Greece is a country that offers something for everyone. Whether you’re interested in learning about ancient history, experiencing the Mediterranean lifestyle, or simply relaxing on a beach and tasting traditional cuisine, you can find it here. In fact, my hometown is a warm and welcoming place that is the prime example of what it’s truly like to live in a Mediterranean environment.
Interestingly, Greece is the birthplace of the Mediterranean diet. Its origins date back to 6,000 years ago. The description of the Mediterranean diet in Ancient Greece remains quite like its present-day form.
According to the Greek philosopher Plato, a moderate and healthy diet includes cereals, legumes, fruits, milk, honey, and fish. Meanwhile, Hippocrates, the ancient Greek father of medicine, used the rich flavors present in Mediterranean food to treat his patients. He incorporated ingredients such as oil, olives, vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk, dairy, legumes, whole grains, fish, and very little red meat. As a result, the ancient Greeks considered virgin olive oil, olives, bread, and red wine as traditional staples of Mediterranean cuisine and made these foods central to their meals.
Today, the Mediterranean diet is recognized as a healthy eating plan that is able to enhance one’s health and lifestyle.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently endorsed the Mediterranean diet as the best healthy diet for good eating habits. Meanwhile, the News and World Report has ranked it as the best overall diet since 2017.
Not only that, but it is also highly recommended by American nutrition experts and professionals as one of the healthiest dietary plans. Such is the case with Dr. Christopher Gardner, a doctor of nutrition science, professor, and researcher at Stanford Medical School, who described it “as a whole food, plant-based flexitarian diet that includes fish and modest amounts of meat.”
Dr. Holman Yaghoobzadeh, a cardiologist at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, highlighted that people should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, snack on a handful of nuts, avoid sugar and high-glycemic index foods, use olive oil or canola oil as a replacement, include more fish than red meat in their diet and consume more beans, and enjoy a glass or two of red wine.
In addition, he also emphasized that the diet is not a short-term one, but is actually a healthy lifestyle that can be sustained in the long run, even when dining out.
According to Dr. Sharia, the director of the Cardiovascular Prevention and Lipid Clinic at Curthie, and Dr. Najeeb Rehman, the director of non-invasive cardiology at Guthrie, the Mediterranean diet’s fame stems from its emphasis on balanced meals containing fats, particularly olive oil, which is considered a healthy source of fat. They suggested that a diet with more fat and protein and fewer carbohydrates can be beneficial for heart health.
Dr. Haitham Ahmed, M.D., M.P.H., and children’s book author explained that the diet also benefits the heart in four ways: it is able to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, enhance the body’s ability to absorb blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and help arteries stay flexible and resist plaque buildup.
In 2006, Dr. Scarmeas, M.D., M.Sc., an associate professor of neurology at Columbia University and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, and his team showed that following a Mediterranean diet not only protects against Alzheimer’s disease but also allows patients with Alzheimer’s to live an average of four years longer.
A 2013 study by Johns Hopkins University followed 6,229 American women and men aged 44 to 84 for eight years. In their research, they found that a Mediterranean-style diet combined with regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking protected against early heart disease.
In the same year, a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggested that following a Mediterranean diet may protect the brain. Researchers who followed over 17,000 people enrolled in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke from 2003 to 2007 found that those with a higher adherence to the diet reduced their risk of thinking and memory problems by 19%.
It is also good to note that Blue Zones, which are parts of the world where people are claimed to live longer than average, stated that the residents of the Greek island of Ikaria live longer than average because they follow the Mediterranean diet, nap often, drink herbal tea, swim, and walk every day. As a Greek person born and raised with this culture, I can confirm that each island and village in my country follows the same routine in their daily lives.
Furthermore, the true secret behind the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle lies in the warm weather and the positive attitude of the Greek people towards hospitality. Aside from its famous cuisine, Greece has numerous mountainous terrains and islands and a 16,000-km coastline, which makes it one of the most diverse and beautiful places in the world as it offers amazing views from anywhere.
If you truly want to experience the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, you can visit any village or island in Greece. The culture is friendly and warm towards others as it involves a variety of rituals, symbols, and traditions regarding crops, harvesting, fishing, animal husbandry, cooking, and the sharing and consumption of food.
