For all the food lovers out there, we have 7 alternative ways to help control your cravings, without feeling deprived!

Limit Alcohol

Alcoholic drinks are like liquified doughnuts! Alcohol not only adds extra calories, but also inhibits leptin, a hormone which tells your body to stop eating.

It also causes blood sugar levels to drop, which can stimulate your appetite. And if you top it off with the usual high-calorie and high-sodium snacks, that most of us enjoy eating when drinking… then it may be better to eat that doughnut in the first place!

Try some good, lower-calorie drink options: red or white wine, wine spritzers and drinks made with seltzer or club soda.

The Right Ambience

Turn down the lights and put on some soft music.. Your senses will be activated and will help you relax immediately; consequently your appetite for food consumption will be reduced. Bright lights, loud noises and yellow and red colors create a hectic atmosphere that may cause individuals to eat quickly. So slow it down and play a little soft jazz at dinner-time!

Turn off the TV

The less distracting the surrounding environment, the more focused you will be on you food and less likely to mindlessly eat. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that when people listened to a detective story, whilst eating, they ate 13 per cent more calories than they did without any distractions.

Is it really hunger?

Don’t confuse thirst with hunger. After a long, hard day your brain and body sends several signals to let you know you’re hungry; you may feel weak or your stomach might feel hollow. Being thirsty might demonstrate the same kind of reaction. That’s because hunger and thirst signals are controlled by the same part of your brain.

Dehydration causes you to believe you need to eat when you really need to simply drink. So, next time you feel hungry, drink first a glass of water, just in case your mind wants you to quench your thirst, not fill your stomach.

Sleep

Sleep deprivation not only increases hunger levels but also lowers metabolism. Lack of sleep leads to an increase in the hormone ghrelin (which instructs the body to eat more) and a decrease in the hormone leptin (which tells your body to stop eating). Also a drop in leptin can signal the body to slow down its metabolic functions.

So if you get less than a 7-8 hours of good sleep you are more likely to feel hungrier than usual and crave for salty and sweet food.

Stress-proof your eating

When you feel tense, stress eating or emotional eating is triggered as an automatic neural response. You long for comfort food such as candy, ice cream, brownies, pizza and the list goes on.. One reason is psychological and goes back to your childhood, when you were given an ice cream as a treat if you had a bad day at school..

Another reason is organic. When stressed, your body releases cortisol, a hormone that may trick your body into thinking that has done something active in response to a perceived threat and therefore needs to send a signal to your brain to refuel your body.

So when stressful thoughts or events trigger the urge to eat, take a step back and ask yourself what is really happening. Are you really really hungry? When was the last time you ate? Rate your hunger from 1 to 10 and stay away from the cookies jar!

The post 7 Smart Ways to Control your Appetite appeared first on My Greek Dish.

I’m too busy, its too expensive, I don’t know how.

These are the three excuses I always hear when I ask people why they don’t cook at home more often. But I know that with the right kit, some organization and solid recipes these excuses don’t stand up.

You do have the time:

You may be the busiest person in the world, but you still need to eat! In just 20 minutes, about the same time it takes to warm up that ready meal in the oven, watch something on TV or pick up that takeaway you can have an amazing home-cooked spread on the table. It all comes down to approaching your meals methodically:

1. Pick the right recipe
2. Read it from start to end
3. Lay out all the ingredients on the kitchen counter
4. Lets start!

We are here to help!

I have been meticulously curating a list of traditional Mediterranean recipes to help you make a healthy, tasty, great looking meal in less than 20 minutes leaving you with even more quality time with your friends and family. Are you ready to start exploring? Your taste buds will thank you!

Extra healthy roast chicken recipe with brown rice and boiled vegetables

This extra healthy recipe is based on a combination of brown rice, chicken and fresh vegetables, so its ideal for a quick light mid-week dinner. Click for recipe.

Tigania, the perfect easy lunch recipe

Tigania is a Greek dish that combines some juicy pork and spicy good-quality sausages and takes it’s name by the pan that is cooked in. This dish will become one of your favorite easy lunch recipes! Click for recipe.

Wrapped Pita breads with Chicken and Tzatziki sauce (Chicken Souvlaki with Gyros)

An authentic Greek street food, that is known and loved around the world! Chicken souvlaki is actually a pita bread sandwich, filled with lots of spicy chicken, fresh juicy tomatoes, crunchy slices of onion and cool tzatziki sauce. Click for recipe.

Chicken breasts with Tahini and Honey

Ready in only 15 minutes! The most juicy and delicious chicken breasts, with an amazing tahini and honey sauce! Tahini is a paste, made from ground, sesame seeds, that is commonly used in Greek cuisine. Try it out and be amazed! Click for recipe.

Tagliatelle with Eggplants and Feta Cheese

Simplicity is perfection! Ready in only 20 minutes, a delicious veggie dish, perfect for a light summery meal! Click for recipe.

The post Top 5 Quick Meal Ideas for Busy Moms appeared first on My Greek Dish.

