Our author, Harry Papas recently had the chance to catch up with two lovely and talented celebrities who also happen to boast Greek roots. Harry chatted with Nia Vardalos and Rita Wilson about Slimmer and the new Mediterranean diet.

Personal stories from Slimmer readers are inspiring. Mouth-watering photos of Slimmer recipes are motivational.

Don’t these Aegean vegetables and fresh fish simmering in the pan make you want to whip up something delicious and healthy?

When you combine Slimmer stories and photos, you get an extra-fantastic boost of encouragement to maintain your Slimmer lifestyle. That’s why we’d like to give a shout out to one of our favorite blogs, Slimmer Kitchen.  Blogger Jen takes beautiful photos and shares Slimmer recipes with her own input (and sometimes her own special spin).

Like this Fruit Salad with Yogurt Crunch – parfait style!

 The photos alone are enough to convert anyone to a Mediterranean diet. So head on over to Slimmer Kitchen and take a look. We bet you’ll be hungry in a few minutes. And since every recipe is healthy and full of wholesome ingredients, you can feel proud instead of guilty when you try them all.

We defined the healthy Mediterranean diet the other day, and now we’d like to help out those who are still curious about Mediterranean eating and/or the Slimmer plan, those who need a weight loss plan that works, and those who just want to start eating healthy.

With that goal in mind, we’re providing a sample Mediterranean diet plan to give you a taste of how delicious Mediterranean recipes can be. You will also discover that you don’t have to go hungry while you’re losing weight and getting healthy.

Once you’ve seen all this first hand, you’ll be eager to try the full Slimmer plan and continue your new healthy and happy lifestyle. And for those desperate to lose pounds, take delight in the fact that you’ll lose 10 percent of your body weight in the first month. You can pick up a copy of Slimmer here, at your local bookstore, or for $2.99 in ebook format. At that price, what have you got to lose?

BREAKFAST:

1 large orange, 2 medium kiwi, or 3 bite-size prunes

1/4 cup whole grain or bran cereal

3/4 cup reduced fat (1%) milk

1 slice whole wheat / whole grain bread, toasted (if desired) with

2 tsp fruit jam or honey

Coffee or tea (green or herbal)

MID-MORNING SNACK :

Low-fat fruit-flavored yogurt (6 oz)

LUNCH :

Slimmer Greek Salad Pizza (see below for recipe)

Large tossed salad

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK :

Two fruit selections of choice

DINNER :

Spaghetti Bolognese (see below for recipe)

Large tossed salad

BEDTIME SNACK :

6 oz reduced fat (1%) milk or yogurt

+ One Happy Moment (ideas here) during the day

Slimmer Spaghetti Bolognese 

(recipe from Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight by Harry Papas. To buy the book click here)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup thinly sliced white mushrooms

4 oz lean ground beef

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons dry white wine

One 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 small cinnamon stick (optional)

A pinch of ground allspice (optional)

0 to 2/3 cup water depending on how thick you want the sauce to be (also, if you use more water you may want to cook it down some)

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped parsley leaves

1 Tablespoon non-fat Greek yogurt

2 oz. spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions

1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, add the onion, green pepper , mushrooms, and beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook, using a fork to break up the meat, until the beef is browned and the vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add the wine and cook a further minute.

2. Stir in the tomato sauce and paste and add the cinnamon and allspice if desired.  Cook the mixture while stirring for an additional minute.  Pour in the water, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the mixture is thick and well blended, 10 to 12 minutes.  Add the parsley and yogurt. Stir well to combine, and cook 2 minutes more.  Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan, toss well to coat and heat through.  Serve topped with the Parmesan.

Makes 1 serving.

Slimmer Greek Salad Pizza 

(recipe from Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight by Harry Papas. To buy the book click here)

1 individual pre-baked pizza crust or 1 whole wheat pita
Marinara sauce, about 1-2 Tablespoons (for homemade, see below)
1 cup Mediterranean greens such as arugula, escarole, romaine or radicchio
4 or 5 cherry or grape tomatoes
2 Tablespoons sliced cucumber
2 Tablespoons sliced green bell pepper
1 Tablespoons shaved red onion
2 or 3 Kalamata olives
1 ounce crumbled feta cheese

Method 1
1. Preheat the oven according to pizza crust directions. Place the crust on a baking sheet and spread the sauce over. Chop the olives and sprinkle them with the crumbled feta over the sauce.
2. Bake according to package instructions until the cheese melts and the pizza is well heated and crisp on the edges, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing in a medium bowl and pile on top of the cooked pizza.  Serve immediately.

