By Sherri Holzer
As Simply Sherri, the foundation of my health coaching practice and cooking instruction falls into the Mediterranean style of cooking and eating. My mother was born in Greece, which means I grew up deeply connected to the foods of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean diet is consistently ranked as one of the healthiest diets by the world’s leading experts. But here’s the thing, “diet” is such a misnomer. The Mediterranean diet is really a lifestyle. It’s a flexible way of eating that's filled with whole, fresh produce, lean proteins, heart healthy seafood and nourishing whole grains. Rather than dictating what not to eat, Mediterranean eating principles focus more on what to eat. Eat more fruits, more vegetables, more whole grains, more beans, more nuts and seeds, and more healthy oils. It even includes desserts because what is life without a sweet treat as part of your eating plan.
My favorite part of this way of eating and living is that there's no calorie counting, no macro counting, no fad dieting. Just a centuries old way of eating that is proven to work.
Recently my mom stood in our kitchen with a very solemn expression and told me of her regret that she didn’t take better care of herself. She shared her belief that because her health was being managed by a few medications, combined with the fact that she was still walking 5 miles a day, and cooking with me while listening to our Neil Sedaka oldies obsession, she would remain in good health. Mom believed it would be “other” people who ended up with serious issues. And yet, her quality of life was negatively affected by years of maintaining borderline diabetes and high blood pressure. It broke my heart to hear the words that I’ve heard so many times from my health coaching clients, “I wish I had made better choices and taken better care of myself.”
It’s never too late to do better. It’s never too late to change. It’s never too late to improve your health. Thankfully my mother jumped on board and embraced how easy it is to become more plant forward with her meals and to reap the benefits of the Mediterranean way of eating. In a few short weeks she achieved weight loss and is maintaining a balanced glucose level. After asking her what she thinks about her new approach to eating, Mom gave me a big squeeze and a huge “thank you” for teaching her that feeling good on both the inside and the outside, is a whole lot easier when embracing the eating style of her Mediterranean ancestors.
This recipe for Pistachio Crusted Salmon is one of our family favorites:
INGREDIENTS
1 pound salmon filet (4 wild caught 4oz pieces)
1/3 cup pistachios
1/2 cup basil leaves
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place salmon skin side down on a non-stick baking sheet or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Add all ingredients from pistachios through pepper to a blender and blend until it’s almost smooth. You just want to make sure you don’t have any large chunks of pistachio. (You can also finely chop the basil and pistachios by hand if you prefer. Stir in the other ingredients until it forms a paste-like consistency.)
Spread your pistachio crust over the top of each salmon filet. You’ll want to use every single drop. (It’s really good!)
Bake until salmon is cooked through. Salmon should flake easily with a fork in about 15 minutes.
Enjoy!
Sherri Holzer is a food strategist, cooking instructor, and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She grew up learning to create healthy and elaborate meals with her Greek family as soon as she was old enough to hold a spoon. As the founder of Simply Sherri, she leads culinary and corporate experiences where she shares her knowledge of food, nutrition, and simplifying the cooking process with her students. Sherri’s mission is to show the world how to use food for self-care. When people have a basic understanding of what’s in their food and how to eat what they love more healthfully — those two things alone can transform how they enjoy their lives. www.simplysherri.net @iamsimplysherri
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