Indulge yourself with tasty and satisfying foods like pasta dishes, stir-fries, curries, risottos, noodle dishes, and sushi, all washed down with a glass of wine or beer. Stay active but don't bother with a formal exercise regimen, and set aside time every day to relax and unwind. You may find it hard to believe, but eating and living this way can help you stay lean and healthy, substantially reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and increase your chances of living longer. People from Mediterranean and Asian cultures have been living like this-and reaping the rewards-for more than 5,000 years.

Now, in this unique cookbook and guide, Ric Watson and his wife, Trudy Thelander, demonstrate just how easy it is to realize the benefits of the MediterrAsian way-benefits that numerous scientific studies have documented over the last half century. They explain the common features of Mediterranean and Asian lifestyles-abundant amounts of plant foods and fish, small amounts of red meat, moderate alcohol consumption, physical activity, and time set aside to relax-and show you step by step how to make them part of your life. When you eat the MediterrAsian way, there's no skimping on taste-or satisfaction. You'll feast on more than 150 delicious recipes, including favorites like Pasta Primavera, Thai Chicken Stir-Fry, and Ham, Mushroom, and Tomato Pizza. You'll savor the intriguing flavors of Vietnamese Shrimp and Vegetable Rice Paper Rolls, Moroccan Stew with Couscous, and Teriyaki Chicken Noodles. And if you're in the mood for a burger or hot dog, Watson and Thelander offer several deliciously healthy versions.

The book walks you through MediterrAsian food basics, shows you how to substitute daily activities for time at the gym, and explains how to take time out to enjoy life and relax. To help you plan your meals, it provides an easy-to-follow five-step MediterrAsian Balanced Meal System. There's even a fourteen-day MediterrAsian plan as well as example lifestyle scenarios to help you get into the swing of things. Complete with 50 tempting color food photographs, The MediterrAsian Way is all you need to enjoy the benefits of MediterrAsian living-starting today!

Much of this book is taken from the web site MediterrAsian.com, which Watson and Thelander created in 2004. Watson chronicles living through a horrific motorcycle accident that nearly killed him as a teenager in the 1980s; his recovery was spent living with an uncle and aunt in Britain who ate meals of pasta, beans, vegetables, rice, eggs, nuts, olive oil, and fruits. He then went to Australia, where he met Thelander, and together they started cooking and eating a diet of Mediterranean and Asian food. Their philosophy is not earth-shattering-eat wholesome food, be physically active, and make time for relaxation. Approximately half of the text is devoted to a discussion of this lifestyle, including suggestions for exercise and relaxation and sample menus. It appears that the authors are self-taught, but the book is sprinkled with results of scholarly studies, some of which are included in a bibliography. The rest of the work contains 150 recipes for pasta, stir-fries, pizza, soups, desserts, etc., which are simple and easy to prepare, with tomatoes, garlic, peppers, fish, chicken, and beans as the main ingredients. Recommended for libraries with patrons who are interested in a lifestyle not just a diet.
—Christine Bulson, SUNY at Oneonta Lib. (Library Journal, May 15, 2007)

Acknowledgements.

Preface: Discovering the MediterrAsian Way.

Introduction.

Unlocking the Secrets of the Mediterranean Diet and the Asian Diet.

Fat Fundamentals.

A Feast of Health from the Sea.

Plant Power.

Drink and Be Merry.

Stop Exercising, Start Living!.

A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body.

The MediterrAsian Balanced Meal System (MBMS).

A 14-Day Cultural Example of Healthy Living.

Living the MediterrAsian: Eleven Lifestyle Scenarios.

Recipes.

Pasta Dishes.

Stir-Fries.

Pizza.

Curries, Stews and Baked Dishes.

Rice and Grain Dishes.

Noodle Dishes.

Sushi and Rice Paper Rolls.

Grilled Dishes.

Burgers and Hot Dogs.

Sandwiches and Wraps.

Soups.

Salads.

Breakfasts.

Appetizers.

Sauces, Dips and Spreads.

Desserts.

Selected Bibliography.

Index.