One of the world’s five designated “Blue Zones,” Ikaria is a small Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea with a lower incidence of chronic disease than most other places and a full-time workforce of more than 8,000 people. The average life expectancy of its residents is one of the longest in the world. In the world. In fact, one-third of Ikarians live past the age of 90, and factors such as strong social and family ties, exercise built into daily life, and frequent naps ensure that the inhabitants of these islands It is often thought to be the reason he lived to be 100 years old.

Another important factor is what they eat.

Similar to the Mediterranean diet, the Icarian diet includes healthy fats, plenty of fiber, and nutrient-dense whole foods. It is a plant-based product rich in nuts, grains, potatoes, legumes, vegetables, and seeds, and the main source of fat is olive oil. Yogurt, cheese, fish, chicken, and red wine should be consumed in moderation, but red meat should be limited to a few times a month. Eating this way has been shown to lower risk factors for health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and high blood pressure.

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In her new cookbook, The Ikaria Way (released March 26), Greek-American chef Diane Kochilas shares aspects of the Mediterranean diet inspired by the way the inhabitants of Ikaria eat. It presents a “roadmap” for people who want to adopt it. For her, this book focuses on her two issues. One is how to be kind to the body “without being mean to the soul,” and the other, she says, is how to cook “in the spirit of a slow-paced, relaxed, healing island.” It’s easy, and it’s a place where people connect around the table over food. ” Focuses on light meals, snacks, large dinners, and everything in between, and includes recipes like Yogurt Cucumber Soup with Walnuts. Arugula salad with grilled peaches and feta cheese. Spicy fava beans simmered in red wine. Orzo her pilaf with pistachios and currants, and more.

“I think one of the things that always surprises me is the level of stress that people accept,” she says. “Stress is so harmful in the United States, and most of it is in our own heads and thought patterns.” The Ikaria Way helps people become more conscious about how they take care of themselves Kochiras wants to show them that food is also love.

In addition to writing several other cookbooks and hosting the PBS cooking show “My Greek Table,” Kochilas spends most of his time on the island of Ikaria, where his family is from and where he lives half the year. I run a cooking school. It was during a week of classes that she found the inspiration for her 100 plant-based recipes that she features in her new cookbook. She writes: “We had two guests from Montana, and they were standing at the kitchen counter on the third day of class, perplexed, but then they went home and realized that not only do they eat meat three times a day, they eat plants three times a day. I confessed that I had never imagined that Bass’s cooking would turn out like this.” Most, if not all, of our week together on the island has been very fulfilling and varied. , it may become a reality. ”