As a faithful follower of the "meat team", I had to stand at the line between heaven and hell

when I had to choose between my body and my hobby. Usually, other dietary concepts require
a severe restriction on the types of food I can get which makes me always is starving. However,
my life was saved by the Mediterranean method when it allowed me to fill up fat from olive
oil and use animal derived products like seafood to replace the amount of protein I gained from
meat. Basically, this is a diet that allows a flexibility in the use of food and can even be applied
in the long run while still ensuring that the body has the necessary substances.
However, it can be seen that this diet promotes the use of seafood as a main form of protein.
Badly, I was allergic to fish, just as 3% of world population out there. Obviously, food allergies
are completely food intolerable when my immune system thinks that fish protein is a "strange"
agent and is forced to kill, causing dangerous symptoms for my body if I use too much. Then,
is this diet really suitable for fish allergens as me?

First, what does Mediterranean mean?

This dietary concept was born in the 1960s, based on traditional local Italian and Greek foods,
with emphasis on seasonal and organic. As with most other diets, it mainly allows the use of
plant products, such as seasonal fruits, vegetables and nuts. However, instead of minimizing
the amount of fat and protein, it allows the use of highly digestible fats, such as olive oil or
herbs. Moreover, although red meat is prohibited, dieters are not strictly restricted from animal
products. They can use fish, poultry or eggs in a certain amount. Meals can be shared between
family members and friends with a variety of dishes. Finally, spending time in the outside and
doing a variety of exercises is part of the Mediterranean lifestyle.

My eating plan and typical daily menus

Time Main dishes Additions (snacks or Total calories
pre-meal)
Breakfast 1C creamy-fruit overnight oats A serving peach 350 calories
(Rolled oats, water, maple syrup, (medium size)
salt, topping fruits, Greek yogurt)
Lunch A serving Chickpea & Veggie A cup chopped 470 calories
Grain Bowl carrots
(Cooked rice, mixed salads, 1 oatmeal cookie
roasted vegetables, chickpeas,
feta cheese)
Dinner 11/2 C Slow-Cooker None 400 calories
Mediterranean Chicken & Orzo
(Skinless chicken breasts,
chicken broth, onion, lemon juice,
tomato, pepper, orzo, olive oil,
fresh parsley)
TOTAL 1,220 calories
This plan is made in 7 days, so the dishes are renewed daily. However, I always try to keep
them at about 1,200 - 1,300 calories absorbed per day. Moreover, they will be combined with
about 15 to 30-minute yoga or meditation sessions each day to optimize calorie utilization
healthily.
Due to seafood allergens, I found that these proteins could be substituted by many different
materials, such as spinach, eggs, tofu or soya milk. They are strong evidence that dietary
regimens, including those that focus on seafood balance can still be replaced by ingredients
with the same nutritional content. In case of lack of some vitamins, I supplemented them
through a vitamin tablet as suggested by the doctor if needed.

A recipe of Mediterranean dish

Recipe Name: Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Chicken & Orzo
Category: Chicken pasta
For 1 Serving Ingredients: chicken breast, 300g Total yield: 4 portions

Weight Measure
300g Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup Low-sodium chicken broth
1 Medium tomatoes
½ Medium onion
½ teaspoon Herbes de Provence
½ Lemon
13 oz ¾ teaspoon Salt
¾ teaspoon Ground pepper
½ cup Whole-wheat orzo
⅓ cup Quartered olives (black or green)
1 teaspoons Fresh parsley
¾ cup Olive oil
Directions: Include step by step instructions, the critical control
points (CCP-specific points at which a hazard can be reduced,
eliminated or prevented) and critical limit (time and/or
temperature that must be achieved to control a hazard).
Advanced CCP 1. Collecting, measuring and storing required ingredients
step  Meats, herbs, olives at 40oF or lower
 Tomatoes, onions, lemon using within purchasing day
(refrigerate if needed)
 Other ingredients at room temperature
2. Collecting and cleaning all necessary equipment
CCP 3. Cutting chicken breast into 4 pieces depends on the size of
the breast
CCP 4. Chopping tomatoes
 CCP 5. Halving and slicing onion
CCP 6. Zesting and juicing the lemon
CCP 7. Chopping fresh parsley
CCP 8. Cleaning and sanitizing all used equipment and working
surface. Hand washing carefully
Cooking CCP 1. Mixing all component into the slow cooker (chicken, broth,
tomatoes, onion, lemon zest, lemon juice, herbs de
Provence, salt and pepper). Cleaning hand before doing.

CCP 2. Cooking the mixes on high for 2 hours or on low for 4

hours depend on the taste of the eater

CCP 3. Stir in orzo and olives after the cooking time of the mixes
then keep cooking for 30 minutes

4. Cool slightly

CCP 5. Sprinkle with parsley (Clean hands needed)

CCP 6. Cleaning and sanitizing all used equipment and working

surface. Hand washing carefully
Serving Size: 1½ cups
Nutrition Analysis:
Calories 278 Iron 2 (mg) Sodium 434 (mg)
Calcium 40 (mg) Other vitamins 600 (mg) Cholesterol 63 (mg)
Fat 5 (g) Protein 29 (g)

How do I feel after a week of this style?

The first two days of the week will be a difficult challenge for those who have never diet since
you will feel extremely tired. From loading dozens of calories daily from my favourite meats,
I had to break up with them. It brings a terrible experience when you have to study and work
with a hungry groaning stomach. Moreover, it is very difficult to keep up with the calories you
add on a daily basis, especially in the case of outings with friends. However, after the second
day, my body started accepting things as it was less crying and tiring. Normally, I would allow
myself to load some milk or biscuits in this phase so that the body can adapt gradually. After
five days, things got better, I felt my body glowing, in particular, it showed a part through my
skin when it was not as dry as before. Getting more water from vegetables and fruits allows
my excretory system to work more easily. Besides, instead of being frantic with work, based
on this lifestyle, I started applying yoga and meditation exercises for 30 minutes a day, makes
me feel like my mind has been cleaned gently. However, after seven days, it is still hard to
relieve the temptation to eat outside. Perhaps, when it comes to this regime, the psychological
struggle is always the most important.
Is there any suggestion?
The crux of the matter is that you have to set a limit on the amount of calories that you yourself
charge and the way you consume them. Too little calories, your body will be tired, but a large
amount will make your body is over-energy. Hence, you can diversify the loaded foods, but
keep them at the prescribed level. Additionally, some foods are not recommended when you
are dieting, such as added sugars, trans fats, processed or red meat, etc. This can be a battle of
mind for the followers of the meat and the flesh, however, if you can overcome the early days,
the battle will be easier. In the early days of dieting, instead of immediately giving up on your
habits, limit them as well as allow your body to refill some energy-rich foods to avoid fatigue.
Besides, for seafood allergists, the Mediterranean style, although encouraging the use of fish
as a staple food, can still be perfectly applied. Some foods have been proven to replace fish in
meals, such as poultry, eggs, vegetables and seeds. Besides, you can also use the meat easily
consumed, the lamb, which allows to reduce the amount of trans fat that you load. So, instead
of just focusing on one type of food, you can adjust the recipes to suit your own needs without
trying to load ingredients that harm the body.

Conclusion
In case you cannot devote all your heart to vegetables, this is a healthy diet for you, combining
vegetables and meat, and even with seafood allergists. Based on the benefits it brings, I will
probably keep using it for a longer constant time to check whether my body is fully fit for this
diet. However, it can be flexible because of work and study reasons.