the Mediterranean benefit

In the 1960s, the Seven Countries study, which looked at 16 different population groups, including several from the Mediterranean, found that Cretan Greeks had the best health and the lowest rates of cancer and heart disease. Their diet was shown to be the main factor influencing this favorable report.

Recent research shows that a Mediterranean diet also protects against metabolic syndrome, controls diabetes better, can reverse fatty liver disease, and slashes the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The more closely you adhere to this diet, the stronger your protection will be.

ways to imitate the Cretan diet

Olive oil daily. Ditch the margarine and vegetable oils. Enjoy extra-virgin oil on your salads and in cooking. It enhances the absorption of antioxidants into the body and makes eating lots of vegetables possible!

Vegetables every day. Include a half cup of tomatoes and a half cup of leafy greens, plus at least 13/4 cups of other vegetables. Try bitter greens such as endive.

Go whole grain. Whole grain and wheat germ breads are traditional with the Cretans.

Legumes at least twice weekly. You should get a good serving of beans, such as garbanzos or fava beans, to supply large amounts of fiber and almost no fat. Legumes replace meat, which if eaten at all, should be limited to small amounts monthly.

No day without fresh fruit. Fruit is the perfect snack. Nuts and dried fruit add variety. Use only small amounts of other sweets and sugary drinks.

Cheese in moderation. Yogurt was the major source of calcium for the Cretans in the study.

other dietary practices

Cretan meals are also mostly cooked slowly with olive oil, garlic, herbs, and tomatoes, so that they do not produce advanced glycation end products (AGEs), formed in the browning process common to such modern cooking methods as toasting.