There is the Mediterranean Diet. And then there is the Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean Diet is said to be one of the most healthful in the world. It emphasizes fruit and vegetables while minimizing red meat. It features plenty of fish, along with poultry. It uses oil instead of butter, and herbs and spices instead of salt. It encourages exercise, along with long meals with family and friends.

The Mediterranean Diet, on the other hand, is what is eaten by people who live around the Mediterranean Sea.

There are plenty of similarities, of course the Mediterranean Diet was begun by looking at what people ate around the Mediterranean Sea. And here it should be noted that it is mainly focused on the northern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean. You wont find many foods on it from, say, Algeria (the researchers who first publicized it, Ancel and Margaret Keys, focused on foods from Greece, Crete and southern Italy).

But there are also differences.

For instance, the Mediterranean Diet specifically recommends fatty fish, such as salmon, and the use of canola oil. But salmon is a cold-water fish, native to the Northern Atlantic and Northern Pacific neither of which is particularly close to the Mediterranean Sea.

And canola oil comes primarily from Canada (the can in canola is for Canada). It is also produced in China, India and northern Europe. In other words, nowhere near the Mediterranean Sea.

Meanwhile, the Mediterranean Diet features a lot of lamb and goat meat. Youll find scant mention of either one in references to the Mediterranean Diet. And in northern Italy they use far more butter than olive oil.

So my goal in taking a healthful dip into these foods was to find that happy intersection where the Mediterranean Diet meets the Mediterranean Diet. To see where the healthy benefits of the diet are actually enjoyed by the people for whom it is named.

I began with an appetizer that couldnt be more Mediterranean if it surrounded Italy on three sides: Marinated Olives and Feta. This is a simple dish, but it creates an explosion of flavor.

Or rather, flavors. Everything that is so great about Mediterranean cooking is combined in one chunky dip: olives, feta cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, fresh rosemary and crushed red pepper. Its like going to a Mediterranean food store and buying everything on the shelves.

I marinated mine overnight to allow the flavors to blend, and served it on top of crusty bread and crackers. As the Greeks would say, Nstimo!

Next up was a dish that was, as hard as it may be to believe, even easier to make. Date Wraps are like a slightly healthier and more elegant version of perhaps the best hors doeuvre in the world, dates wrapped in bacon.

This time, the dates are wrapped in prosciutto. The rich flavor of the cured meat plays beautifully off the sweetness of the dates, and the saltiness means you can dispense with the Parmesan cheese that is an important part of the bacon version.

A twist of black pepper on top provides just the right amount of spice to make it interesting. As the Italians would say, Delizioso!

For a side dish, I turned to perhaps my favorite vegetable, asparagus. In Andalusia the southern area of Spain that borders the Mediterranean Sea they cook it in an astonishingly good way.

First, they saut the asparagus spears in olive oil, which is a truly auspicious way to start anything. But then they go a step further by baking the asparagus with a topping made from blanched almonds, garlic and bread crumbs that are sautd in olive oil auspiciously and then all ground together.

Its not the garlic that goes so magnificently with the asparagus, or the almonds or even the bread crumbs. It is the combination of all three. As the Spanish would say, Excelente!

And for a main course, I made fish, of course. Both versions of the Mediterranean Diet involve eating a lot of fish.

I used one of the most popular fish in the region, swordfish, and topped it with an abundance of Mediterranean ingredients: olives, capers, tomatoes and olive oil.

How did it taste? Lets just say the French would call it superbe.

MARINATED OLIVES AND FETA

Yield: 6 servings

1 cup sliced pitted olives such as Kalamata or mixed Greek

1/2 cup diced feta cheese

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately, with crackers or toast points, or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Per serving: 100 calories; 9 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 11 mg cholesterol; 2 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 280 mg sodium; 86 mg calcium

Recipe from EatingWell

DATE WRAPS

Yield: 16 pieces

16 thin slices prosciutto

16 whole pitted dates

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each date. Grind pepper on top.

