THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GET YOU STARTED. _by_. Dr Katerina Vasilaki. Registered Dietitian//Nutritionist// Health Coach

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1 THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET BEGINNERS GUIDE + ONE-DAY DIET PLAN TO GET YOU STARTED _by_ Dr Katerina Vasilaki Registered Dietitian//Nutritionist// Health Coach

2 CHANGE YOUR EATING CHANGE YOUR LIFE Traditional Mediterranean Life 3 Why I Love the Mediterranean Diet 4 The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid 5 1-day Diet Plan 6 Recipes 7 About 10 Hello! I m Dr Katerina and my mission is to help you become the healthiest person you know. Throughout my 15-year professional career and personal experience, I ve seen the health benefits in my own life and I m so excited to share them with you! Please enjoy this simple, tasty and healthy one-day diet plan and let me know how it all went. Make sure to join my next Mediterranean Diet Programme, too, for 6- weeks of healthy Mediterranean eating, life change and body love. _Dr Katerina Vasilaki _ DIETITIAN//NUTRITIONIST//HEALTH COACH DISCLAIMER: This guide is for inspiration and information purposes only. Check with your doctor first before making any dietary changes and to make sure you are meeting your nutritional and health needs. Individual results may vary by Dr Katerina Vasilaki, RDN, MMedSci, PhD. All rights reserved, For personal use only. Modification of this design does not void the copyright. Distribution physically or digitally (even without profit) is prohibited.

3 THE TRADITIONAL MEDITERRANEAN LIFE Around the 60s, a big research study took place in the region of the Mediterranean with a general aim to record and understand the way of living in these regions. Cretan lifestyle was studied because of its distinct diet patterns, considered to be unchanged for over 4,000 years, and its very low incidence of coronary heart disease. They mostly led rural lifestyles working as farmers so their physical activity was increased. Public transport was poor meaning that many of the habitants had to walk an average of 6km on a daily basis. White meat was consumed 1-2 times per week and approximately 3 eggs per week were eaten. The basis of the diet was formed by consumption of cereal, pulses and bread. Olive oil, fruits, vegetables (mostly leafy and cruciferous) as fresh herbs and greens were also abundant in their diet but red meat was consumed only 1-2 times per month. Alcoholism was rare, but consumption of 1-2 units (a small glass) of red wine per day together with a main meal was regular. Mortality statistics in Greece, at that period, reported by the World Health Organisation show a death rate from heart disease in Greek men aged years to be 7 times (!) lower than the American men of the same age. A Mediterranean-type diet substantially reduces the rate of recurrence after a first heart attack, age-related memory loss, cancer and overall mortality rate in healthy, elderly people.

4 WHY I LOVE THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET Imagine a world with the sounds of crickets, smells of olive trees and the sea breeze gently brushing your hair. Close your eyes and see children playing games and adults relaxing with the waves stroking the sand under their feet. This is my world, the place I grew up and all my memories from the Greek island of Corfu. I was fortunate to have one of those talented and amazing grannies, Yiayia as we say in Greek who loved cooking from scratch and cultivated most of her fruit and vegetables in her back garden in an organic way. The flavours and aroma of her dishes are, to this day, superior to anything I have ever tasted. She taught me the art of cooking from scratch with the freshest and purest possible ingredients. She taught me to respect the ingredients and be patient in the kitchen. And above all, she taught me to use food as an act of love and respect, both to myself and my family. This passion and love for healthy eating is what I want to transfer to you by combining my Mediterranean cultural background with my extensive knowledge on nutrition and health.

5 THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET PYRAMID Below you can see the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. It is your best guide if you want to understand and follow the Mediterranean Diet and experience its health benefits. Remember that this is not a fad diet you just do for a little while and then you give up completely. It actually describes a long-term lifestyle choice. To use it follow the smallest portions if you re small build or if you re trying to lose weight. Regular physical activity and consumption of enough fluids (1-1.5lt) per day is also paramount. Finally stick to whole foods rather than processed food products and ready meals. This means cooking from scratch, avoid high-fat and added-sugar snacks and also avoid sugarcontaining drinks. The diet plan provided next will help you with a practical example.

6 1-DAY MEDITERRANEAN DIET PLAN BREAKFAST ½ cup (120 ml) semi-skimmed milk ½ cup (44 gr) low-fat, low-sugar granola Green or herbal tea (optional: stevia to sweeten) MORNING SNACK 1 small pear LUNCH Lentil soup with feta cheese & sourdough bread AFTERNOON SNACK 2 clementines DINNER Oven-baked sea-bream with swiss chard 2 slices of sourdough bread DESSERT Frozen yogurt with dried figs, oats and honey

7 RECIPES LENTIL SOUP WITH FETA CHEESE & SOURDOUGH BREAD 3 tbsp organic brown dry lentils 1/2 small onion, cut in four 1 clove of garlic, whole ½ tin of organic chopped tomatoes Salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp organic Greek extra-virgin olive oil 1 bay leaf 1 oz feta cheese 1 thin slice of sourdough bread (1 oz) PREPARATION 1. Wash well the dried lentils and put in a pan with 3 cups of water. 2. Add all the ingredients, apart from the olive oil, in the pot. 3. Bring to a boil, lower the temperature and leave to soup to simmer for min or until the lentils are soft. 4. Before serving, add the extra virgin olive oil. Note: If you make more, the next day it will taste even better! Put it in a glass jar and take it with you to work! Yum!

8 RECIPES OVEN-BAKED SEA-BREAM WITH WARM SWISS CHARD SALAD 1 sea-bream fish, gutted and scaled 4 cups of fresh swiss chard 30gr of feta cheese 4 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil Juice of an unwaxed lemon Dried oregano Extra virgin olive oil in spray 2 slices of sourdough bread PREPARATION 1. Preheat the oven to 200 o C. 2. Put the sea-bream on a baking parchment that you have lightly sprayed with olive oil and place in a oven dish. Add a good pinch of dried oregano and bake for around 30 minutes. 3. While the fish is baking, bring a medium pot with water to the boil and add the swiss chard with a pinch of salt. Boil for 10 minutes and drain well. 4. Put the chard leaves in a salad bowl and squeeze the juice of half the lemon on top. Add the remaining of the olive oil and crumble the feta cheese on top. 5. Serve the fish adding a good squeeze of the other half lemon. 6. Enjoy together with 2 slices of sourdough bread.

9 RECIPES FROZEN YOGURT WITH FIGS, OATS & HONEY 1 cup low-fat natural yogurt 20 gr rolled oats 1 dried fig, chopped 1 teaspoon Greek honey A pinch of cinnamon PREPARATION 1. Chop the fig in small pieces. 2. In a freeze-proof bowl mix the yogurt, fig, oats and cinnamon. 3. Stick in the freezer for a couple of hours and enjoy with a teaspoon of honey on top.

10 ABOUT THEMEDITERRANEANDIETITIAN.com launched in 2015 by myself, Dr Katerina Vasilaki. Born on the island of Corfu and a qualified dietitian and nutritionist since 2002 I share my passion for healthy Mediterranean food and lifestyle. My true passion is to help people become healthy through balanced eating and lifestyle change. For this reason I have created the 6- week Mediterranean Diet Programme to help you wherever you are in the world. Need more Mediterranean recipes, health tips and inspiration? Visit TheMediterraneanDietitian.com and instagram.com/mediterraneandietitian now. WEBSITE INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK TWITTER PERISCOPE instagram.com/mediterraneandietitian facebook.com/themediterraneandietitian twitter.com/themeddietitian periscope.com/themeddietitian Visit online for more recipes, tips and inspiration