Often praised as a nutritional model, the Cretan regime returns to the front of the stage in an enlightening documentary signed Alexandros Merkouris. At the crossroads of medical science and culinary traditions, this 53 -minute film offers a trip to the heart of a diet as virtuous as it is threatened.
Fruits, vegetables, fish, whole cereals, olive oil, very little meat, no sugar: these are the pillars of what is commonly called the “Mediterranean diet” – or more specifically “Cretan”. This food model, highlighted after the Second World War by the American doctor Ancel Keys, is still fascinating public health researchers today.
But the documentary underlines from the start The disturbing paradox of contemporary Crete : Formerly the cradle of a frugal and protective diet, the island is now struck hard by obesity, especially among the youngest. Western habits – excess meat, sodas, ultra -formed food – have dethroned the simple dishes of formerly. A shame for a region which was a world model of longevity and cardiovascular prevention.
When poverty forged health
This documentary by Alexandros Merkouris returns to the origins of the Cretan regime: a local, seasonal and modest food, born of a certain economic austerity. It is precisely this frugality, combined with the plant richness of the Mediterranean environment, which would have protected entire generations against chronic diseases. A hypothesis confirmed by The predimed study in Spain in the early 2000s, and by other research suggesting a preventive effect against cancer or even dementia.
The film explores various initiatives, from Bordeaux to Athens via Milan, Paris, Navarre or the United States, where doctors and researchers associate scientific data et culinary transmission. Some studies go so far as to invite patients to cook together, during practical and friendly workshops, thus reconnecting the link between health, pleasure and sociability.
We discover that the Mediterranean regime is not only good for the heart or neurons: It is also ecologically sustainable And respect the seasons, the terroirs, and the forgotten dietary balances.
While the food industry continues to promote processed products with great marketing reinforcements, this documentary offers a salutary return to the simplicity and food wisdom of the Ancients. Without dogmatism, he recalls that the fight against modern diseases also passes … through our plate.
Photo credit: DR
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