BOOK

BEYOND THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

Now Updated and Available on Amazon as a Kindle E-Book for 14.99

By Layne Lieberman, MS, RD, LDN


Paperback
 – December 9, 2013

New Updated Kindle Edition – 2021 

5/5

$29.95

About the Book

It’s true! You can become slender and healthy while enjoying pasta, chocolate, cheese, bread, and wine! Award-winning registered dietitian Layne Lieberman discovered that three European countries were leaders in longevity, with very low rates of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. And yet, these countries–Italy, France, and Switzerland–boast some of the world’s most decadent foods.

Layne traveled to Europe to learn firsthand just how these countries could combine superb food, a relaxed lifestyle, and exceptional health. Now, she shares her findings with readers who face the daily temptations of processed foods loaded with fat, sugar, and salt.

To help readers avoid becoming part of the worldwide obesity epidemic, Layne has written Beyond the Mediterranean Diet: European Secrets Of The Super-Healthy. In it, she reveals how to make Europe’s health secrets work for you–wherever you live!

For everyone who has ever said, “I want to be slim and healthy again”–without giving up the pleasures of delicious food–this book shows how to make their wishes come true!

Back Cover Testimonials

“Beyond the Mediterranean Diet, European Secrets Of The Super-Healthy, explains how to be health-conscious without giving up the enjoyment of fine food.”
Mathieu Viannay, Michelin-starred chef, owner of the famous Mère Brazier restaurant, Lyon, France
 
“Layne shows us that eating healthy is a lifestyle, not a fashion statement. Eating well means knowing your ingredients and choosing high quality food. Mangia!”
Alessandro Negrini and Fabio Pisani, Michelin-starred chefs, Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia restaurant, Milan, Italy
 
“Layne, a true gourmand with a keen interest and devotion to food, is the most creative nutritionist in her field.”
Starr Boggs, Zagat-rated chef and owner of Starr Boggs restaurant, Westhampton Beach, NY
 
“Layne has been a pioneering nutritionist supporting the organic and natural foods movement since the 80s.”
Irwin Simon, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.
 
“Layne hits the mark with tips for staying slim and healthy, and recipes featuring fresh, local, delicious food.“
Mark Retzloff, CEO and Founder of Alfalfa’s Markets, Founder of Horizon Organic Dairy
 
“Layne has done a great job using a lessons-learned approach as she encourages readers to adopt a more European style of eating,”
Dr. Judith Wylie-Rosett, Professor and Division Head for Health Promotion and Nutrition Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
 
“Layne has been a visionary food and nutrition consultant for Baby Moon Italian Restaurant for over 20 years. Our Hamptons celebrity patrons can’t get enough of her mouthwatering offerings.”
John Gambino, Owner, Baby Moon Restaurant, Westhampton Beach, NY

Editorial Reviews

Today’s Dietitian

Layne Lieberman is a self-proclaimed food lover and an RD with more than 20 years of experience in the supermarket industry. Her book, Beyond The Mediterranean Diet, is a refreshing read with the overarching message that adopting a health-promoting lifestyle can be delicious and enjoyable.

Beyond ThMediterranean Diet is divided into three sections. The first outlines the lifestyle and dietary practices the author observed in Switzerland, Italy and France—three countries with impressive health statistics—during her two years as an expatriate in Europe. This section review show cultural foods, such as chocolate, pasta, and cheese, can be woven into a healthful eating plan. It was interesting to learn about each culture’s food preferences, its national dietary guidelines, and myths and facts surrounding each nation’s food culture.

In the second section, the reader learns how to apply the Swiss, Italian,and French dietary practices to life in the United States. Particular emphasis is placed on portion size. The reader is encouraged to follow Europeans’ lead and use “Super-Healthy Plates,” or dishes that are 9inches in diameter, as well as smaller utensils.

I particularly enjoyed the segment that out-lines principles that encourage Americans to change the way they view food and mealtime to reflect a more European perspective. This includes paying more attention to hunger cues, turning off electronics and instead socializing during mealtime, and going for a walk before and after dinner. It’s simple advice,but the tips reinforce the idea that food is meant to be enjoyed. Additional advice for food shopping and dining out also is provided, with an emphasis on turning to whole foods and purchasing local, seasonal foods when possible.

The last section is dedicated to Mediterranean-inspired recipes that are relatively simple, unintimidating and made with wholesome ingredients. I loved creating and tasting the Bircher Muesli and the Lentils, RoastedBeets, and Tabouleh Over Arugula.

I truly enjoyed this book. It not only advocates for RDs but also promotes sustainable habits, overall well-being, and the importance of enjoying good food.

—McKenzie Hall, RD, is a cofounder of NourishRDs, a nutrition communications and consulting business based in LosAngeles. This review first appeared in Today’s Dietitian, The Magazine for Nutrition Professionals, Vol. 16, No. 6, June 2014.

Kirkus Review

Cheese, chocolate and wine do have a place in a healthy lifestyle—that’s what this debut author and registered dietitian says we can learn from Europe’s longest-lived populations.

For decades, Americans looked to the traditional diets of people living around the Mediterranean as a model for healthy living—maybe not following that model but definitely chattering about it in books and media coverage. Lieberman, who spent two years living in Geneva, writes that there are plenty of lessons to be learned from other countries in Europe. Switzerland, Italy and France have some of the longest average life spans in the world, as well as low rates of obesity, heart disease and other markers of ill health. The book examines each country one by one and lays out the government’s official dietary recommendations, akin to the U.S. food pyramid, along with detailed descriptions of a typical day in the eating life of its citizens. Much of Lieberman’s background and advice will be familiar to anyone paying attention to the news: Americans are fat and getting fatter; we’re among the fattest people in the world; we eat a diet far too high in processed foods, sugar and fat; we snack too much and generally consume far too many calories. But Lieberman’s descriptions of the daily eating habits of her chosen European countries are downright inspiring: Lives marked by pleasurable outdoor exercise; a focus on local, organic foods so satisfying that they discourage overindulgence; regular leisurely sit-down meals that trump Americans’ predilection for on-the-go snacking; and, of course, daily indulgences in delicate portions (a square of good dark chocolate, a scoop of gelato, a single biscotto alongside a cup of coffee). It all sounds too romantic to be true, but Lieberman has lived it and brings an infectious enthusiasm to her writing. She concludes each chapter with a list of actionable tips for a European makeover of stateside eating habits and concludes the book with 70 pages of simple recipes, heavy on the whole grains, veggies and lean meats.