I just returned from Crete and apart from the drop dead views, the food is what I will miss.
The food in Crete is all grown in Crete and everywhere you go, you buy local. The apricot, cherries and oranges were juicy and bursting with sweetness. The vegetables which included fresh butter lettuce, sweet tomatoes and crisp cucumbers were full of flavor. The fresh herbs like oregano and thyme added amazing aroma to our salads and grilled chicken. Not to forget the taste of fresh olive oil and olives.
What I loved the most was the fresh Sheep milk yogurt and cheese, oh my god that taste was just so creamy and unforgettably melt in your mouth. I added Greek walnuts, dried figs and local thyme honey to the yogurt every day. The yogurt is set in clay pots, which takes away some of the sourness of the yogurt. I am on the lookout for home made sheep milk yogurt in New York!
I returned to New York with a few of the foods, but the yogurt and cheeses were obviously not allowed. I decided to do some research on Sheep’s milk and was surprised at the benefits compared to cows milk. I also did some research on the benefits of yogurt and Kefir a yogurt drink that is pretty common in Greece. In my next blog I will share the information I learnt which pertains to a healthy gut.
So back to the Cretan diet, characterized especially by a high consumption of vegetables and olive oil and moderate consumption of protein,”researchers found that people who eat a Mediterranean diet have lower odds of having a heart attack” studies done on world diets have shown the Mediterranean diet to be the healthiest in terms of heart health. What’s amazing is that if we eat local this diet even tastes good and is not that expensive. This diet is not low in fat as olive oil is calorific, but a small amount is satiating and keeps you full. I personally feel the low fat craze has made our taste buds dull and causes increased hunger. Low fat products are also processed, they are changed from their original state, usually by adding some sugar or artificial ingredient,the Cretan diet is not for weight loss, but for flavor and heart health its the best way to eat.