Nazanin Behdad
Missy Donegan
ENGL 106
16 May 2014
Salad
Shirazi and the Persian Approach to Health
Most people probably
realize on some level that true fitness does not begin with an exercise regimen
or working out. Rather, true fitness begins, quite logically, with what one
puts into his or her body and there is no other way around it. However,
as I am sure all of you are periodically guilty of; many people tend to focus
on exercise and working out as the focus of their fitness program. The
inclination is to perhaps cut back on carbohydrates or to take supplements of
some type and then to launch into a workout program in order to become fit.
Yet, I am learning more and more and am passing the knowledge onto you that
true fitness begins and ends with diet.
And
I do not mean “diet” diet as in reducing calories and adopting some type of new
age eating program like the cave man diet or some other similar fad. These
types of programs may not be intrinsically bad, but they tend to overlook the
idea that one’s diet does not have to be bland or highly moderated in order to
improve one’s overall health and fitness. In this regard, I would like to
describe a personal experience with a particular meal that I grew up eating but
which I have grown to appreciate more and more as being a healthy source of
antioxidants, vitamins and other vital nutrients.
As
you may (or may not) know, I am Iranian or, in more archaic terms, Persian. And
as such I grew up eating a largely Persian diet which contains a variety of
meal choices that are typically prepared in what we would refer to in today’s dialect
as being in a heart-healthy manner. According to Dr Emami et al who are medical
professors in Shiraz University of Iran, the Persian diet as it might be
described today is actually an approach to food selection and preparation that
extends back hundreds and hundreds of years to when ancient Persian physicians
associated, “light, easily digestible and a small amount of food at frequent
intervals” with healthy aging (Emami et al, 2013). Despite this advice being
hundreds of years old, fitness experts find themselves just now giving this
same advice to people of all ages. It seems that ancient Persian physicians
knew more than contemporary medical scientists might like to admit.
Back
to my story then, I am Iranian, and I grew up eating traditional Iranian meals
prepared by both my grandmother and my mother. This early cultural exposure to
a cohesive and healthy diet still influences me today. One of my most favorite
meals to prepare on a weekly basis that I consider fundamental to good health
and that can be added to anyone’s dietary program is actually a kind of salad.
Everyone would agree that salads are almost always a good food selection when
designing a healthier diet as a way to improve health and fitness. However, in
America we often associate the thought of salad with the blandness of “going on
a diet” in order to lose weight. I am here to tell you that if you explore the
meal choices from other cultures such as Persian culture you will come to find
that good, low calorie and low-carbohydrate meals do not have to be bland or
unsavory—in fact, they are anything but. Welcome to the
Salad Shirazi, which is a quick, easy-to- make salad that departs radically
from the standard conception of what a salad is.
(Picture courtesy of Javan
Restaurant)
The
Salad Shirazi is a meal I continue to make on a weekly basis because it sits
well in the refrigerator, is easy to make, and never loses its attraction.
Salad Shirazi is a salad that originates from the city of Shiraz in Iran. Iran
has a long and rich tradition of agriculture, and Shiraz in particular
developed numerous meals based on this tradition of fresh vegetables, herbs and
olive oil. I like to go to the supermarket every couple of days to buy fresh
vegetables, and I recommend that you do the same—your quality of life with
improve dramatically. While there, get two medium to
large size cucumbers (seedless if they are available) and also four large
tomatoes (I prefer Roma tomatoes), one medium sized red onion, a half-cup of
lemon juice that you squeeze from two or three lemons, some mint leaves, virgin
olive oil and some salt and pepper. As you can see, not a single one of these
ingredients is obscure or hard to find.
Rather,
these are all items that you probably have in your fridge already or pass over
every time you go shopping. Basically, the cucumbers, tomatoes and the onions
are the three main ingredients that form the nucleus of this wonderful and easy-
to- prepare salad dish. Take all three vegetables and dice them up in small
pieces and in all the same sizes. You may choose
to only use half the onion since the entire onion might overpower the flavor of
the other vegetables and the other ingredients. The
end result is a beautiful selection of three vegetables that, based on Dr Emami
et al, are known to be high in phenolic compounds that directly alleviate
oxidative related illnesses and physiological stress in human bio-physiology
(Emami et al, 2013). While the tomato may be technically
a fruit, it is most often prepared as a vegetable and thus I include it as such
in this recipe.
At
any rate, you merely take all the finely diced cucumbers, onions and tomatoes
and place them in a large bowl together. Sound simple? Believe me, it is, but
do not let simplicity fool you—the flavor of this salad, once completed, is
sophisticated and very, very unique. Take the fresh mint purchased from the
grocer and mince it completely. Add the minced mint to the diced vegetables in
the bowl and then add one tablespoon of salt and a tablespoon of pepper or to
taste if you prefer and then mix well. Let the mixed vegetables, mint, salt and
pepper stand in the refrigerator for around 20 minutes in order to settle.
Then, once the salad is settling in the refrigerator squeeze the fresh limes
for your half-cup of lime juice and pour two to three tablespoons of virgin
olive oil into a cup as well. After 20 minutes remove the salad from the
refrigerator and add in the lime juice and olive oil and stir this mixture
completely. Once the salad and all its ingredients are completely mixed, put it
back in the refrigerator and allow it to sit for at least one hour prior to
eating it. Sounds absolutely luscious,
doesn’t it?
You
may wonder how this Salad Shirazi should be eaten. Not to worry. This salad can
be eaten as a stand-alone meal or, as I prefer, in addition to a main course
such as chicken breast baked or fried or fish baked or fried. The flavor of
this wonderful salad is light and airy, but with an acerbic quality that gives
it a life of its own. And let me assure you, it also gives you a life of your
own that is healthy, fit and in balance as well. This meal in addition to its
anti-oxidant qualities is heavy in most of the vitamin Bs and also in vitamin C
in addition to minerals such as iron and potassium. But
most importantly, Salad Shirazi throws the typical convention of a “salad” on
its head and explodes your taste buds with aromatic flavors that assault the
palate. Dr. Emami et al. also mentioned that, mint and other herbs have long
been recognized by ancient Persian physicians as having anti-aging qualities as
well (Emami et al, 2013). So you see, not only does fitness begin and end with
what one eats, but it also can be achieved in a way that expands your cultural
horizons and sensory palate as well.
Works
Cited
Zarshenas, Mohammadm,
Morteza Emami, and Omid Sadeghpour. "Geriatric management in medieval
Persian medicine." Journal of Mid-life Health 4.4 (2013): 210.
Print.
