How About the Rest of the Week?

I think by now we've internalized the central theme of this class – eating meatless meals one day a week. And that means no meat, poultry, fish or seafood. But what of the other six days?

Our seminar discussions have included some “true confessions” - the hamburger we enjoyed on Tuesday, a chicken tenderloin or slice of bacon last Saturday. That's okay – we're not trying to go cold turkey on animal protein. Nonetheless, we find that by design or chance, we are all eating less meat on those other six days. Healthy food patterns are always of interest, of course, and we recognize the need as we grow older for more conscious attention to what we put in our mouths. Many of us are finding that large servings of red meat in particular are almost indigestible and are becoming less attractive than they used to.

There has been talk of what is commonly known as the “Mediterranean diet”, a style of eating attributed to the traditional food practices of countries bordering on the mediterranean sea. Of course the climate and proximity to salt water dictate much of what is available and affordable. Health researchers in the USA have studied this diet and find it beneficial. What exactly is it?

There are variations of course, but basically the mediterranean diet is quite simple. The Mayo Clinic describes it as including a heavy reliance on fruits and vegetables, consumption of healthy fats such as olive and canola oils, the use of nuts, regular consumption of fish, along with eating very little red meat. For those who drink alcohol, red wine is also included (in moderation of course). This pattern of eating has been associated with lowered risk of death from heart disease and cancer. And a study cited by the Archives of Neurology points to a lower risk for mental decline for those on a mediterranean diet.

The British Medical Journal published the results of a study following over 13,000 healthy adults which compared their degree of adherence to a mediterranean diet with the incidence of diabetes and concluded that such a diet may indeed cut diabetes risk.

The Oldways Preservation and Exchange Trust has devised a variation on the usual food pyramid, calling it the Traditional Healthy Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. The foundation of the pyramid is daily physical activity. The next largest building block, also a daily requirement, is a group of foods with bread, pasta, rice, couscous, polenta, and other whole grains and potatoes. Other groups to be consumed daily include fruits, beans, legumes, nuts and vegetables. Smaller blocks of the pyramid, to be enjoyed weekly are fish, poultry eggs and sweets. Meat appears at the top of the pyramid as a once-a-month food group.

(Ironically, while Americans have been quick to pick up on the benefits of this diet, the populations originally associated with it seem to be deserting their traditional food practices in favor of the sugary drinks and fast foods usually thought of as American. An article in the New York Times, 9/24/2008, describes the increasing incidence of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol among children in a small town in Crete who have adopted these less nutritious foods while turning their backs on what their parents and grandparents were used to eating. Obesity seems to be growing along with the rise of supermarkets and convenience foods.)


With the promise of Spring coming we can anticipate the rebirth of local farmers' markets, fresh produce from nearby fields and lovely vegetables that have never been subjected to transcontinental travel. In 2007 there were 1,586 farms in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, according to an article in the Springfield Republican of 3/9/2009. Anchovies and olive oil unfortunately will never be local products, but many other “mediterranean” foods will be readily available - the fruits of labor from our farmer/neighbors who will bring delight to our tables seven days a week.