Mediterranean Diet

The country that was deemed to have the most heart healthy diet is the Greek island of Crete. To really understand the true heart and soul of the healthiest diet in the world (in terms of low instances of cardio vascular disease, various forms of cancer and with a long life expectancy) we need to delve deeper into the research and the actual diet of the Cretans. Many nutritionists consider this to be the ideal diet.

Greece has 1,400 islands — 230 of them inhabited — and the islands are one of the Mediterranean’s most dazzling assets. Crete is Greece’s largest island and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The cultural history of Crete goes back to 8000 BC, even pre-dating the ancient Crete Minoan civilization, the first civilization in Europe, by more than four thousand years. The core of the Cretan cuisine consists of food derived from natural sources whereas food of animal origin was more peripheral in nature. In general, people consumed seasonal products, available in the wider local area, which underwent minimal processing or none at all.

For thousands of years Cretans have eaten only what their land produced – which was lots of fruits, vegetables, olives, whole grains, honey and pulses (the dried seeds of legumes such as beans, lentils and peas). Cretans consume a great deal of olive oil, significantly more than any other Mediterranean people and they don’t use any other type of oil, olives, fruits, nuts and vegetables (especially wild greens). They consumed moderate amounts of fish, cheese and red wine and very small amounts of eggs, meat and milk. The essence of their diet was abundant amounts of antioxidants, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins E and C, phytochemcials and selenium.