Martin Benny - Mediterranean Instant Pot Cookbook: Award Winning Collection of the Very Best Mediterranean Diet Recipes for Your Electric Pressure Cooker

Mediterranean Instant Pot Cookbook

Mediterranean

Instant Pot
Cookbook

Definitive Collection of the Very Best
Mediterranean Diet Recipes for Your Electric Pressure Cooker

Martin Benny

CONTENTS

All About Me And My Diet

My journey with the Mediterranean Diet started exactly four years ago. I was a new parent back then and was in my fifth year in the digital marketing company I was working for. Growing up, I didnt really have any problems with my weight. I ate anything I liked without having to face the consequences that a lot of people encountered, i.e., getting obese. I give all the credit to my bodys high metabolism. Yes, I sometimes look at old photographs of me and notice that there were years that I was more plump or paunchy than usual, but as an adult, I never had the problem of being excessively overweight. Im 510 and the heaviest I weighed was 175 lbs., back when I was 31. Today, Im 35 and I weigh 160 lbs., and it has been that way for four years now.

So, if weight wasnt much of a problem for me, what motivated me to try the Mediterranean Diet you may ask. Well, while I was able to maintain my weight much of my life, I noticed that during those seasons that I weighed heavier than usual that I got sick more often. I was also tired more often, and my asthma and allergic rhinitis were on their worst all the time. And then I heard about the Mediterranean Diet from my dad. He had just had his thyroid gland removed and was advised by his doctor to try changing his diet, which he did. Like me, my dad didnt have a problem with his weight. He is 6 feet tall, is very active, and seldom got sick. It was actually a shock to us that he had to go through thyroidectomy.

I was intrigued as to what the Mediterranean Diet was all about. At first, I ignored it when I heard it was expensive. But then I got even more curious when I learned that a couple of my friends were also doing it. I didnt get into it right away, though. I started by eliminating sweets and processed food from my diet and adding more green leafies and fruits to what I ate daily. I have a sweet tooth so it was very difficult for me at first. When I finally formed the habit, it became a lot easier.

Today, my wife is into this diet as well. Through the years that we have been doing it, we have come to realize that it is not merely a diet - its a lifestyle. And the best part is that we really enjoy doing it! We enjoy planning our meals, shopping for healthy ingredients, preparing our food, and of course, eating! And now I writing this to invite you. I invite you into this lifestyle, this journey towards a life thats healthier, happier, and more satisfying.

Yours in Good Health,

Martin Benny

INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET?

Despite receiving the title of Best Diet Overall just recently (for the second time now, actually), The Mediterranean diet didnt arrive in the scene only a few years ago. The word Mediterranean itself should also tell you that its not one of your Western diets that become popular one day and get shelved the next. Its a time-tested diet that has been around for centuries and practiced by countries including Italy, Greece, France, Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, and Israel. It wasnt only until the 1960s, however, that it became popular in the United States.

A decade before that, Dr. Ancel Keys and his team discovered that this diet observed by people living in countries within the Mediterranean region has a wide range of health benefits. During this time, people in the area were still recovering from the effects of the Second World War, although they werent influenced yet by the rising fast food trend. Keys developed his hypothesis from the fact that the people of Crete -- Greeces largest island -- were in especially excellent health, and this mainly due to their diet and eating habits.

In a nutshell, the Mediterranean diet is based on the dietary patterns of the people of the island of Crete. And as the name suggests, it is a diet composed mainly of foods commonly available in the Mediterranean region. Olive oil, for instance, is ample in the region, making it easy for the people to include it abundantly in their daily diet. The diet is mostly plant-based and emphasizes fresh produce, whole grains, good fats, and proteins that are heart-healthy.

Over the past decades, numerous studies have been done proving the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. A lot of people nowadays stick to this kind of eating regime mainly for its weight loss benefits, but many are not aware that it can also help prevent type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and a myriad of other diseases that plague mankind.

That said, the Mediterranean diet can improve the quality of life and even slow down the effects of aging. Its no surprise that aside from the Best Diet Overall award, it has also received awards for Best Diet for Healthy Eating, Easiest Diet to Follow, Best Diet for Diabetes, Best Plant-Based Diet, and Best Heart-Healthy Diet. In this compilation, well take a look at some of the basic aspects of the Mediterranean diet, how it works, its health benefits, and its potential drawbacks.