The Mediterranean Prescription: Meal Plans and Recipes to Help You Stay Slim and Healthy for the Rest of Your Life

by Dr. Angelo Acquista

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Mediterranean Diet.  It was all the rage some years back, before Atkins and South Beach.  It was based on a study done decades ago of people in 7 countries that showed that people living in Sicily were the healthiest in the world. Dr. Acquista was born in Sicily and was raised eating that type of food so he learned it naturally… from his mother.

Now a successful physician living in the United States, he counsels his patients how to lose weight and keep it off. The first half of the book explains the nutritional and medical facts why this diet is healthier than others. And in the last half he shares meal plans and his mother’s recipes like he shares with his patients.

The 12 guiding principles of the Mediterranean Prescription are:

1. Eat lots of fruits.
2. Eat lots of vegetables.
3. Eat lots of legumes (such as beans, peas, and lentils).
4. Eat lots of nuts and seeds.
5. Eat lots of whole grains, especially whole-grain bread.
6. Use olive oil liberally, both in salads and in cooking.
7. Consume a moderate amount of low-fat dairy products.
8. Eat fish.
9. Eat the right fats (have a high ratio of unsaturated fats to saturated fats in your diet).
10. Engage in regular physical activity.
11. Drink wine (especially red) in moderation, if you choose.
12. Eat only small amounts of red meat and meat products.

And the Mediterranean Prescription Pyramid looks like this:

Daily

• Physical activity
• Whole Grains
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Legumes
• Dairy
• Nuts & Seeds
• Olive oil  (canola is an acceptable substitute)
• Wine  (especially red)
• Quality time with family and friends

Weekly

• Fish
• Poultry (skinless)
• Eggs
• Lean meat

Monthly

• Other vegetable oils
• Saturated fats
• Refined carbohydrates
• Sweets

I’ve already lost 5 pounds and I’m still losing.  What I like best about this diet is that I don’t have to give up my pasta or wine.  I love them both so any diet that restricts them won’t work for me long term.

And that’s exactly what Dr. Acquista emphasizes… this is not a diet that you do until you reach your goal weight, and then return to your former eating habits that made you overweight in the first place.  Rather these are healthy habits and meal plans that you should adopt for the long term.

You can start with a two-week weight loss stage which is designed to help you lose 5-10 pounds.  Or you can go straight to the Maintenance stage, which is what I did.

Some of the recipes are divine.  I already tried the Baked Tomato sauce… even my son liked it.  Several of his fish recipes look really yummy too… maybe next weekend for them.

So if you’re looking for meal plans and recipes to help you stay slim and healthy for the rest of your life, I highly recommend this book.  I think you’ll love it too!