The Complete Mediterranean Diet

Leading cardiologist Dr. Michael Ozner is well aware that most people do not eat a healthy diet.

Beyond even Dr. Ozner’s area of expertise in heart disease, a poor diet has been linked to virtually all of the worst medical scourges of our day, including cancer, diabetes, and obesity. With that in mind, he wrote The Complete Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean diet—rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats—has a large body of research backing it up as an effective way to reduce the risk of all the above-mentioned illnesses and more.

“You may very well wonder how a single eating plan can afford all these benefits,” says Dr. Ozner. “The secret seems to lie in the fact that the Mediterranean diet is synergistic. This means that the components are not only nutritious in themselves, but when combined with one another, act to provide added benefits as well. They are more powerful in combination than if they were eaten separately.”

In his book, Dr. Ozner explains how diet and lifestyle affect your health, and how and why the Mediterranean diet is so beneficial. He follows that introduction with 500 recipes, a small sampling of which (two entrées, a salad, and a soup) follows. Enjoy.

—Garry Messick

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Stuffed Sesame Chicken Breasts

Makes 4 servings

• 4 (4-5-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried tarragon or 4 sprigs fresh tarragon
• ½ red bell pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• ½ green bell pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• ¼ small red chili pepper, finely minced (optional)
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle
• 4 fresh tarragon sprigs for garnish

Rinse breasts under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. With a sharp knife, split open one side of breasts to create a pocket. Season inside of breasts with salt and pepper, as desired, and tarragon (¼ tablespoon of dried tarragon per breast or 1 full sprig stuffed inside the pocket of each breast). Insert slices of both red and green bell peppers into each breast pocket and then close, securing with a toothpick. Combine lime juice and chili pepper; set aside. Sprinkle each breast with a generous amount of sesame seeds and place breasts in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle tops of breasts with chili/lime mixture and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Set oven to broil and lightly drizzle olive oil over the top of each breast. Place baking sheet under broiler and broil chicken breasts until sesame seeds are golden brown. Serve garnished with fresh sprigs of tarragon.

• Approx. 237 calories per serving.
• 37 grams protein, 8 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat,
• 0 trans fat, 4 grams carbohydrates, 96 mg cholesterol,
• 85 mg sodium, 1 gram fiber

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Peppered Filet of Sole

Makes 4 servings

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon trans fat-free canola/olive oil spread
• 2 cups sliced button mushrooms
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 4 (4-ounce) sole fillets
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt olive oil and canola/olive oil spread. Add mushrooms and shallot and sauté until soft. Place fillets over mushroom mixture. Sprinkle each fillet with lemon pepper seasoning, paprika, and cayenne. Cover skillet and cook over medium heat until fish flakes easily. Divide into 4 portions and sprinkle each serving with tomatoes and scallions. Serve while hot.

• Approx. 203 calories per serving
• 31 grams protein, 8 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat,
• 0 trans fat, 0 carbohydrates, 86 mg cholesterol,
• 158 mg sodium, <0.5 gram fiber

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Mediterranean Mixed Greens

Makes 4-6 servings

• 6 cups assorted fresh mixed greens (such as arugula, radicchio, baby spinach, watercress, and romaine)
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 20 firm cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• Crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

• FOR DRESSING:
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon crushed dried oreganor
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

In a large salad bowl, combine greens, onion, tomatoes, walnuts, and cranberries. Gently toss.

Dressing: Combine vinegar, olive oil, water, oregano, and garlic. Shake well. Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly to coat.

Garnish with feta cheese if desired, and pepper to taste.

• Approx. 140 calories per serving
• 2 grams protein, 12 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat,
• 0 trans fat, 6 grams carbohydrates, 0 cholesterol, 47 mg sodium,
• 1 gram fiber

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Chilled Avocado Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

• 3 medium ripe avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut into chunks
• ½ cucumber, peeled and chopped
• ½ cup chopped white onion
• ¼ cup finely diced carrot
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 cups low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth, divided
• Hot red pepper sauce to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Paprika to sprinkle
• Thin avocado slices for garnish
• Low-fat sour cream (optional)

Chill 4-6 soup bowls. In a food processor or blender, combine avocados, cucumber, onion, carrot, garlic, and 1 cup broth, and process until almost smooth. Add remaining broth, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, and process again until almost smooth. Pour into chilled bowls, cover tops, and chill for at least 1 or more hours. To serve, remove chilled bowls and sprinkle each serving with paprika. Add slices of avocado and a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Serve chilled.

• Approx. 255 calories per serving
• 4 grams protein, 22 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat,
• 0 trans fat, 15 grams carbohydrates, 0 cholesterol,
• 70 mg sodium, 10 grams fiber

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension® Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.

To order The Complete Mediterranean Diet, call 1-800-544-4440.