A requirement for metabolic clarity
I was born and raised under an unforgiving sun. In Egypt, heat is not just a weather condition, it is a force that dictates the pace of your life, the way you move and, most importantly, the way you eat. This heat requires a very particular form of energy: clear, stable energy that does not overwhelm you. We cannot afford heavy digestions or insulin spikes when the thermometer reads 40 degrees. The body needs fluidity, not internal struggle.
Traditional Levantine cuisine, in its purest form, is the perfect response to this climatic requirement. It is not the result of chance, but of an age-old adaptation to the soil and the sun. By favoring water-filled vegetables, refreshing herbs and stable fats, it allows the body to maintain its internal temperature without excessive effort. It's biological engineering disguised as culinary art.
The sun fatigue trap
In the intense sun, eating fast sugars or refined grains is a major strategic mistake. The glucose spike causes a surge of internal heat, followed by an inevitable crash. This is what creates this overwhelming mid-day fatigue, this compelling need to stop. We often blame the sun, but it's often our diet that makes us falter. Sugar makes us vulnerable to heat instead of helping us get through it.
Conversely, a meal of grilled vegetables, fresh herbs, and healthy fats creates energy that lingers without ever burning off too quickly. It's like a fire of embers rather than a fire of straw. We remain alert, the head is clear, and the body maintains its vitality throughout the day. By eliminating modern sugars, we regain the natural resilience that allowed our ancestors to work and create in demanding climates.
The constant flow
What I notice today, when cooking according to the low-carb principles applied to my Levantine heritage, is that my body temperature remains remarkably stable. I no longer feel these hot flashes after meals, nor these shivers of fatigue at the end of the day. My metabolism has found its cruising speed. It is a constant flow, a quiet force that accompanies me from morning to evening.
This stability is a liberation. It allows you to no longer be a slave to your immediate dietary needs. We eat because it is time to eat, not because we are in a state of blood sugar emergency. This physical clarity translates into mental clarity. We are more present in what we do, more patient with others, more efficient in our tasks. Nutrition becomes the invisible foundation of a balanced life.
Geography creates the right body
Levantine cuisine is a direct expression of the territory. The olive trees, the lemon trees, the wild herbs that grow between the stones... all this forms a coherent ecosystem. When we eat these products, we integrate the intelligence of this territory. We nourish our body with what is adapted to our environment. This is what I call 'the right body': a body that is in harmony with where it lives.
Respecting this adaptation also means respecting our own biology. We are not made to consume processed products from the other side of the world, loaded with preservatives and hidden sugars. We are made for fresh, local, raw. By getting back to these fundamentals, we allow our metabolism to function as it was designed to do. Health is not an invention, it is a rediscovery.
Energy in conviviality
Finally, we must not forget that this stable energy does not only come from what we eat, but also from the way in which we do it. A happy table, a meal shared in calm and conviviality, creates an energy that no food alone can generate. Digestion begins with pleasure and exchange.
I encourage you to seek this stability, not as a constraint, but as an opportunity to live more fully. Let Levantine cuisine guide you towards this clarity. Eat together, eat in peace, eat real. You will see that your body, freed from the burden of unnecessary sugars, will thank you with renewed vitality. Health is a bright journey, and every meal is a step toward the light.
