl" with apples, peaches, plums for the moment.

Last night we had steamed cod (not fatty fish but still, fish) and salads for dinner.  As a side at lunch the other day I made fresh cherry/strawberry bread with low-fat cardamom/honey cream cheese, a nice way to combine a whole grain with a fruit serving.  I think the couple of years I was in school, I just got out of the habit of thinking fresh and common sense wholesome to the point where it became more of a treat than a way of eating generally most of the time.  After school, I just didn't get myself back into the habit of making better choices but this is an excellent chance to recommit to both cooking more with our health foremost in mind and getting back into a better exercise frame of mind too. 

At work, we all get exercise, I have learned that by being off with my knee the last couple of months and how easy it was to put on ten pounds from the lack of exercise. When I first left school, I wore a pedometer for about a month at the hospital and we average about five miles a day on our feet.  But it's not the same as that 30 minute walk around the track and getting some resistance work in.  For me, because of my knee I'll have to go a little more slowly with the cardio but I'm even more motivated to getting back to strengthening the muscles around my knees, and my back, all for the sake of staying healthy on the job and not being out with another injury.

Losing a chunk of weight and winning that almost $200 bucks would be the cherry (pun intended) on top.

Cherry Muffins

recipe from http://southernfood.about.com/od/cherryrecipes/r/bl30201o.htm

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat)
• 1/4 cup sugar (You could substitute Splenda)
• 1 cup pitted fresh cherries or canned cherries, drained  (I used fresh)
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk (I used skim)
• 1/4 cup melted butter  (I used canola oil)

PREPARATION:

Directions for cherry muffins
Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; add cherries and stir gently to blend. In a separate bowl, beat egg until thick and light in color; stir in the milk and melted butter.

Quickly stir egg and milk mixture into the dry mixture. Butter and flour 12 muffin cups. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake cherry muffins at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 12 cherry muffins.

Cook's note:  I didn't make mine as muffins. I spooned the whole batter into a small loaf pan because I really wanted cherry bread.  I cooked it for about 30 minutes so it came out very moist and gooey but I prefer my quick breads that way.  Also, I had a few ripe strawberries that there weren't enough to do anything else with so I threw those in along with the cherries.  The bread makes 12 slices.

Cardamom/Honey Cream Cheese

recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse

1/3 cup Light Whipped Cream Cheese

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp ground Cardamom

Mix together with a spoon.

Nutrition information:

For 1 muffin or slice of bread:  Cal:  130;  Protein:  4;  Carbs:  18;  Fat 3.5

For 1 tsp cream cheese:       Cal:  17; Protein: 0; Carbs: 1;  Fat .5

By the way, there's a pic of me pitting cherries. I love this. Gene took it for me. By the time I was done I looked like I'd been performing surgery:

Comments

[Tanna]

Now, that is a fabulous plan Glenna and excellent support system built right in. A little extra motivation won't hurt. And even if there can only be one winner, everybody will still be a winner.

[Katie]

Great plan, good time frame, nice reward, best of luck!

Since living in France we have completely gotten into the habit of cooking and eating fresh foods.... It's too far to drive to get take-out LOL

I won't tell you what we eat on our visits to the U.S....

[sher]

Good for you! You off to a great start! Looks delicious. :):)

[Jennywenny]

I'd recommend getting a cherry pitter from Crate and Barrel or somewhere. Well worth it, although I often find the pits go a bit astray!

Good luck with the healthy eating, and well done for looking after yourself.

[Kate]

That's generally how I try to eat, Glenna. Except I have a hell of a time getting all those servings of veggies/fruits in.

I did buy cherries this weekend, though. I'll do them the lazy way -- eaten raw, pits spit into the backyard.

[foodierachel]

Mmm, I love fresh cherries. When you win all that $$ you can go to the Cheddar Block again! lol.

[Glenna]

Tanna--Well it's not like I'm not constantly "on a diet" but Ashley's little contest is inspiring me to look at a specific goal, you know?

Katie--I totally hear you. We lived in a small town called Eureka Springs, Arkansas, for a couple of years and one of the best things about it was that there was so much local produce easily available and no fast food joints (at that time). We hate healthier than we ever have because the good stuff was in our face and the bad stuff wasn't.

Sher--Thanks! One day at a time. Right?

Jenny--I'm sort of hoping someone who reads this will either get me one for my birthday (how lazy is that?) or that I'll remember it next time I'm in a kitchen gadget store. :-)

Kate--I like your pitting method. we did that too but just couldn't eat them fast enough and I didn't want to lose such good cherries.

That's how we used to eat too but it's amazing how going to school, clinicals, and working on the weekends, even if it is in the hospital, sort of mentally allows you to eat crap and not exercise. You'd think it would be the opposite but you're just so tired all the time.

Rachel--I like the way you think!! Yes!

[Deborah Dowd]

What a great idea! I little incentive to keep everyone on the straight and narrow! I am going to try and convince my coworkers to consider this!

[Glenna]

Deborah--It's only been a few days but it's working for me. It just makes me more aware of what I'm eating or not eating enough of (fruits/veggies) and more aware/motivated about going to the gym. Good luck at work!