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 My name is Emilia Klapp. I have a Bachelor in Nutrition Science and I am certified as a Registered Dietitian by the American Dietetic Association. I am also the author of
Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet
Learn How Mediterraneans Have Kept a Healthy Heart for Centuries.
I was born and raised in Spain and I currently share my time between Los Angeles, California, and Madrid, Spain. I do nutrition counseling and I teach adult nutrition in Adult Day Care Centers.
The messages of "Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet"
The first message I wanted to send you in my book is that lack of disease prevention can be very costly, both in human suffering and financially.
When you buy a house, your real estate agent tells you, or should tell you, there are three main things you need to consider: location, location, location. The same way, when it comes to your health, and in this particular case your heart, there are three things you need to keep in mind: prevention, prevention, prevention.
According to statistics from the World Health Organization, Mediterraneans have almost half as many deaths from heart disease as Americans. Believe me, these numbers are not due to Mediterraneans being luckier than Americans; they are the result of preventing.
My second message to you is that a enjoying a healthy life and a healthy heart does not mean deprivation or sacrifices. You can enjoy delicious meals and still have excellent health and a healthy heart. Mediterraneans do it all the time and they are well known for being some of the healthiest people on earth.
The third point in the book is that the Mediterranean diet is very easy to follow. In "Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet" I concentrate in three countries, Spain, Italy, and Greece. Foods such as olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, dry beans, fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts, the foundation of the diet in those countries, can be obtained at your local supermarket. To help you in this department, you will find delicious Mediterranean recipes in Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet that are very, very easy to prepare. You can also find additional Mediterranean recipes in this website.
And my final point in the book is to show you that the Mediterranean diet is more than just utilizing certain ingredients or recipes that no doubt contribute to your good health. Mediterraneans look at meals as the time to gather with family, friends, coworkers, and at the same time enjoy a meal that is a feast for the senses.
Meals are one of the highlights of the day for the people of this region and definitely not a biological act aimed at filling up their stomachs as fast as they can, so they can continue working. In fact, when possible, Mediterraneans like to end lunch with a siesta. Scientific studies have shown that when you share meals with your family, friends or co-workers, it can do wonders for your health.
My "Mediterranean" memories from Spain
As I have already mentioned, I grew up in Spain where I was born. The Mediterranean countries have always been relatively poor and people have always eaten the foods the land produces, so our diet was based on fruits, vegetables, extra virgin olive oil (nobody at that time had heard the word refined olive oil), grains, dry beans, nuts, fish and sea food. Some chicken and very little red meat.
The food we ate at home was always fresh because although my mother had a busy schedule helping my father with the family business (my father was a tailor), she went to the market every day. During my school vacations I liked to go with her and since my parents never had a car, the two of us walked to the market. I guess I did it because I always liked spending time with my mother but being only 8 or 9 years old, I had a second agenda: at that time I hated lettuce so I thought that by going with her I may manage to change her mind about buying that horrible vegetable. It never worked: lettuce was always part of our daily salads!
We also had fresh bread every day. I remember sometimes my mother would send me to the bakery to buy the bread for the day. She always warned me not to nibble the bread on my way home. I would promise not to do so but it never worked. I always showed up home with one of the loaves missing one piece. The bread was so nice and warm! So, as expected, I would get scolded. I guess on my way to the bakery I had already made up my mind that the warm piece of bread was worth the reprimand.
Some of my most vivid memories from walking to the market with my mother go back to the times when she bought ocean crabs. The crabs were alive and walking back home they always tried to run out of the bag. The crabs really scared me! I thought at some point they will manage to get out of the bag and grab my legs!
I wish you the best luck in your pursuit of a healthy and happy life. And remember, without health, it is very difficult to be happy. Have a healthy day
Emilia Klapp
http://www.MediterraneanDietfortheHeart.com 
Order your Paperback copy of Your Heart Needs the Medierranean Diet!
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