What Foods Make Up The Ikarian Diet?

This fresh produce makes up a large portion of the Ikarian diet. Ikarians understand the benefits of fresh herbs and cultivate plenty of healthy herbs including sage, mint, marjoram, dandelion and rosemary which they use to make teas and other drinks.

Ikarians drink wine and beer in moderation but surprisingly theur consumption is not overly moderate. The inhabitants of the island average between 2 and 4 glasses of wine a day while they also drink between 2 and 3 cups of coffee.

The Ikarian culture, inclusive and community-oriented rather than individualistic, is a product of the island’s geographic isolation. With no natural harbors and subject to high winds, Ikaria was excluded by the shipping industry, forcing its residents to become self-sufficient and ultimately immune to the ills of development and industrialization.

Thought to be a key ingredient in the recipe for a long life, the Ikarian’s relaxed lifestyle might seem a bit counterintuititve to the “early to bed, early to rise” maxim. Ikarians stay up late at night, sleep late in the morning and indulge in lots of afternoon naps. Clocks and watches do not have a place on this island.

What do Ikarians eat for lunch?

The meal is then followed by a much needed mid afternoon nap …. Oh to be an Ikarian. Ikarians eat plenty of fresh, healthy beans and legumes to go along with a range of organic garden vegetables.

READ 8 Benefits of Papaya Leaves. Unlike Americans and the people of most other western countries, Ikarians eat meat on average only 5 times each month. Ikarians drink wine and beer in moderation but surprisingly theur consumption is not overly moderate.

This usually includes yogurt made with goat’s milk, a few cups of coffee or herbal tea and some healthy whole grain bread with locally produced organic honey.

First of all, the island is very isolated lying some 10 hours boat trip away from the capital city, Athens. Because of its isolation, Ikaria has managed to remain pretty much untouched by today’s stressful lifestyles.

But like many of their Mediterranean counterparts, they also indulge in plenty of afternoon siestas. The island and inhabitants enjoy a genuinely, unspoiled slow pace of life immune in many ways to the needs of alarms, watches and clocks.

Unlike Okinawa, where women tend to live longer, it is the Ikerian men that seem to benefit most from longevity. A whopping 4 times the percentage of men are still alive in their 90s compared to their male American counterparts.

While the risk of dementia in old age is high throughout the world, it is considerably less common in Ikeria. In fact, Ikerians are nearly 40% less likely to develop dementia than an American citizen. Similar figures also apply to depression. READ The 5:2 Diet Plan.

What do Ikarians eat for lunch?

Ikarians are even known to have a little wine with their morning meal. At lunch, beans, legumes and potatoes, along with fresh garden vegetables comprise the meal, prepared with liberal quantities of olive oil. Locally-caught wild fish may also appear on the menu.

Upon arising at around 10:00 a.m., a typical Ikarian breakfast includes goat’s milk yogurt, herbal tea or coffee, whole grain bread and local honey. Ikarians are even known to have a little wine with their morning meal.

Ikarians prepare their coffee by boiling it in the Greek manner, which has been found to promote blood vessel dilation and inhibit arteriosclerosis. One study found that participants who consumed the most coffee also had the best circulation 2.

Ikarians eat meat only about five times per month. They drink wine moderately but not too moderately, averaging two to four glasses per day and they might drink two or three cups of coffee per day, on average. Most Ikarians have a family garden where they work daily.

When Ikarians develop cancer or heart disease they are, on average, 8 to 10 years older than Americans at the time of diagnosis 1.

As a result, the Ikarian lifestyle provides residents with an ongoing sense of purpose and the culture is one that respects and reveres the elderly. Thought to be a key ingredient in the recipe for a long life, the Ikarian’s relaxed lifestyle might seem a bit counterintuititve to the “early to bed, early to rise” maxim.

With no natural harbors and subject to high winds, Ikaria was excluded by the shipping industry, forcing its residents to become self-sufficient and ultimately immune to the ills of development and industrialization.

What is the Ikarian diet?

The Ikarian Diet Relies Heavily on Local, Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. The Ikarian diet is similar to many traditional rural greek diets. First off, rural Greek cuisine is veggie-heavy. Much of their traditional dishes derive from what was grown locally in each region or island.

Nuts are also a staple. Almonds grow on many Greek islands, and like all legumes show incredible health properties. A Harvard study of healthy dieting showed that replacing a serving of red or processed meats with nuts or legumes like almonds reduced the risk of a premature death by 8-17%!

Ikarian Diet: Healthy Diets that are Insanely Delicious. Ikaria, Greece is one of the healthiest places in the world. It’s residents not only tend to live past 100, but they remain active well into their 90s.

And although most Mediterranean diets include a healthy dose of olive oil, the Ikarian diet has extra-large helpings of extra-virgin olive oil. But Ikarians, like much of traditional Greece, integrates food and cooking into their social lives. Make room for long, slow cooking into your diet.

What is the Ikarian diet?

The Ikarian diet is famous for its health benefits and delicious Mediterranean food. Whether you’re planning a future trip to Greece, are doing some armchair traveling, or want to incorporate the delicious flavors of Ikaria into your home-cooked meals, read on!

Ikarians tend to have a late morning breakfast comprised of goat’s milk, yogurt and or cheese, fruits, herbal tea or coffee, whole grain bread and local honey.

Locally-Produced Olive Oil. Taste the Ikarian olive oil. It accompanies almost all dishes of the local cuisine and has an excellent quality. Ikarian olive oils are known for their dense flavor.

Ikarians drink very often “teas” from various herbs and they use them in their cooking too.

Roasted Rasko. The meat of these wild goats is delicious, with little fat. It is the most popular food for the feasts (panigyria) and it is eaten boiled or roasted. It was a significant survival food of the inhabitants, the harsh centuries of piracy.

Although some of the foods from Ikaria are available in the U.S. and other parts of the world, some of the specialties are available only on the island. Here’s a quick tour of some of the foods Ikaria is famous for.

Escape to Ikaria: All at Sea in the Aegean by Nick Perry – The story a Welsh family and their time on Ikaria during the 1970s. My Ikaria: How the People From a Small Mediterranean Island Inspired Me to Live a Happier, Healthier and Longer Lif e by Spiri Tsintziras.