It would be wonderful if everyone could learn to enjoy their food and appreciate flavors and textures. Many of these resources focus on healthy diet as well as taking pleasure from food and from life.
Michael Pollan: You may have seen him on Oprah in the past. Check out his Food Rules, which is basic but accessible. There is also a fun illustrated version, and his website contains free access to many related articles.
Mediterranean Diet Websites
Books
The following authors have some good information on eating well, enjoying food, and living well:
Wendy Oliver-Pyatt: Dr. Oliver-Pyatt is an expert in eating disorders, but her Fed Up! is for anyone wanting to get away from the diet mentality and learn to eat when hungry, enjoy food, and stop when full. This is an excellent first step: learn how to eat, then see if you need to change what to eat.
Paul McKenna: In his I Can Make You Thin!, McKenna employs his work in hypnosis and NLP to help people learn to eat, move, and lose weight. Many of the basic concepts are similar to Dr. Oliver-Pyatt's (eat when hungry, enjoy your food, stop when full), but he includes also a "hypnosis" CD that will help you relax and possibly reprogram your way of thinking about eating.
Wendy Oliver-Pyatt: Dr. Oliver-Pyatt is an expert in eating disorders, but her Fed Up! is for anyone wanting to get away from the diet mentality and learn to eat when hungry, enjoy food, and stop when full. This is an excellent first step: learn how to eat, then see if you need to change what to eat.
Paul McKenna: In his I Can Make You Thin!, McKenna employs his work in hypnosis and NLP to help people learn to eat, move, and lose weight. Many of the basic concepts are similar to Dr. Oliver-Pyatt's (eat when hungry, enjoy your food, stop when full), but he includes also a "hypnosis" CD that will help you relax and possibly reprogram your way of thinking about eating.
Michael Pollan: You may have seen him on Oprah in the past. Check out his Food Rules, which is basic but accessible. There is also a fun illustrated version, and his website contains free access to many related articles.
Will Clower: While his books indicate they are about "French" eating, the guidelines are basically focused on eating real food and getting toxic additives out of your pantry. His The French Don't Diet Plan is a good place to start.
Mireille Guiliano: Her famous French Women Don't Get Fat books are great resources for recipes, guidelines for enjoying food and life, and learning about seasonal dishes.
Mireille Guiliano: Her famous French Women Don't Get Fat books are great resources for recipes, guidelines for enjoying food and life, and learning about seasonal dishes.
Cynthia Sass: S.A.S.S. Yourself Slim is based on principles of the Mediterranean Diet and, in particular, the importance of focusing on vegetables and fruit and including mono-unsaturated fatty acids in one's diet.
Walter Willett: One of the greatest advocates of the Mediterranean diet, he has written both Eat, Drink and Be Healthy and Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less (with Molly Katzen).
Mediterranean Diet Websites
All of these links have something to do with the Mediterranean way of eating, which, in my opinion, is one of the healthiest and most satisfying ways to eat. While you don't need to eat as if in Greece, some of the guidelines can be incorporated into any diet in any culture.
Oldways: www.oldwayspt.org
Oldways is an organization that promotes and educates about the Mediterranean diet. Check out the Mediterranean diet pyramid, as well as the store items. There are also links to studies that reveal the benefits of the Med diet.
The Oldways Table: oldwaystable.org
A blog related to Oldways.
Mediterranean Foods Alliance: mediterraneanmark.org
This site is an interesting resource for learning more about the Mediterranean way of eating and includes recipes and meal ideas.
Slow Food: www.slowfoodusa.org
Slow Food is an organization that is growing daily. It promotes the enjoyment of local, homemade food ("slow" food, not "fast" food).
Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less: www.eatdrinkandweighless.com
A website companion to Dr. Willett and Mollie Katzen's Mediterranean-style weight loss plan. Also check out Dr. Willett's Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.
Oldways: www.oldwayspt.org
Oldways is an organization that promotes and educates about the Mediterranean diet. Check out the Mediterranean diet pyramid, as well as the store items. There are also links to studies that reveal the benefits of the Med diet.
The Oldways Table: oldwaystable.org
A blog related to Oldways.
Mediterranean Foods Alliance: mediterraneanmark.org
This site is an interesting resource for learning more about the Mediterranean way of eating and includes recipes and meal ideas.
Slow Food: www.slowfoodusa.org
Slow Food is an organization that is growing daily. It promotes the enjoyment of local, homemade food ("slow" food, not "fast" food).
Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less: www.eatdrinkandweighless.com
A website companion to Dr. Willett and Mollie Katzen's Mediterranean-style weight loss plan. Also check out Dr. Willett's Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.
Will Clower: www.willclower.com
Dr. Will Clower has several books available on what he refers to as the French diet (by which he means the Mediterranean diet; he just learned it while in France). Some information, along with his PATH program, can be found on this site.
These are just some of the many resources to learn more about the Mediterranean diet. Please feel free add additional sites you have found in your comments!
Guided Diet Plans/Websites for More Information
While I do not advocate a strict eating plan, some may feel the need for more structure and guidance. The following plans, which are Mediterranean-based or focused on food and quality of life, may help:
Please note that, while I have explored these sites, I have not tried their plans.
Will Clower's Mediterranean Diet: www.willclower.com/medwellness.php
GO! Foods For You: www.360-5.com
The Cleveland Clinic's Mediterranean-based plan.
GO! Foods For You: www.360-5.com
The Cleveland Clinic's Mediterranean-based plan.
The Sonoma Diet: www.sonomadiet.com
I don't know how restrictive this diet might be, but some of the recipes are very nice.
Mireille Guiliano: mireilleguiliano.com
Famous for her French Women Don't Get Fat books, Ms. Guiliano provides some wonderful recipes and guidelines for enjoying food and life.
Cynthia Sass: www.cynthiasass.com
Cynthia Sass is a nutrition who has contributed to both Prevention and Shape magazines and blogs. Her current blog (where she discusses many things, including Mediterranean-style eating) can be found here.
Cynthia Sass: www.cynthiasass.com
Cynthia Sass is a nutrition who has contributed to both Prevention and Shape magazines and blogs. Her current blog (where she discusses many things, including Mediterranean-style eating) can be found here.
Dr. Weil: www.drweil.com
Dr. Weil provides wonderful information on staying healthy and also has an anti-inflammatory diet plan. Also, while he refers to the French here, Dr. Weil's observations in the following article are also very true for Italians (and are true in many other countries where obesity is less of a problem than in America): www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP03550/Why-Are-The-French-Slim.html
Other plans, such as Weight Watchers (www.weightwatchers.com) can be helpful for learning about portion control. If you try WW, use in conjunction with real food (as opposed to processed food that may be within your points range) and Mediterranean guidelines.
For Fun
Raeleen D'Agostino Mautner: Living La Dolce Vita
