I am not a doctor, educated in medicine. I am not educated formally in any physiological or biological science... I've studied some chemistry and biology at McGill University and I watch, I read, and I learn - so now I'll share what I've learned and you decide if it is worth turning on, in your own life. The choice and decision is yours alone.
As I pour my mountain tea this morning, I thought I'll spend the next few days sharing with you our experience in Greece. Gilles and I got to stay with George and Eleni Karimali at their organic winery. We learned so much from them but the sweetest lessons were learned at the dining table when George would make up a batch of mountain tea for us to try, whilst sharing stories of best eating and healthy living. The Karimali's welcome people to stay at their lovely winery and give lessons on The Ikarian Way of Life. The process of making and drinking the mountain tea has a way of opening you up, calming you down, awakening your heart and readying you for the day ahead. Mountain tea is also called by the names sideritis, ironwort or shepherd's tea, and is a very popular plant in Greece, well known for its use as a herbal tea. Mountain tea is known scientifically to be anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant. It has been traditionally used to aid digestion, strengthen the immune system and suppress a common cold. Recent research studies indicate that mountain tea is beneficial "for treating symptoms of cognitive impairment in elderly and with regard to Alzheimer’s disease by affecting its most prominent hallmarks". As both my grandparents suffered dementia, I'm grateful to be drinking this lovely morning tea... but this tea, is just one of many nutritious products we would have normally consumed in our day, but commercial products from grocery stores have now infiltrated our lives in North America, and we've lost all knowledge of what is truly important. This tea is the tip of the iceberg.
There are no rules, it can be dangerous, but the experience is life changing. See this Greek Traveller's blog for his experience.
The first thing you learn from Ikaria, is that everything that is grown on the land is eaten by the people there. There are few grocery like stores, everything is home grown, and home made. The most exciting feature, was that I - who in North America cannot have gluten or dairy - could eat anything in Ikaria. I did not get the bloating and sores that I get here. WHY? The answer does not come from any scientific research I have done... it comes from an obvious awareness. The food here is manufactured, for profit. Everything that is done for our produce, is done FAST, CHEAP and in VOLUME so that they can serve the most people, for the cheapest price, and make the most money. We have done this to ourselves. We feed this system. I was shocked to learn this from only observing the reality of the food on Ikaria....
The food there is grown and served, for quality, taste and community love! They didn't want our money - they wanted us to love the nourishment. We did!! We loved going up into the mountains into a tiny village called Marathos. Here was a restaurant called "Slow Food" where they take their time, gathering, preparing, eating, and enjoying the evenings together. The Communities gather every evening after the work of the day is done, around 9:30 pm to gather together, smoke cigarettes (some didn't, but most did!), and eat.
Herbs played a significant role in every dish we ate. They used dill, rosemary, oregano, basil and parsley in some combination in every dish. It is no wonder they live so long. They eat so well. In another blog I'll share the way they deny stress in their lives - and this too plays a role in their longevity. But for today, I'll end this blog by sharing that we can eat well too!!
HOW?? (Hover over for the links to more information)
Start a small herb garden for yourself. Use these medicinal herbs daily in teas, and in your meal preparations. Start buying from local farmers who practice organic farming. Try to eat directly from the land, without the processing of manufacturing plants and factories. Eat seasonally, fresh foods.