Per piece: 38 calories; 1 g fat; no saturated fat; 6 mg cholesterol; 3 g protein; 5 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 248 mg sodium; 4 mg calcium

Recipe from EatingWell

ANDALUCIAN ASPARAGUS

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

2 pounds young asparagus

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, peeled

12 almonds, blanched, see note

1 (2-inch) slice crusty country-style bread, crusts removed, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon very good quality sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Note: To blanch almonds, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately add raw almonds. Let almonds sit in hot water for 45 seconds to 1 minute, but no longer. Drain immediately and briefly run under cold water to stop cooking. Remove peels; they should easily slide off with a pinch.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove and discard the bottom few inches from each spear of asparagus, rinse the remainder and set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, almonds and bread, and saut, stirring constantly, until all the ingredients are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not allow them to burn. Transfer the almonds, garlic and bread cubes (use a slotted spoon if oil remains in the pan) to a food processor or blender. Add the vinegar and salt and process briefly until the mixture is a coarse meal.

3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan, if necessary, and saut the asparagus over medium-low heat until the stalks change color and start to become tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Remove the asparagus and place in an ovenproof gratin dish. Bring a cup of water to a boil and pour it over the asparagus. Then sprinkle the almond-bread mixture over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until the asparagus is thoroughly cooked and most of the liquid has boiled away. Serve immediately.

Per serving (based on 6): 183 calories; 12 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; no cholesterol; 5 g protein; 15 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; 3 g fiber; 111 mg sodium; 50 mg calcium

Recipe from The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, by Nancy Harmon-Jenkins

BAKED FISH WITH CAPERS AND OLIVES

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 pounds boneless fish, especially swordfish, sea bass, haddock, cod, snapper, grouper fillets, halibut steaks or salmon

1 cup very ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or 1 cup drained imported canned tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon drained capers, rinsed

1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives, preferably large Italian olives

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a teaspoon of oil to coat the inside of a baking dish large enough to hold all the fish in one layer. Place the fish in it.

2. Chop the tomatoes and mix with the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the capers and olives and mix again. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. Pile the tomato sauce on top of the fish pieces. Distribute the bread crumbs over the top and drizzle on the remaining 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) oil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked and the sauce is very bubbly and browned.

Per serving (based on 6): 199 calories; 5 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 63 mg cholesterol; 28 g protein; 9 g carbohydrate; 2 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 309 mg sodium; 39 mg calcium

Recipe from The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

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Mediterranean diet is healthy. But is it Mediterranean? - MyAJC

EO file photo

Sagar Sathuvalli, a potato breeder with Oregon State Universitys Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, shows off potato varieties in November 2014.

EO file photo

Michaela Ewing flips potato flatbread while grilling it for the crop up dinner at HAREC in August 2016 in Hermiston.

The U.S. potato industry has taken umbrage with a popular dietary fad, which is based on the premise that humans ate healthier during the Stone Age than following the advent of agriculture.

The Paleolithic diet coined by Colorado State University emeritus professor Loren Cordain promotes foods that would have been available to hunter-gatherers more than 10,000 years ago, such as grass-fed meat, wild game, nuts, fruits and non-starchy vegetables.

In addition to processed foods and salt, the popular diet frowns upon some of the major commodities produced in the Northwest, including potatoes, cereals, dairy, sugar and legumes. Cordain reasons the foods werent present during the Paleolithic Period, and humans, therefore, havent adapted to eating them.

Cordain vows Paleo dieters achieve weight loss, reduced diabetes and diseases, increased energy, fewer allergies, better digestion and increased muscle. Critics counter that modern foods, developed over centuries of selective breeding, dont resemble Paleolithic foods. They also note the diets conspicuous absence of Stone Age dietary staples such as rats, mice, squirrels, stripped bark, insects and lizards and question the wisdom of emulating an ancient people who typically died in their 30s.

The potato industry still seeking to improve consumer perceptions affected by the low-carbohydrate Atkins diet craze recently launched a campaign highlighting the importance of the spuds protein, vitamin C, potassium and carbohydrates to athletic performance.

I think a lot of people are really getting tired of all of these really restrictive diets and are more interested in learning how to eat properly in a way they can work into their lifestyle, based on the basic ideas of moderation and good diversity, said John Toaspern, chief marketing officer with Potatoes USA.

