Hello FITME Fam!
Well, the response was overwhelming to my last mideast market video, so I decided to create another one! This time, I focused on what I consider hidden gems: the products that are ubiquitous in Arab households. These are foods that would be totally overlooked by most people that are not from the Middle East.
After shooting this segment, I realized all of the items I covered are basically made with whole foods ingredients that blend seamlesslessly into the Mediterranean diet, which I am VERY passionate about. I credit this diet with weight management, great skin, shiny hair, high energy, mental clarity, and longevity (my grandmother will be 102 this September on this diet can you believe it?).
Every product I share in my latest video elicited senimental memories for me. Like eating watermelon and pumpkin seeds at a movie theater in Bethlehem, where I spent my summers as a child. Eating fresh mulberries from my grandmother’s garden. My sister and I loved climbing that mulberry tree to pick that luscious fruit, until a massive centipede landed on my sister’s arm one day, and we screamed at the top of our lungs. Now I just buy my mulberries at the farmer’s market…centipede not included lol.
My ultimate goal with these videos is make you an expert as well! I would love to give you the confidence to step into any middle eastern market, and know exactly what to buy. These foods have not only been staples for our family, but for the many generations before us. I remember reading one of my favorite books by author Michael Pollan, called Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. I highly recommend it as a great summer read! He emphasized how healthy people would be if they just ate like their grandparents when they were children. I try to do that with my meal planning every day. I literally ask myself as I shop, “would my grandparents recognize this food?” If it’s a no, it stays on the shelf.
So with that, I hope you have a week of adventures, fun discoveries, and good eats. Get a great start by checking out my food tour below!
