Complete Guide to The Authentic Mediterranean Diet

"The complete guide to the authentic Mediterranean Diet includes everything you need to get you started: Menu and meal plans, easy and authentic recipes, shopping lists, foods to avoid, what to drink, and more- always based on science and a lifetime of experience."

Food is mainly from plant sources: fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, grains. Vegetables are the main course, meat or poultry is a side and is not consumed daily.
.. Food is minimally processed. 
.. Olive oil is the main fat, replacing other fats & oils (butter and margarine). 
.. Daily consumption of low to moderate amounts of cheese and yogurt.
.. Weekly consumption of low to moderate amounts of fish and poultry
.. Fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert; maintain low sugar and saturated fat 
.. Red meat is consumed a few times per month (12 to 16 ounces max/mo.)
.. Moderate daily wine consumption. (men: 1-2 glasses; women:1 glass day) 

The true Mediterranean Diet is a moderate carbohydrate diet (about 40% carbohydrates) with moderate to slightly elevated fat (35-40%).

Low Fat (No) ... Low Carb (Absolutely)

I recently watched an excellent TED Talk by Dr. Peter Brukner, about the food industry's deception and medical industry misguidance (wrong advice based on zero evidence) for 40 years. See the YouTube link at the end of this post. 

Highlights, Key Points and Conclusions:
.. poorly researched studies drove food/medical industry to low fat - high carb
.. incorrectly concluded high fat caused cardiovascular disease
.. industry substituted sugar/carbs in low-fat foods - driving obesity/Type 2 Diabetes 
.. a Keto diet is suggested/recommend maintain daily carb between 30 - 100 grams
.. the body burns glucose first and fat second
.. reduce sugar, starches, vegetable oils, processed foods, 'low-fat' foods
.. increase water, fresh fruits and veggies, meat and fish, full-fat dairy and eggs 
.. best supplement to take - the most nutritious food - eggs
.. solution is simple J.E.R.F. = Just Eat Real Food

YouTube Why Low Carb
Additional Viewing Dr. Peter Bkukner
Keto Diet How to Do Keto on a Budget

Dr. Gundry The Diet Evolution

Much is written about what is the right diet. However, Dr. Grundry accepts that our ancestors were hunter/gatherers - eating less animal protein, more plant protein. As hunter/gatherers, we (they) never had scheduled meal times and subsequently, our bodies evolved to adapt to this. His book 'The Diet Evolution' addresses this fact and proceeds to use radical changes in our modern-day food consumption to reprogram our genes. Here are my take-aways from the book that Dr. Gundry says will reduce major illness, lose weight and extend your life span.

(Update 10/22/19) KISS Summary: a) reduce the amount of growth hormones consumed by limiting meat and chicken serving size replacing meats meat protein with plant protein, b) consider reducing the consumption of lectins, c) reduce carbs (they turn into sugar) and d) consume wild fish protein 1-2 days a week. Note: limited clinical studies have validated lectin-free diets.

.. East more salad less meat ... less meat protein and more plant protein
.. Micro-nutrients are best consumed from plants not animals
.. Avoid all 'white' foods i.e. flour, sugar, mayonnaise, potatoes, crackers, rice
.. Meat protein should be limited to the size of 1/2 palm
.. Nuts snack but 1/4 Cup
.. Center your diet around vegetables - work towards salads twice a day
.. Recommended supplements: Vitamins C, E, B's plus Magnesium 
.. Fish oil (Omega 3) is important 
.. Avoid sugar (or foods that easily convert to sugar like carbs)
.. Seven Day Adventist have proven eating less meat pan increases lifespan 
.. Clinical studies document that calorie restriction wins hands down
.. Wine in moderation is okay, but not beer
.. Vary the time of eating (like our Stone Age hunter-gatherer ancestors) 

Further Reading:
1. Dr. Gundry Diet Evolution
2. The Lectin Free Diet 
3. The Plant Paradox
 

(revisit) Anti-Inflammation Diet by Dr Weil

Although much like the Mediterranean diet, Dr. Weil's diet recommendation as shown in his food pyramid supports all essential elements for long health and a balance of Fats, Carbs, and Protein. Most if not all major scientific organizations encourage adults to adopt a style of eating like that of the Mediterranean diet to prevent major chronic diseases. View 'How to Eat Anti-Inflammatory Diet'

See also The Mediterranean Diet Book

Cancer Prevention - Controlling Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis is the physiological process through which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels.

Medical and scientific research is/has been directed to understanding why cancer cells grow (which is understood we develop continually but die when blood supply does not feed them). So work is being done to further understand controlling and reducing the feeding of cancer cells through anti-angiogenesis approaches - drug treatment and foods.

Initial Research: 
Calorie Bee: Angiogenesis 
Wikipedia: Anti-Angiogenic Foods for a Cancer-Fighting Diet
TED Talks: Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?
More: Search Results

5:2 Fasting Diet - What You Can Eat

The 5:2 diet is essentially a fancy name for intermittent fasting. Fasting is seen as a more effective way to lose weight because by cutting down on your calorie intake intermittently, rather than all at once, your body goes into ‘repair mode’ and not ‘starvation mode’. This repair mode causes the body to restore damaged cells, which uses more energy, whereas starvation mode causes your body to store fat.

Read 5:2 Fasting Diet - What and How
Previous Post Fasting Diet Info

5:2 Diet - Weight Loss and Long Term Health Benefits

The 5:2 diet is a weight loss diet. Essentially you eat the same amount of calories you would usually have to maintain your current bodyweight for 5 days a week and on the remaining 2 days, you eat very few calories (almost fasting). This will result in a weekly calorie deficit that helps you lose weight whilst still eating “normally” for the majority of the week. The diet is quite easy to adhere to compared to many other diet plans and makes some social situations easier if you occasionally go out for dinner with other people who aren’t dieting.

Measures:
1) BMI ... Calculator at http://bit.ly/2O4R1ic
2) Waist ... to be 50% of person's height in inches

Resources:

Begineers Guide to 5:2 Diet ...  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/the-5-2-diet-guide

Low Cal 5:2 Recipes ... https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/healthy/best-ever-easy-52-recipes-under-500-calories/

33 Recipes ... https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/52

Low GI Foods ... http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/

Glycemic Index Diet ... https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/glycemic-index-diet/art-20048478

Other Recipe Ideas (use these for creating optional meals) 
10 Meal Plans
BBC 5:2 Diet Recipes
15 Recipe Ideas from Delicious
UK Good To Know under 500 Calories

Calorie Needs Calculator and Weight Loss

Calories are a measure of energy used to quantify how much food we consume and how hard we exert ourselves during physical activity. This simple relationship between the amount of calories we eat and burn is known as energy balance and it plays a very important role in overall health. 

Calorie Needs Calculator 

Weight Loss - Military or Intermittent Fasting Diet(s)

With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas and New Years special times ahead, it is time to put my weigh gains under control. My web 'research' identified several key points:
1. Exercise is EXCELLENT for overall good health but NOT FOR WEIGHT LOSS
2. Weight gain or loss is directly related to calories you put in your mouth
3. There is evidence that some foods (like protein) can increase your metabolism
4. Our bodies evolved from the stone age and we are best to learn how our ancestors lived/survived and lived the Stone Age Diet
5. Understand how people in regions identified in the 'Blue Zone' live the longest 
6. The human body actually repairs its cell structures by intermittent eating (some calling it the Intermittent Fasting Diet) ... I prefer 8/16 plan (see Details and additional links in article)