Suzy Eats

I have attached three food pyramids below. The first pyramid is the USDA recommended food pyramid, while the latter two are Mediterranean Food Pyramids.

The Mediterranean Diet has been proven to be one of the most healthiest diets in the world. At the bottom of the Mediterranean Food Pyramid are breads and cereals which should be consumed daily. A key component is cous cous.

As you move up the pyramid, there are increased amounts of fruits and vegetables (much more than the standard USDA food pyramid). 

A key difference is OIL…specifically olive oil.

There are smaller amounts of cheese, yogurt and other dairy in the Mediterranean Pyramid than in the USDA pyramid.

Other key points are that: there is VERY LITTLE RED meat that is used in the mediterranean diet and very small amounts of sweets since fruits are eaten as sweets. Olives and tomatoes are the most common fruits. Legumes and nuts are eaten as snacks. Fish and poultry are more common than red meats.

There have been key studies comparing the Mediterranean Diets to other diets around the world.  In the countries with a Mediterranean Diet, heart disease is generally lower.

  Another difference is that the Mediterranean Food pyramid describes foods in various terms: monthy, weekly and daily. While the USDA, describes the daily intake. 

Which food pyramid are you following????

Garlic…Yes, it may make your breath stink, but it is DEFINITELY a food that you should try to eat at least one time per week week.

Garlic’s use dates back to prehistoric times. It was commonly used by the ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks, and it is still used all over the Mediterranean today!! There is a lot of data that supports garlic can help lower your cholesterol, reduce your blood pressure and thin you blood.

But, what else can garlic do???  In my teens, I had a high addicition for Doritos (and still do 🙂 ) even though they left that “garlic” taste in my mouth so I can say that I have researched a great deal about garlic and its benefits. So the question is…was it the garlic taste that I enjoyed in my Doritos or was it what garlic could do for me??

It was definitely the latter.

Over the years, I have learned that garlic is a very potent antioxidant as it contains allicin which produces a very an antioxidant. As we know, antioxidants are very healthy for us….they help prevent aging, cancer, heart disease diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Allicin is highest after about 10 minutes of crushing a garlic clove.

In general, garlic adds an amazing flavor to all foods, and just like tumeric, I think you should add it to everthing. I would not advocate taking the garlic herbal supplements. Instead, I advocate using fresh garlic cloves in your meals. Remember add garlic cloves to EVERYTHING 🙂

There is definitely something special about it.

Please send me your questions about garlic…….What are the differences between fresh garlic and garlic powder??? Stay tuned….. 🙂

As a teenager and young girl, I was always pretty “skinny”. Fortunately, I did not have to diet and worry about my weight. Well let me tell you….that time is LONG GONE!!!! I have realized that once I hit 30 years old, I needed to eat right and exercise to stay fit and maintain my weight. Some of my friends suggested that I try frozen meals so I did, but many of them are not as “healthy” as they seem and the taste….let’s just say “yuck”.!!

I was contacted by Saffron Road Foods™ recently and agreed to review their selection of frozen meals. The first thing I did was go to their website and do some research, and I was definitely pleased with my first impression. Saffron Road Foods is certified humane, 100% vegetarian feed, all natural and raised without antibiotics. Their meat is all Halal which means they have fair treatment for farmers and livestock, and it is definitely clean and healthy meat.

Stay posted for my review later this week 🙂

My husband and I went to Whole Foods early yesterday to try Saffron Road’s frozen meals.  We are planning to try the Lamb Saag, Chicken Biryani, Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Vindaloo this week. I will definitely let you know what happens by Friday.

When I make a stew, I ALWAYS make “yellow” basmati rice as the side. My husband does not understand why I always make this “yellow” rice. He eats it, but with comments and smirks …. In other words, “why don’t you make “white” rice?”. Finally, yesterday, I realized that my husband thought yellow and white rice are two completely different types of rice. I realized that he must not be the only one who had that thought. So I would like to clarify that when rice is “yellow” it is because TUMERIC is added to “white” rice. The rice is actually not “yellow” by nature.

So what is TUMERIC???

Tumeric belongs to the ginger family. It is has been used for thousands of years.

I am going to give you the same answer I gave my husband last night as to why I ALWAYS make “yellow” rice.

1.  Its easy! I sprinkle 1 teaspoon of tumeric on 1 cup of rice.
2. It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties…(you can even use it directly on a scrape or burn)
3. It helps treat people who have psoriasis and can help with various benign tumors
4. It can help prevent prostate and breast cancer (there are numerous studies on this!!!)
5. Chinese medicine has been using it for 100’s of years for depression

There are more reasons why tumeric is one of my favorite spices but these are the main ones. I say sprinkle tumeric on everything. It can only help, and my husband is going to have to eat white rice when we are not eating at home 🙂

I would love to hear from YOU. What are some of your favorite mediterranean spices?? I have listed some below.

1. Basil
2. Bay Leaves
3. Caraway Seeds
4. Cardamom
5. Chervil
6. Chili Peppers
7. Chives
8. Cilantro
9. Cinnamon
10. Cloves
11. Coriander
12. Cumin
13. Fennel
14. Fenugreek
15. Garlic
16. Ginger
17. Juniper Berries
18. Mace
19. Majoram
20. Mint
21. Nutmeg
22. Onion
23. Oregano
24. Paprika
25. Parsley
26. Pepper
27. Rosemary
28. Saffron
29. Sage
30. Sea Salt
31. Savory
32. Tarragon
33. Thyme
34. Tumeric