SLICE OF PARADISE

The lifestyle of the Mediterranean is widely acknowledged to promote longer, healthier lives. Adele Cardani looks at ways to experience the benefits wherever you are in the world

- Adele Cardani

I’ve just returned from a restorative getaway in sun-soaked Crete. At the hotel, I enjoyed invigorating morning yoga and a rejuvenating massage using locally sourced olive oil and aromatic herbs. Colourful, plant-packed meals were another highlight. I had to refrain from ordering the tzatziki and a Dakos salad – topped with juicy tomatoes and crumbly feta – at every meal.

The Mediterranean lifestyle is widely acknowledged as lending itself to a longer, healthier life – and it’s easy to see why. As our lives become busier and it’s increasingly difficult to “switch off”, the slower pace, access to sun and sea, and delicious yet highly nourishing food are rather swoon-worthy.

I left that postcard-perfect slice of paradise feeling refreshed and wondering, could its abundant wellness benefits be experienced at home? According to the experts, the answer is a resounding yes. Below they offer advice for embracing a Mediterranean mood, even in a gloomy UK.

Science-backed benefits

I paid a visit to progressive wellbeing clinic, the Galen Clinic – named after the notable Greek physician. Here, Dr Andreas Androulakakis, co-founder and medical director, confirmed that the Mediterranean way of life has a myriad of science-backed benefits.