A photo showing Icaria
Icaria na one of di world five designated "Blue Zones".
Di small Greek island in di eastern Aegean get lower rates of chronic diseases dan many oda places, and e get more dan 8,000 full-time residents, dem get one of di longest life expectancies for di world.
In fact, one third of Icarians live to be ova 90 years old, and factors such as strong social and family ties, exercise dey integrated into daily life and belief dey say frequent sleep na di reason why di inhabitants of dis island dey reach 100 years.
Anoda important contributing factor na wetin dem dey chop.
Like di Mediterranean diet, di Icaria diet include healthy fats, lots of fibre, and nutrient-dense whole foods.
E dey highly vegetal, wit nuts, cereals, potatoes, legumes, vegetables and seeds, and olive oil na di main source of added fat.
Dem dey consume yogurt and cheese, fish, poultry and red wine in moderation, while red meat dey limited to few times for one month.
Eating dis way don shown say e reduce risk factors for diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure.
Inside her new cookbook, The Ikaria Way, Greek-American chef Diane Kochilas offer one "blueprint" for pipo wey wan incorporate aspects of di Mediterranean diet into dia lives, inspired by di way di island residents dey chop.
For her, di book go focus on two questions: how to dey good to your bodi "witout being bad to your mind" and how to cook " in di spirit of relaxed and healing island wia di pace of life dey slow and easy and wia "pipo dey connect ova food around di table."
E highlight dishes for light meals, snacks, dinners for larger or medium-seized groups, wit recipes such as yogurt, cucumber and walnut soup; roasted peaches and arugula salad wit feta cheese; spicy broad beans braised in red wine; and rice pilaf wit pistachios and currants, among many odas.
"I tink one of di tins wey dey always surprise me na di level of stress wey pipo accept," e tok.
"For America, stress dey veri damaging and most of di stress dey for our own heads and thought patterns."
Her book aim to help pipo become more aware of how dem fit take care of demselves, and Kochilas wan show dem say "food na love too."
Di secret of beans
In addition to writing several oda cookbooks and hosting di cooking show, My Greek Table on PBS, Kochilas dey run cooking school for Icaria wia her family originate and wia she live for half of her life.
Na during one of her week-long class she bin get di inspiration for di 100 plant-based recipes she include for her new cookbook.
She write: "I get two guests from Montana wey dey surprise at di kitchen counter on di third day of class and confess say dem dey chop meat three times for one day for dia home, but dem neva imagine say plant-based cooking, wey be mainly (but not all) wetin we dey do during our week togeda on di island, e dey veri satisfying, e dey vary and real."
Di vegetarian foods wey dem dey find for Icaria no only dey healthy and hearty, but also practical.
For one tin, on di island, as in oda parts of Greece, some pipo still dey follow di fasting calendar of di Greek Orthodox Church and so dem no dey chop meat for certain times of di year, such as during Lent.
Di ingredients wey dem find for Kochilas cookbook dey in abundant for Icaria, including yogurt, dried fruits, honey, sea salt, olive oil, nuts, fresh herbs, cereals, garlic and variety of legumes.
Beans feature prominently in di Icaria Way and Kochilas make dem di stars of dishes such as fresh lemon beans with artichokes, tahini and yogurt; dried bean stew; red beans wit hot bell pepper flakes and fresh herbs; and caramelised jumbo beans wit turmeric, fennel and romaine lettuce.
According to Kochilas, "bean consumption dey help heart health by lowering cholesterol becos beans dey rich in soluble fiber, wey dey bind cholesterol particles and remove dem from di bodi."
E also say dem be "palliative in controlling and even preventing type 2 diabetes".
E tok say "chop beans and live longer" don become mantra for advocates of eating like pipo dey do for Blue Zone, one phrase wey Dan Buettner originally coin. Buettner na National Geographic insider longevity expert wey claim say "if you dey chop one cup of beans evri day e fit extend di pesin life by four years."
Kochilas also offer many bean recipes for di book, as dem dey versatile, dem fit use am for soups, salads or main dishes, and pipo fit "find good beans anywia," e tok.
Of her recipe for white bean stew wit eggplant, tomato and feta cheese, Kochilas write say "dis simple dish na one of di many ways we fit combine beans and legumes wit vegetables for Greek cooking."
Home cook fit use canned beans for di recipe, wey go provide hearty, nutritious and balanced meal for pipo wey choose to prepare am.
Kali orexi na how di Greeks dey greet each oda bon appétit, and perhaps dis phrase go also become part of diners speech wen dem dey prepare dis recipe, as well as odas wey Kochilas offer for The Ikaria Way .
Dis article appear on BBC Travel. You fit read di original version for English here.
