The Mediterranean Diet : Delicious Food Prescriptions for Transforming Disease and Illness Workshop: Lecture, Booksigning, Cooking Demo and Lunch with Chef Amy Riolo

Lady Docs had the opportunity to host a lunch where health care professionals could learn more to advise patients on eating a Mediterranean Diet to improve longevity, quality of life and prevention of disease.  We were privileged to host internationally known speaker and author Chef Amy Riolo who lectured on the scientific research done on the advantages of following the plant based and fish rich foods that make up a Mediterranean Diet.  She has just written her latest cookbook called The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook which is full of delicious, healthy recipes.  She then demonstrated cooking a complete meal based on these principles, and we got to sample everything!

Some important points from her talk:

• Because obesity is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., our current diet is killing us!
• The Mediterranean food pyramid starts with addressing the underlying psychosocial behaviors that surround food choices.  Eating in a community is better for your health than eating alone.
• Check the Environmental Working Group food list for the “dirty dozen” of most pesticide laden foods that you want to consider highly to purchase organic options if possible.
• The busy, modern American life does not allow most to shop and cook daily.   Try to plan ahead, make lists of ingredients to be able to cook at home and know what you are putting into your body.  Some people cook for the week on the weekend, so that food can be healthy and homemade.

Here is the menu and the links to Chef Amy’s YouTube channel:

1)   Main dish:  I couldn’t find the exact recipe we learned, which had tomatoes, potatoes and peppers with cod baked at 425F, but this one is similar:

How To Make Moroccan Style Fish With Chermoula Sauce

2)  Pasta:  Penne with Almond Arugula Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes 

3)  Salad:  Pomegranate, Lentil and Mixed Greens Salad:  (I couldn’t find the pomegranate version, but this is the cranberry verstion) 

4)  Dessert:  Spiced Greek Yogurt with Apricots

Check out more great tips at her website:  amyriolo.com

She was also featured on News Channel 9 today.