The Mediterranean Diet

"What bothers me about this book is the dietitian bias of the authors. Although they tout the Mediterranean diet, they incorporate non-Mediterranean foods such as salmon and the highly toxic canola oil. There is NO canola oil in the traditional Mediterranean diet!! In fact, canola oil is a toxic substance. Further the authors have a problem with saturated fats, because this is drummed into dietitians as being bad, yet it is the very enigma that is behind the French paradox. It pays to take a very close look at the major industries that back the dietetic association to understand the bias of these authors, including sugar growers, big pharma, the margarine association, Sarah Lee desserts, and so forth. The authors don't even have the guts to claim that sugar is really very bad for you. These biases make for sloppy work and off-the-topic comments and endorsements. Very disappointing. They do not represent the Mediterranean diet as well as could be."
~ Written on 2008-07-29

"The book was informative, I only wish the print was a little larger.
I was able to understand the principles of the diet. Some of the recipes were tried, and enjoyed."
~ Written on 2008-02-23

"After the title of The Mediterranean Diet, is a subtitle that says "lose weight and feel great with one of the world's healthiest diets". A word of warning. The emphasis of this book is not on losing weight and the so-called Mediterranean ways that the authors advocate are not quite authetically Mediterranean.

The book begins with an introduction on what is wrong with Western diets. It then goes on to present an exotic, "magical" Mediterranean setting. Luckily, the authors didn't get carried away and are quite scientific in their analysis and presentation of how the Mediterranean diet works.

Interestingly, the first few chapters have a Q&A section at the end. What I like most about this book is the relatively balanced views held by the authors. Their moderate recommendations are all supported by research and not just guru "science" that advocates strict, impractical practices. I've managed to learn quite a bit about olive oil, bread, couscous and the nutritive value of various fruits, nuts and vegetables.

For alcohol, meat, sugar, eggs and dairy products, the authors advise moderation. Nothing extreme. However, the authors seem to be doing further injustice to the title when they recommend things like soy milk, canola oil, tumeric and various Indian spices. Are they still talking about the Mediterranean diet?

There is also only one chapter on losing weight. Hence, the title is misleading. At the end of the book, are various Mediterranean recipes. It makes the book great value for money unless you're expecting some serious weight loss book.

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~ Written on 2008-01-27

"If you are looking for a book written specifically for losing weight, this is not the book for you.(There is one chapter on losing weight.) If you are looking for a book to help you determine the best diet for good health, this is the book for you.

Pros:
Very well organized
Very well researched
Very detailed
Interesting
Includes the Mediterranean lifestyle as important as the diet

Cons:
Although the author, a dietitian, says the Mediterranean Diet is the best for health, she chooses to change it by adding canola oil and decreasing the amount of eggs allowed.

One needs to do research on canola oil before using it as freely as olive oil. Canola oil is a modern phenomena, unlike olive oil that has been used successfully for centuries.

The author discusses a study that showed, along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, eggs were eaten at almost every meal, but heart attacks were a rarity. But, still, the author suggests eating no more than four eggs a week. Modern science has determnined that eggs do not affect cholesterol levels and if eggs high in omega-3 are chosen, they can be beneficial.

I think the book would have been improved if she had just reported the research that shows the Mediterranean Diet to be healthy instead of adding her own "knowledge" that contradicts this historically healthy diet.


There are a few recipes at the end that I have not tried yet, so can't review that portion of the book."
~ Written on 2007-05-30

"This is a review of the paperback version of this book. Author is a registered dietician. Basic recipes are a small part of the book.
If you've never heard of the components of the Mediterranean way of eating and are interested in basic nutrition, you might like this reading. If you are interested in cooking, search for a cookbook."
~ Written on 2006-11-26