Low Cholesterol, No Heart Disease: Eat Like An Ikarian

Have you heard about the island of Ikaria, off the coast of Turkey, where people forget to die? The island has earned the title of a “blue zone,” meaning an area on earth where people live the longest.

As a nutritional consultant, my first question is, of course, what do they eat? The answer is basically locally grown beans, greens and extra virgin olive oil—washed down with lots of red wine! (They also live a very low stress, active lifestyle with a strong sense of community.)

So how about trying to eat like an Ikarian for a day by eating a plant-based diet without any commercial additives—at least for a day—try it, you’ll like it!

Spinach Salad with Apples, Toasted Walnuts, and Dried Cranberries

It’s a nice fall dish, rich with spinach, crunchy apples and walnuts, and the sweetness of dried cranberries; that reduce cholesterol and also help prevent heart disease.

One 5-ounce box baby spinach

2 medium Gala or Braeburn apples, cored and sliced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

Arrange spinach on a large platter or in a large, shallow salad bowl. Top with sliced apples. In a small bowl mix the olive oil, orange juice, honey, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the spinach and apples. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and dried cranberries. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

NUTRITION IN A BOX

Per 1 1/2 cup serving:

Calories: 139

Fat: 10 g (0 g EPA, 0 g DHA, 1 g ALA)

Saturated Fat: 1 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 49 mg

Carbohydrate: 13 g

Dietary Fiber: 2 g

Sugars: 9 g

Protein: 2 g