University of Arizona Cooperative Learning Office has announced a series of classes ‘Introduction to the Med Way: 7 Simple Steps to Eating the Med Way’, which they are offering in January of 2025, to be held at St. Helens Church, located at 66 E. Maplewood St. in Oracle.
Med Instead of Meds is a program created by a group of professionals concerned with health and nutrition which promotes the Mediterranean diet.
On their site, they state, in part, “We are passionate about providing people with the information and tools needed to make delicious meals for themselves and their families. We too are on this journey with you to transform our eating to the Med Way.”
These simple steps, briefly described below, will help you eat the Med Way every day as you learn them during this 6-week course to be held on Tuesdays during Jan. 14 through Feb. 18, starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m. Step 1 is Change Your Protein in which you will learn about alternatives to your usual meat including plant and fish protein, and what kinds of meat it is best to focus on. In Step 2, Swap Your Fats, the focus will be on replacing butter or margarine with healthier alternatives and how to get a decent amount of fats while staying within your calorie budget.
Step 3 is Eat More Vegetables and Step 4 is Eat More Fruit. In either case, the focus is on getting enough servings and making the best choices among the variety to suit your needs.
Step 5 is Snack on Nuts & Seeds and will help you navigate the caloric landmine that is nut and seeds, coming to terms with how to enjoy these flavorful snacks in healthy quantities and varieties.
Step 6, Make Your Grains Whole, highlights the variety of whole grains that are widely available and how to use them, whether simply eating them as grains or enjoying them in bread, pasta or other grain-based foods.
Last but not least, comes the subject Rethink Your Sweets. Do you want to limit your sugar intake? Okay, but do you need to? This will help you focus on smart ways to limit your sugar while still enjoying your life.
To get a better sneak peek of what these classes have to offer, visit online at https://medinsteadofmeds.com/tips-and-tools/introduction-7-simple-steps/ to see and download a flyer for yourself. While there, click on “about us” for more information.