Method 2 (if you like warm salad)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
2. Spread marinara sauce over pita bread or pizza crust.
3. Pile all ingredients on top.
4. Bake for about 12 minutes.

Makes 1 serving

Marinara Sauce (Homemade) 

2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespooon olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Combine all the ingredients except the herbs in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.  Add the herbs and cook a further 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Blend on low in a blender or food processor or with a handheld blender just until smooth. The sauce can be frozen in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 months.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

There is a lot of buzz around the term “Mediterranean Diet”. Studies continue to show that the Mediterranean diet has a number of health benefits, including: lower heart disease risk, Type 2 diabetes management, and weight loss. If you’re wondering what the Mediterranean diet is and what makes it such a healthy weight loss plan, we’ve got your answers.

The Mediterranean diet is a combination of heart-healthy foods and quality living.

The foods can be divided into 6 categories:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Lean protein
• Whole grains
• Dairy products
• Olive oil
• Wine and vinegar

Each category is packed with tasty Mediterranean foods chosen based upon their fat-burning and healthy attributes. For example, click here for info on the benefits of olive oil .

Sometimes overlooked is the extremely important lifestyle component of the Mediterranean diet. The aspects of the Mediterranean lifestyle are simple:

• physical activity
• slower living
• quality connections

 Imagine your dream vacation on the Mediterranean: long walks on the beach, fresh food, good friends, no work emails, etc. Although most of us can’t live out that dream on an everyday basis, a good Mediterranean diet plan incorporates these aspects in a way that fits into your busy life. The right plan transforms your health and your quality of life.  

For more detailed information on the Mediterranean diet, and for a weight loss plan (involving recipes, psychological support, and lifestyle advice) that’s delicious and heart-healthy, check out Slimmer, available at bookstores everywhere and only $2.99 in ebook format for a limited time.

And be sure to check back on http://www.theslimmerbook.com/blog/ for more Mediterranean diet tips.

Starting a diet is overwhelming. Many popular diet plans (South Beach, Atkins, 17 Day, even other Mediterranean diets) fail to encourage you properly in those first steps. But with the Slimmer lifestyle, your goal weight actually seems attainable when you follow Harry’s simple steps.

We all stumble on our diets occasionally. As 4th of July celebrations approach, it is likely that you will slip up and give yourself a few more free days than you were supposed to have. Not to worry; the Slimmer lifestyle doesn’t require perfection. Remember that you’re human and get back on track as soon as you can.

Meet Harry!

Slimmer’s new YouTube channel is designed to provide: information about the Slimmer lifestyle, weight loss inspiration, facts about the Mediterranean diets, gorgeous shots of Greece, and much more! Through these videos you will be introduces to the Slimmer author, Harry Papas, and hear about his personal weight loss transformation. Check out the first video in our Slimmer series…

If you need some inspiration today….

Harry Papas lost 110 pounds, became a certified dietitian, and wrote the international bestseller, Slimmer. He is now happy, healthy, and gets to inspire others to lose weight everyday. Try the Slimmer lifestyle to experience the joy and success that Harry demonstrates. Remember, love always wins!

Although Slimmer has received mountains of praise in the media (read some reviews here), we wanted to compare the Slimmer lifestyle with three other popular diets (The South Beach Diet, The 17 Day Diet, and The Blood Sugar Solution) to see where we stand. We identified some of the main complaints for each diet and compared them to Slimmer. Check out our findings.

The South Beach Diet:

Provides no means for incorporating the foods you crave

Vs.

Slimmer allows one to two Happy Moments each day and Free Days where you can do just that.

Gives too many complicated, impractical recipes

Vs.

“The meals are made from whole foods [and] are SUPER easy to make” -The Suburban Jungle’s review of Slimmer…need we say more?

The Blood Sugar Solution:

Requires the purchase of expensive supplements in order to follow the program… $800 for vitamins sounds a bit steep to us, too

Vs.

Slimmer does not require the purchase of any extra vitamins, meals, etc. Everything you need is in the book.

The 17-Day Diet:

Weight loss results are very short-lived

Vs.

Harry Papas, author of Slimmer, lost 110 pounds on his plan and has kept it off ever since. He has also helped hundreds of thousands of others lose weight and stay slim.

The Slimmer lifestyle is a long-term solution and is perfect for anyone who has been frustrated with their results on other weight loss plans, such as: the low-carb diet, the paleo diet, the Atkins diet, the 17 Day diet, the Blood Sugar Solution, and the South Beach diet.