2015
ANEKORAMA |
61
The Cretan Diet Standard
is a philosophy of life, quality
and health. Archaeological ex-
cavations indicate that 4,000
years ago, ancient Cretans con-
sumed almost the same prod-
ucts like their contemporary
fellow countrymen, as indicat-
ed by storage jars of oil, wine,
grain, cereals and honey that
were discovered in Minoan
palaces.
Cretans eatmany fruits, vege-
tables, pulses, less meat, chees-
es, and herbs from the island’s
mountains; almost always lunch
and dinner are accompanied
by local wine and tasty, hand
kneaded bread. Cretan cuisine
is innovative, creative and very
aromatic, based on simple, sea-
sonal ingredients and tradition-
al local cooking art; scientific re-
search has confirmed its healthy
qualities and dietary value. It’s
not by chance that Cretans
have the highest long life in-
dexes and, proportionally, the
smallest death rate percentages
related to widespread diseas-
es, like cardiovascular diseases
and cancer. TheMediterranean
Diet Standardwas established
in 1960, based on Cretan diet
characteristics.
