My mother's entire family is from Sicily, which is about as Mediterranean as you get. She is a wonderful cook. Yes, we ate a lot of grains/pasta and olive oil and garden vegetables growing up, but the "Mediterranean diet" ignores the fact that shellfish (which is not that great for you for a variety of reasons) has traditionally played a…
My mother's entire family is from Sicily, which is about as Mediterranean as you get. She is a wonderful cook. Yes, we ate a lot of grains/pasta and olive oil and garden vegetables growing up, but the "Mediterranean diet" ignores the fact that shellfish (which is not that great for you for a variety of reasons) has traditionally played a huge role in the actual diet of many Mediterranean cultures. (it comes from the sea and it's free). I may be a be bit hypersensitive on the subject because I'm allergic to shellfish and as a child this was interpreted as rudeness rather than actual illness. However, it has always seemed like cheating to me to tout the Mediterranean diet as perfect when it isn't.
Eva, this is supremely insightful! You're not being hypersensitive because you're point out a glaring fact. What's noticeable about your description of your mother's Sicilian lifestyle is the naturalness of it. There are organic tie-ins with the surrounding resources. "Free" veggies from the garden and "de gratis" seafood from the ocean? Heck yes, we just have to tend, harvest and cook the bounty. The Mediterranean diet doesn't speak to that. It is a convenient cheat for people who want a simple plan. But they're missing out on some key points about its benefits and what also actually makes it helpful -- the physical activity and community.
My mother's entire family is from Sicily, which is about as Mediterranean as you get. She is a wonderful cook. Yes, we ate a lot of grains/pasta and olive oil and garden vegetables growing up, but the "Mediterranean diet" ignores the fact that shellfish (which is not that great for you for a variety of reasons) has traditionally played a huge role in the actual diet of many Mediterranean cultures. (it comes from the sea and it's free). I may be a be bit hypersensitive on the subject because I'm allergic to shellfish and as a child this was interpreted as rudeness rather than actual illness. However, it has always seemed like cheating to me to tout the Mediterranean diet as perfect when it isn't.
Eva, this is supremely insightful! You're not being hypersensitive because you're point out a glaring fact. What's noticeable about your description of your mother's Sicilian lifestyle is the naturalness of it. There are organic tie-ins with the surrounding resources. "Free" veggies from the garden and "de gratis" seafood from the ocean? Heck yes, we just have to tend, harvest and cook the bounty. The Mediterranean diet doesn't speak to that. It is a convenient cheat for people who want a simple plan. But they're missing out on some key points about its benefits and what also actually makes it helpful -- the physical activity and community.