The secret of Ikarian life

The secret of Ikarian life

Can you imagine: being a hundred years old on a Greek island?

No stress, to maintain a little vegetable garden, looking out over

the bright blue sea, taking a stroll through the mountains, picking

wild vegetables, figs, walnuts, drinking a glass with your friends in

the cafenion, taking a nap each day and eating according to the

Ikarian diet…


This is the secret of the Ikarian life, which, according to the

American health guru Dan Buettner, gives you a better chance of a

long and healthy life. Buettner has named four regions in the world

he calls “blue zones” (http://www.bluezones.com/about), all of them

places where the environment is conducive to old age. Besides the

Greek island of Ikaria there are Nicoya in Costa Rica, Okinawa in

Japan and Loma Linda in California, United States. Buettner

published his findings last year in the book: The Blue Zone:

Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the

Longest.

These regions all have their secrets, and on Ikaria it’s not only diet,

but social life and exercise. The Ikarian diet is a variant different of

the classic Mediterranean diet: lots of vegetables (amongst them

plenty of wild vegetables and beans), a little sugar and meat, fewer

grains and less fish and more potatoes, goat milk, with regular

doses of honey, herb tea, a glass of home made red wine and, of

course, olive oil.

And do no think that all people from a little Greek village exercise

daily on a home trainer, or do gymnastics together in the village

square like they use to do in Japan, or that they are all member of a

football club.

Greeks are known for doing very little exercise: everything that can

be done by car, even if it means a few dozen meters to the shops, is

done on four wheels. Here on Lesvos, the locals are amazed that

so many tourists come to the island just to walk. And there is many

a Greek who will stop and offer walkers a lift – a generous habit that

will only change if and when the Greeks realize walking is healthy.

The tourist part of Lesvos in the north might still be almost as

healthy as on Ikaria, but not if more and more people decide to

‘walk by car’. Many Greeks in the villages here have heart diseases

and will not reach the age of 60, whereas in the north of Ikaria a

third of the population reaches the wonderful age of 90.

Although Molyvos is a village with steep slopes and plenty of steps,

whenever and wherever you step outdoors on Ikaria you have to

either climb or descend through the village streets. I am always full

of admiration when I see the old people doing their daily shuffle up

and down the stairs – while their younger neighbors do it by motor.

(A former mayor of Molivos once said that he was against building

a new road down from the town to the port because it was healthier

for people to walk TB).

Keeping a garden is also a very healthy way of life. Not only for the

homegrown vegetables, but because it means lots of exercise:

digging, sowing, weeding, harvesting. Daily walks and gardening

will keep you in shape.


Another factor of the good Ikarian lifestyle is the afternoon nap, the

famous siesta. All Greeks used to take a nap in the afternoon but

especially in the tourist areas, this is disappearing. When you walk

around in Molyvos early afternoon, you will always see some life,

but on Ikaria you will not meet a soul. It has to be said that the

Greeks have their main meal of the day in the afternoon and after

such a dinner a nap is more than welcome.

The curious factor of the Ikarian good life is the social side of it.

Here in Greece the family ties are very important and houses are

shared by more than two generations. Old people’s homes are

practically unknown in Greece. Grandparents play a key role in the

upbringing of their grand children and the household, so the old

people have an active social role. According to the Ikarians, living

alone is very unhealthy, and there’s an old Greek saying: if you go

to church regularly you’ll live longer. Maybe it’s the walking as well

as the prayers.

Concerning the food, the “blue zone” message is clear: eat fresh

food, lots of different dishes and eat what’s in season. The Ikarian

diet is full of home products — as it is on Lesvos — although here

we eat more according to the usually Mediterranean diet — with

more fish and grains. Lately, scientists have been alarmed by the

impact modern life has on our diet as we move to frozen and fast

food, especially in the tourist areas. (Last year it was revealed by

the international Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that of

all EU citizens, the Greeks now have the highest (and unhealthiest)

body mass index (BMI) The reason? Because they have largely

abandoned the traditional diet — and the Ikarian variant — in favor

of food with too much fat, salt and sugar. Sad but true. TB)

Happily enough, though, the modern food style has not yet

conquered Lesvos, and even the tourists tend to eat the real Greek

food that is served in nearly all the restaurants. Maybe not so many

Greeks here on the island reach the age of 90 as they do on Ikaria,

but I am sure that in the Lesvorian mountain villages where the

traditional life continues like in the old times, a third of the people

will easily reach the age of 80. So, I bet Lesvos qualifies as a light

Blue Zone…

(with thanks to Tony Barrell)

@ Smitaki, 2009