We know that Greece has huge financial issues recently, but there is still a lot we can learn from this beautiful country. One of the sunniest places in the world, Greece is also home to 6000 beautiful islands and obviously gains a lot of money from its tourism industry. But most of the country is actually mountains, along with ancient cities like Athens. Santorini (image above) is home to beaches of different colours (white, red and black due to volcanic soil). Some black sand and pebbles are so slippery that you may accidentally wade in and start swimming, so take great care.
Greece has hardly any care homes. This is because grandparents live with their families, no shoving people away to sit in circles watching TV, because nobody wants to look after them. In John Robbins’ book Healthy at 100, he found a similar culture when he visited the longest-living cultures (Pakistan, Russia, Chile and Japan). If someone can no longer live alone, not to be chosen as the child to look after them, is shameful! His conclusion why these cultures live so long is more than good food, fresh air and faith – but that nobody was lonely.
Greeks don’t knock down ancient buildings. Old buildings are not bulldozed to make way for skyscrapers, yet we’ve had developers bulldoze Birmingam Central Library (a magnificent Victorian building), Euston Railway Station entrance (an architecture relic) and the art-deco Olympic pool where Johnny Weissmuller (who played Tarzan) used to swim. Recently, England’s second-oldest pear tree has gone to make way for the disastrous HS2 project (which will kill around 22,000 wildlife yearly once built). Old buildings are also home to roosting bats and barn owls. Replacing old facades with glass also contributes to bird strike. Read how to help stop birds flying into windows.
eat like the Greeks? Yes – vegetables!
We’ve all heard that we should ‘eat like the Greeks’. But eating oily fish for health doesn’t pan out. Viva! Fish Report writes that vested interests have overtaken things, because you don’t need fish for omega 3 oils (cooking fish destroys them anyway). The reason why Greeks are healthy is because they eat tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, real olives (over olive oil) and fruit-based desserts.
A little fish likely won’t harm most people health-wise, but pregnant women are not allowed to eat certain types (and as one male vegan writer puts ‘if it’s not good enough for pregnant women, it’s not good enough for me!’) Also when Greek people eat fish, they are just eating a freshly-caught fish from local clean waters, not fish-farmed products from big multi-national companies that also trawl up other by-catch like sea turtles, dolphins, whales and sharks. Take plant-based omega 3 supplements straight from the source (algae) with no fishy burps afterwards!
