Update: Day 38: Eatin Like A Cretan

My body is beginning to feel different.  I am no longer craving the foods I used to (ice cream, meats, sweets).  I crave greens cooked with olive oil and garlic and sourdough bread dipped in olive oil or topped with honey.  I have an apple for an afternoon snack.  I am drinking almost no coffee and instead have been choosing green tea with honey.  My daily fruit and vegetable intake has probably tripled.  The amount of animal products I eat has dropped dramatically.  I have discarded bread I once thought to be delicious as I find freshly baked, sourdough with the simplest of ingredients.  I feel more energy although I haven't been exercising any more than I was (practically nothing).  There are still more pieces to learn here and more specifics to add, but this way of eating is beginning to take hold.  I am looking forward to learning more and eating and drinking more along this journey to a different way of being.

Day 31: Eatin Like A Cretan

It turns out that there is a book version of the Rockefeller study that was done in Crete after World War II.  I found it at the Smith College library.  The Rockefeller Institute in America sent researchers to 1 out of every 150 homes in Crete to see among other things what they ate.  They wrote down everything eaten in each of these homes over a period of a week.  I wanted to take the book out, but they wouldn't let me.  The interesting thing was that the last person who checked it out did it over 60 years ago!

Stomach hurting today.  I think I have something that is going around or else I am eating too many vegetables.

Questions about the Cretan Diet

Some of my unanswered questions:
1)  According to what I have read, the people of Crete are vegan (no animal products) half the year.  This is because they do not eat animal products on religious holidays.  When are these religious holidays?
2)  Does the Crete definition include or exclude honey?  Strict vegans do not eat honey, because it is made from bees.

Day 30: Eatin Like A Cretan

I am 1/3rd way through my adventure and it feels like it is really just beginning!
Yesterday felt like a critical point as I kind of lost it and came to a point of frustration with myself.  I feel like I have been doing everything half-assed.  Of course, as one person from Crete commented on my blog, I need to relax about the whole thing.  That is what they would do in Crete.
Today, I am going to make the Briam again (Yum!).

A piece of history:  After World War 2 ended, Crete was in really tough shape.  It had been completely devastated.  In the U.S., the Rockefeller Foundation decided they wanted to do something to help Crete around their diet (they were basically starving by the end of WWII).  From what I know so far, the foundation sent student nurses to 1 out of every 150 homes in Crete.  These nurses wrote down everything that was eaten in each of these homes for a week.  What was found from this study was that they were eating a plant based diet (very little meat), but that they were also incredibly healthy.  The Foundation's only recommendation was based on the wants of the people in Crete instead of their needs.  The people of Crete said they wanted more meat.  Of course, the interesting thing about that is that adding more meat to the diet (as well as sugar) has been the downfall of the health of Crete's population recently.

I'm spread too fat

Let me just rant for a moment.
I just bought a house.
My girlfriend is moving in.
I have too much work to do.
I am not doing my daily exercise routines.
My Cretan diet has been half-assed.

Ok, that is done.

Today, I made my version of a delicious Cretan dish called Briam.

1 yellow squash, sliced thin
1 onion, sliced thin
1 large Russett potato, sliced thin
1 eggplant, sliced thin
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 zucchini, sliced thin
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  In a large casserole dish, add all vegetables.
3.  Drizzle with oil.  Salt and pepper to desired taste.  Mix everything together well.
4.  Cover casserole dish tightly and bake for about an hour and a half.

It was hard to stop eating this delicious meal.  I used the sour dough bread from the Hungry Ghost to dip into the oil at the bottom of the pan.  It is amazing to me how something with no meat or cheese can taste so good.  Try it and you will see.

For lunch today I made Christine and I a hummus platter with veggies, a little piece of cheese, pesto, bread, olive oil and apples with honey and cinnamon.
I would say I have had a pretty good Cretan day.  I was at home today which made it a bit easier.

Settling In

We stayed at the new house last night.  Granted, we slept on the porch as the floors are getting done and nothing has been moved in.  I did cook my first meal there last night.  White bean stew with tzatziki and bread.  Delicious!  This morning I had yogurt and honey.  Also met with my personal trainer.  She gave me some particularly painful "corrective" exercises.
Got weighed yesterday!  First time.  I think it was 236 pounds.  It was all on camera, of course.  Good time to start this program considering I am at my highest weight ever!  Ever!
Off to a busy day in lala land.