The organization has been publicizing a paper critical of the Paleo diet, published in the December issue of the American College of Sports Medicines Health and Fitness Journal. The author, Katherine Beals, an associate professor in Utah State Universitys Department of Nutrition and Integrated Sociology, has consulted for Potatoes USA in the past, though her paper wasnt commissioned by the industry.

During the peak of the Atkins diets popularity, Beals conducted a clinical study finding its benefits were short-lived, and werent sustainable beyond a year. She has similar suspicions about the Paleo diet, and her recent paper found no scientific basis to support eating like a caveman.

Beals, who serves on the committee that ranks the best and worst diets for U.S. News & World Report, recommends diets that dont restrict food groups, but rather promote consuming a broad variety of foods in moderation. She emphasizes exercise is often overlooked in diets, and peoples survival depended on being active in the Stone Age.

I find it irritating that people are making money off of unsuspecting consumers that are truly looking for a way to become healthier and lose weight, Beals said.

Cordain, who credits his mentor Dr. S. Boyd Eaton with developing the concept for the Paleo diet in a 1985 landmark paper, said 25 scientific reviews confirm its long-term effectiveness.

Millions of people worldwide have been following the Paleo diet for more than a decade, suggesting that it is indeed sustainable and healthful, Cordain said.

Cordain points out that USDA-sanctioned vegan diets also restrict entire food groups, and USDA guidelines support Paleo diet goals of reducing consumption of refined grains and sugars, as well as processed foods. Furthermore, he said the vitamin content of wild and domestic plant and animal foods is nearly identical.

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Potato industry targets trendy Paleo diet - East Oregonian (subscription)

A: Gout is a form of arthritis that happens when sharp particles, called urate crystals, build up in a joint, causing severe pain, tenderness and swelling. As in your situation, treatment usually is not recommended after just one attack. But gout can come back. Being careful about what you eat may help prevent another gout flare-up. If it does come back, medication is available that can effectively control gout.

The urate crystals that lead to gout form when you have high levels of uric acid in your blood. Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines substances found naturally in your body, as well as in certain foods. Uric acid usually dissolves in your blood and passes through your kidneys into your urine. But sometimes your body either makes too much uric acid or your kidneys flush out too little uric acid. When this happens, gout is often the result.

Certain foods and beverages have been shown to increase the risk of gout attacks, including those that are rich in fructose, such as fruit-flavored drinks, non-diet soda and many processed foods. Seafood, fatty fish and red meat also are associated with increased risk of gout.

Drinking alcohol, especially beer, is a significant gout risk factor. Studies have suggested that drinking two or more beers a day can double the risk of a gout attack. So limit the amount of alcohol you drink, or avoid it completely.

One of the most helpful things you can do to prevent gout attacks is to stay at a healthy body weight. Research has shown that excess weight is a major risk factor for developing gout. If you are overweight, losing weight can lower uric acid levels in your body and significantly reduce your risk of gout attacks.

When it comes to the specific diet you should follow, traditionally it was thought that reducing all foods that contain purines could substantially decrease the risk of gout flares. However, managing a low-purine diet can be quite cumbersome, and the success of such a diet in lowering blood uric acid levels is actually quite low. Even if you strictly follow a low-purine diet, the amount it can decrease your blood uric acid level is rarely enough to cure gout.

Instead, a lower-calorie diet one that replaces refined carbohydrates with more complex carbohydrates, limits meat, and increases vegetables and fruit often can be much more effective at reducing blood uric acid levels than a low-purine diet.

Specifically, if you want to lower your risk of gout, eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk products. Get your protein mainly from low-fat dairy products, which may have a protective effect against gout. Limit the amount of meat, fish and poultry you eat to no more than 4 to 6 ounces a day. Drink 8 to 16 cups about 2 to 4 liters of fluid daily, with at least half of that being water.

If you have another gout attack, your doctor may recommend that you take medications. A drug called colchicine or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be useful in reducing the symptoms of a gout attack. A group of drugs called xanthine oxidase inhibitors, including febuxostat and allopurinol, can help prevent future gout flare-ups. They work by causing the body to produce less uric acid.

These medications are often very effective in controlling gout. If you experience another episode of gout, talk to your doctor about your treatment options and which medications may be best for you.

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Diet monitoring may help prevent gout flare-up | Duluth News Tribune - Duluth News Tribune