The Best Diet in Town?
By: Farah Shamolian
Not sure if you have heard about the breaking news in nutrition research, but a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine revealed that about 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease can be prevented in people at high risk if they switch to a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, and even drink wine with meals. Does any of this look or sound familiar to you? That is because the traditional Persian- Jewish cuisine has many close ties with the healthful aspects of the Mediterranean diet. Traditional Mediterranean food consumption includes many of the Persian- Jewish stables such as sabzi khordan (a medley of mixed greens), adasi (cooked lentils), choresht (stews that are based on tomatoes, greens, and beans), to name a few. The Persian diet has been applauded by its greatness, however we have been seeing an increase in the rates of overweight and obesity around the world. In Los Angeles County, the prevalence of obesity increased from 13.6% in 1997 to 22.2% in 2007, while obesity rates among school-aged children increased from 18.9% in 1999 to 23.0% in 2008. Why is this? You don’t need to be a doctor or nutritionist to be able to answer this question. It’s simple, if you eat more than your recommended daily needs, fat will accumulate which equals to weight gain. How does this affect you? Well, with all of the amazing festive holidays and meals it is sometimes hard to keep track of your health. From one Shabbat meal to weddings and all other Jewish Holidays in between, there is almost always an abundance of tasty food. In midst of all this greatness, it is always important to get back to your roots and reap some wisdom from our ancient ancestors. One of the greatest ancient physicians and philosophers in history does just that. He gives us the means to make living a healthy lifestyle a reality. I am referring to Rambam, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1135/1138 to 1204). The Rambam writes the following mind-boggling guarantee: "Whoever conducts himself in the ways we have set forth, I will guarantee that he will not get sick throughout his life…. He will not need a doctor and his body will be in perfect shape and remain healthy all his life." (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De'ot 4:20.) Excerpts from Rambam's writings display that while many health and nutritional concepts have only become popular in the last decade or so, Rambam already wrote about these concepts almost a thousand years ago. Some examples include many amazing excerpts from his medical works on exercise, fiber foods and fats. Although all of this great news about the Mediterranean Diet might seem compelling for many around the world, it is no news to the Persian Jewish community. Get back to your roots and use it to guide your utmost potential in terms of health.
By: Farah Shamolian
Not sure if you have heard about the breaking news in nutrition research, but a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine revealed that about 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease can be prevented in people at high risk if they switch to a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, nuts, beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, and even drink wine with meals. Does any of this look or sound familiar to you? That is because the traditional Persian- Jewish cuisine has many close ties with the healthful aspects of the Mediterranean diet. Traditional Mediterranean food consumption includes many of the Persian- Jewish stables such as sabzi khordan (a medley of mixed greens), adasi (cooked lentils), choresht (stews that are based on tomatoes, greens, and beans), to name a few. The Persian diet has been applauded by its greatness, however we have been seeing an increase in the rates of overweight and obesity around the world. In Los Angeles County, the prevalence of obesity increased from 13.6% in 1997 to 22.2% in 2007, while obesity rates among school-aged children increased from 18.9% in 1999 to 23.0% in 2008. Why is this? You don’t need to be a doctor or nutritionist to be able to answer this question. It’s simple, if you eat more than your recommended daily needs, fat will accumulate which equals to weight gain. How does this affect you? Well, with all of the amazing festive holidays and meals it is sometimes hard to keep track of your health. From one Shabbat meal to weddings and all other Jewish Holidays in between, there is almost always an abundance of tasty food. In midst of all this greatness, it is always important to get back to your roots and reap some wisdom from our ancient ancestors. One of the greatest ancient physicians and philosophers in history does just that. He gives us the means to make living a healthy lifestyle a reality. I am referring to Rambam, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1135/1138 to 1204). The Rambam writes the following mind-boggling guarantee: "Whoever conducts himself in the ways we have set forth, I will guarantee that he will not get sick throughout his life…. He will not need a doctor and his body will be in perfect shape and remain healthy all his life." (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De'ot 4:20.) Excerpts from Rambam's writings display that while many health and nutritional concepts have only become popular in the last decade or so, Rambam already wrote about these concepts almost a thousand years ago. Some examples include many amazing excerpts from his medical works on exercise, fiber foods and fats. Although all of this great news about the Mediterranean Diet might seem compelling for many around the world, it is no news to the Persian Jewish community. Get back to your roots and use it to guide your utmost potential in terms of health.
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