Some History

“We are what we eat” was the first statement in history relevant to food and its benefits. The Greek physician and father of medicine, Hippokrates, expressed it at about 430 BC. Since then, food is thought to play an important role in body and spiritual health.

The Mediterranean diet is one of the most ancient forms of dietetic pattern ever expressed and analysed. Scientists discovered its’ benefits after examining the diet of Cretan people who were, by far, the ones with the fewest incidents of every form of cancer and heart dysfunction. Moreover, Cretans were found to have increased longevity and minimised risk for other autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes.

So what is the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating foods like fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fibre breads and whole grains, and olive oil in daily basis.

Poultry, cheese and dairy should be eaten in moderation. And lastly red meat, sweets and processed food should be consumed on a monthly basis. This was the original idea of Mediterranean diet, however nowadays; red meat is thought to be essential to be consumed in weekly basis as it contains the amount of Iron that is needed by our bodies.

Health Benefits

Exceptional reductions in risk of early death, heart disease, cancer and chronic conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. Also, there is scientific evidence that it is responsible for reductions in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease risk. Adoption of the Mediterranean diet has been proven as a successful strategy for healthy weight reduction.

Mediterranean diet and weight loss

Individuals following the Mediterranean diet lose weight and take care of their health without any health risk. It needs the cooperation of the individual with the dietitian for ideal results. Mediterranean diet is based on products from Mediterranean region, therefore it is advised to purchase products fresh from local markets and ideally from stores that sell exclusively Mediterranean products.

The post Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet appeared first on My Greek Dish.

It is the favorite kind of oil for Mediterranean countries as they use it practically everywhere! The Greeks alone consume more olive oil than any other country world wide, with 21 liters per capita being consumed every year! Compare that to a paltry 1 liter in the UK and less than a liter in the United States and we clearly have some catching up to do…

But what about healthy? Stay tuned while we explore the numerous nutrition benefits of cooking with olive oil.

Olive oil is one of the primary foods associated with the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet and many books have been written about its health benefits. It contains the most monounsaturated fat (that’s the good kind of fat!) which can help lower your cholesterol and control insulin levels in your body.  The FDA claims that:

Eating 2 tablespoons of olive oil each day may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease

This means you will be protecting yourself from cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure as well as diabetes!

Stay young!

Olive oil is full of antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, which are known to slow down the aging process and contribute to a longer life expectancy. Some of its compounds are among the strongest antioxidant chemicals discovered in food so far (and that is a good thing!).

Since the ancient times olive oil has been used as a way to moisturize and rejuvenate damaged skin. The proof being that it has been used cosmetically for thousands of years in numerous skin, hair and facial products.

And if these are not enough, numerous studies have shown that consuming olive oil can help prevent osteoporosis, as it increases calcium absorption; it reduces the risk of breast cancer and helps reduce levels of obesity.

Promote healthy eating habits for you and your family by making olive oil a delicious, nutritious addition to your diet! Check out some tasty ideas below:

Traditional Cretan Ntakos / Dakos recipe (Rusks with tomatoes and feta cheese)

Traditional Greek Salad recipe (Horiatiki / Xoriatiki)

The post Cooking with olive oil: Stay healthy and young appeared first on My Greek Dish.

Most cheeses are often a main ingredient in unhealthy dishes, which are high in saturated fat and calories, but if used with moderation and paired with healthy food, cheese will surely play a beneficial role to you diet. For all the cheese lovers out there we have the perfect kind of cheese for you, whose nutritional value will make you feel far less guilty!

Feta cheese nutrition facts

Feta cheese is a traditional Greek cheese produced with sheep’s or goat’s milk and stands out easily with its bold and tangy flavor. Feta cheese is a key ingredient in Mediterranean diet, as it used in many dishes, such as Greek salad, savory cheese or vegetable pies, or as a delicious appetizer (meze), baked or fried with sweet or sour –sweet honey based sauces.

Feta is actually lower in calories than many other cheeses, plus thanks to its flavor, one can eat less, without feeling cheated! But what about the feta cheese nutrition facts? When made from sheep’s milk, feta can provide more of a nutritional boost, as sheep’s milk contains higher levels of vitamins and minerals than cow’s milk.

A wedge of feta supplies 19% of the daily recommended intake of calcium, which is important for bone health and prevention of osteoporosis. It is also high in proteins, it reinforces your immune function perfect for when your immune system is weakened, especially during the winter.

One serving of feta cheese contains 14% of the riboflavin you need daily, offering a great antioxidant protection, which helps prevent signs of aging and, according to recent studies, helps avoid migraines. Also full of other vitamins and minerals, feta cheese (when eaten with moderation) will definitely boost your energy levels!

Show me the recipes!

Over the years we have accumulated a great variety of healthy tasty feta cheese recipes that will help you turn this nutritional ingredient to a tasty meal! Below are our hand picked favorites for your enjoyment. For all of our feta cheese recipes click here. Feel free to browse and let us know what you think!

The post Feta cheese nutrition facts appeared first on My Greek Dish.