The Mediterranean region has long attracted the attention of scientists because of the low lever of cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Residents of Greece turned out to be the most healthy ones between the residents of all countries in the region: the lowest rate of deaths from diseases of civilized world was recorded there. But the highest percentage of healthy long-livers it the world was on the island of Crete.

The long-livers are centenarians and the Cretan centenarians were able to maintain physical and mental health, sight, hearing and even posture. In other words, they live normal, are gardening, keeping house and contacts with friends, taking care of their great-grandchildren, arranging celebrations and festivities, enjoying their life to the fullest.

What is the secret? Why are they healthy? Are they limiting and denying themselves something? No, they are happy to cook, eat and treat friends with meals of the Cretan traditional kitchen.

Scientists analyzed the chemical composition of the weekly centenarians’ menu, breaking it into proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, herbal items and other substances, and suggested that the traditional cuisine of Crete contains the necessary quantity both of building material and safety components that prevent the development of many chronic diseases.

Food is the most important but not the only condition of longevity.

But first is the food.

What is absent in the Cretan centenarians’ menu

One can see at once that there is no factory cakes with cream, cookies and muffins, baked with margarine, sausages of any kind, mayonnaise, chips, lard, ice cream, confectionery, candy, sweet drinks, soups in bags and other concentrates, i.e., there are absent products that make up a significant part of the menu of contemporary city dwellers, in which the manufactures have added salt, fat, sugar, colourants, preserves and flavor enhancers. There are also absent in the centenarians’ menu even breakfast flakes, although fortified but colored and often to sweeten. There are no fresh white buns, no semolina porridge or meals, consisting fatty meat with marble veins. It is a myth that meat should be eaten every day to avoid a force loss. It requires much less meat than is commonly assumed.

Traditional dishes are very simple to prepare. Cretans do not need to stand all day in the kitchen. It is not difficult to boil white beans soaked the previous day and to mix it with onions, adding olive oil, as well as to cut fresh salad while cooking potatoes. It’s a matter of ten minutes. At first stage, such a menu requires more thinking than time.

What also is absent? Infamous oatmeal which is supposedly necessary for good health. It turns that you can live long without it in good health. Oatmeal is wonderful, however, the matter depends not on certain products but on their diversity, naturalness, and proportions: 20-25% must be animal products and 75-80% are plant products. The same proportion is observed in menus of Chinese centenarians. Of course, portions depend on the age and physical activity. But traditional menu of Cretans includes 25% of animal products and 75% plant.

The traditional menu of Cretans can’t also be called a low-calorie or low-fat one. If we compare it with the menu of a modern city dweller, the content of calories and fats will be almost the same.

But the quality of fat differs significantly.

• In Cretans’ menu are vegetable fats: olives, olive oil and nuts (having mainly mono-unsaturated structure), exactly what is recommended to a modern city dweller for lowering cholesterol and improving elasticity of blood vessels.
• Another one of fish which contains the great fish oil.
• A minimum of dairy products: a glass of yogurt or a slice of cheese or bryndza less than 30-40 grams per day, and not every day.
• Large amounts of fresh and stewed vegetables and fruits of season. An apple or a pear is enough for a snack instead of potato chips or candy.
• Significant sources of protein are beans and nuts.
• A little of meat/poultry: once or twice a week.
• Breads and cereals – only whole grains.
• Natural sweets: nut butter and sesame-based halva, honey, dried fruits such as dates and figs…
• A moderate alcohol consumption.

If we consider the individual substances of the traditional menu in comparison with a modern one, there are

almost not simple (added) sugars, cholesterol;

two times less vitamin A and carotenoids;

five time more vitamin C, folic acid, minerals;

double quantity of potassium and magnesium, not to mention the antioxidants;

two and a half time more fiber.

Not even the presence of vitamins and minerals is the matter, but that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”: the naturally and dynamically interacting of individual components is provided by nature. A tablet of vitamin C, capsule of omega-three, spun of bran, added to the daily menu of white bread, chips, sausages, and sweet drinks, are better than nothing but, regarding effectiveness, are even not to compare to the natural combination of substances in a salad of fresh vegetables with olives, bryndza, and bruschetta with olive oil, served on whole grain bread with baked fish and garlic sauce.

The Cretan long-livers clearly demonstrate that weakness and chronic diseases are not a prerequisite of aging and old age.

Key moments of long-living

1. Natural and varied food, even colorful, rich in antioxidant, which protects cells from harmful, destructive substances and carcinogens; no overeating and other conditions.
2. Movement is more important

As a rule, the long-livers are agile, walking much and working in garden. By the way, energetic and sporty people are usually healthier and live longer than those who consider every calorie and fear to eat something, that isn’t useful, but hardly move and spend all free time on a sofa.

3. Good character

The psychologist, studied the Cretan long-livers, had impression that they are quiet good-minded people, able to cope with stress and not to dwell on their troubles.

Here is one of my favorite jokes:

• Tell my how you managed surviving to the age of 100 in good health? Share a secret.
• I never argued.
• Sorry? Over a hundred years, you never had an argument? But this can not be.
• Can not be.

4. Interests

The long-livers are usually open and sociable, have one or more hobby and, for the most part, are involved in the family and/or public affairs. In one of the articles was mentioned a childless centenary, chemistry teacher, who was never been married but almost every day sent cards, painted by her, to her many friends, living in different cities and countries.

Conclusion:

Of course, the island Crete can’t fit us all, and living conditions in different geographical locations may be worse, supply with fresh natural food scarce, and the climate much more sever, however, if you wish, you can make an attempt to use for yourself the best of local resources on the place of your residence.

From an article by Eugene Kobylyatskaya, practicing dietitian

http://www.vseproves.com

July, 2016