Book excerpt: New York Times–bestselling author Dr. Angelo Acquista offers a weight loss regimen and delicious recipes designed to improve overall wellness. Created from fresh, plant-based ingredients, the cuisine of Sicily is one of the world’s most balanced—and flavorful—diets. These Mediterranean recipes combine essential proteins, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and fat to nourish our bodies with the natural antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that sustain our health and fight disease. Diagnoses of obesity, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, hypertension, depression, and heart disease, among many other conditions, have been linked to the processed fast-food meals that have come to dominate our lifestyles. Sharing his family’s recipes, Dr. Angelo Acquista reveals how anyone can prepare healthy, tasty food to reduce their risks of developing debilitating and life-threatening illnesses. He also provides a weight-loss meal plan calculated to help readers lose between five to ten pounds in two weeks. From breakfast through dinner, appetizer to dessert, in The Mediterranean Prescription, you’ll find amazing recipes for every taste, including: Chickpea Salad Minestrone Soup Baked Zucchini with Eggplant and Tomatoes Broiled Portobello Mushrooms Spaghetti with Shrimp and Cognac Sauce Pizza Sweet and Sour Tuna Salmon with Orange and Lemon Chicken Cacciatore Filet Mignon Rib Roast Poached Pears in Chianti And much more! With tips and strategies on maintaining your healthy eating lifestyle, including how to stock your pantry and fridge, smart restaurant dining choices, exercises, and the best food for your children, Dr. Acquista’s knowledge and menu is a prescription for life.