Cretan Cuisine

Crete's Cuisine is not only one of its kind but the most healthy, balanced and complete nutrition in the world. Studies on the Cretan diet have witnessed that the native inhabitants have a longer life expectancy.

One of the most important criteria for adopting this kind of nutrition is the good balance in fatty acids.  This had been established by the Cretans themselves long ago, after conducting their own research.

The Cretan cuisine consists of a great number of vegetable products: Olives and olive oil, raw fruit and salads, wild vegetables and herbs, cereals, potatoes and nuts, all of them are valuable and have been shown to fight cancer.

 Claytonia that is consumed in the summer in great quantities as an ingredient used in salads, protects against heart disease.

Nettle, which has almost vanished from the Cretan diet in recent years, acts as a preventative method against cancer, thanks to its high content in vitamin B, at the same time it helps to control diabetes and is also used as a corroborant in cases of anemia, due to its valuable content in minerals. Walnuts also contain important unsaturated fatty acids, which contribute to the sound function of the body cells.

Serge Renaud, the prominent French scientist, who has been investigating the Cretan diet for 30 years, has established that the consumption of snails - at least twice a week - has the same beneficial effects on health as olive oil.

Olive oil itself plays a central role, not only on the island of Crete, but also in other countries of the Mediterranean.  Its high content in unsaturated fatty acids prevents the occurrence of heart diseases.

When we look at the Cretan diet, we find that Bread is the food that is more often consumed building up the basis of carbohydrates, bread is consumed at every meal. 

Fruit and Vegetables are next with their beneficial vitamins and cellulose; every one has heard of the "Greek Salad", cook vegetables also are high on the dietary list, plus also an amazing variety of fruit especially during the summer months.

Cheese and yogurt follow then comes olives and olive oil. All of the above are eaten on a daily basis. Fish, poultry and eggs are consumed just a few days a week and Red meat, sweets and pastries are all limited to once a month.

Heart diseases, diseases of the circulatory system as well as gastric disorders
 are rare in Crete,
thanks to the ideal nutrition..

As a result Cretans have the key to longevity