I started my day with two glasses of water on an empty stomach then had my cup of coffee (1 tsp of Nescafe, 3 tsp of fat free coffee mate, 2 tsp of sugar).My breakfast was made of 3 bran toasts, 1 tbsp of low fat labneh, 1 slice of low fat ham and cheese!

I started my lunch with baked aubergines with onions and tomatoes then had 90g of grilled chicken marinated in mustard and low fat yogurt with 1 small baked potato!

As an afternoon snack i had two kiwi fruits rich in vitamins, flavanoids, minerals, fiber and contains a very high amount of vitamin C!

I had dinner @SF’s place; pizza’s were on the menu; they weren’t any regular ones since they were eaten with Jamon Iberico! Just like the Beluga caviar or the Kobe beef, Jamon Iberico ranks on top and is considered the most prestigious type of ham around the world!

Jamon Iberico is a type of cured ham of black Iberian pigs produced mostly in Spain and in some Portuguese regions. After being slaughtered,the ham is salted and left to begin drying for two weeks after which it is rinsed and left to dry for another couple of weeks (4 to 6 weeks). The process of curing requires around an additional 12 months and can take sometimes up to 48 months.

There is a type of ham that’s known as JAMON IBERICO de BELLOTA that can cost twice as much as a regular Jamon Iberico and that’s because this ham comes from free-range pigs that roam oak forests and eat only oak nuts known as acorns. This special diet along with the level of exercise has a great impact on the flavor and the texture of the ham. Most of its intramuscular fat is Oleic acid, which is a type of monounsaturated fat that can lower the LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and increase the HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

1 0z (30g) of Jamon Iberico provide 85 Calories, 6 g of fat and 8g of Protein. For those suffering from high blood pressure and decreasing their sodium intake they must be aware that 30g of Jamon provides 450 mg of Sodium!

I enjoyed eating two slices of pizza with two slices of Jamon Iberico all along with carrots, cucumbers and 10 nachos with salsa sauce!

Dietitian Nicole Maftoum