Greek cuisine ...A WINDOW TO HEALTHY LIFE

Ingredients like Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic, Olive oil, Black Pepper, Oregano form the basis of every Greek dish. Their advantages to the human body are enormous, and are explained below:

• Tomato:
  Tomato is more than a delicious vegetable. This most popular vegetable is good for our health in many aspects. It contains lycopene, one of nature's most powerful carotenoid antioxidants. We've already known its benefits in lowering the risk of prostate cancer, preventing diarrhea, soothing eye irritation, cleansing and revitalizing the skin, healing sunburn, healing wounds and sores, supporting liver health and heart health.
• Onion:
  Onion is being used for centuries not just to add flavour to foods but also for its therapeutic properties. Onion have an antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Some people mixed vinegar with onion juice and apply it in their freckles and warts, it is believed that it can remove/reduce this skin problems.
• Potato:
  Potatoes are one of the most popular vegetables because they are nutritious, easy to prepare, and very versatile. They're rich in complex carbohydrates that can supply energy, but not all that high in calories. Potatoes also contain substantial amounts of vitamins C and B6, which are vital for blood clotting, wound healing, a strong immune system, normal nervous system function and for converting the food you eat to energy. There's also a substance called kukoamine found in potatoes that may help to lower blood pressure, although more research is necessary to know for sure.
• Olive Oil
  Medical studies indicate that Mediterranean countries and specifically Greece, where olive oil consumption is high, suffer less cardiovascular problems from any other country in the world where the ratio of the consumption of animal fat is high or simply the nutrition parameters are poor. By reducing the animal fats and increasing olive oil in our diet we obtain a perfect combination for the prevention of such fatal diseases, like arteriosclerosis and heart attacks.
  Last but not least, is the unique property of olive oil to dissolve useful substances coming from food that cannot be absorbed by the human body. Olive oil is used in everyday cooking. It can be used in salads or added in the cooking process of almost any recipe. Olive Oil is the healthiest type of oil with 0% cholesterol, rich in Vitamins against ageing and perfect even for frying dishes. Olive oil is the best nutritional gift we can offer to ourselves. Olive oil helps us keep good in health making our life pleasant.
• Black Pepper
  Black pepper improves digestion by stimulating the taste buds and thereby alerting the stomach to increase hydrochloric secretion. Black pepper is also an antioxidant, and it has antibacterial effects. But wait - there's more! You will be very happy to know that the outermost layer of the peppercorn actually helps stimulate the breakdown of fat cells!
  Black pepper also helps prevent the formation of intestinal gas, promotes urination, and promotes sweating. It is full of manganese, and it also has a good amount of iron and dietary fiber, as well.
• Oregano
  Oregano is a very good source of fiber, which binds bile salts and cancer-causing toxins in the colon, leading to their removal from the body. This causes the breakdown of cholesterol in the body, to make more bile salts. Hence, regular intake of the high-fiber oregano is linked with reduced levels of cholesterol and decreased occurrence of colon cancer.
  
  Certain phytonutrients present in oregano, like thymol and rosmarinic acid, makes it a very powerful antioxidant. It helps in preventing oxygen-based damage to cell structures, throughout the human body.
  Oregano is helpful in maintaining a good respiratory health. It also helps increase the joint and muscle flexibility.
  The herb is considered to be quite useful for general strengthening of the blankimmune system.
• Cheese
  Did you know there are over a thousand different types of cheese? Unfortunately, most of them have one thing in common – they're high in fat and calories. On the plus side, cheese is filling and is a good source of bone building calcium. The key is to enjoy the taste of cheese without overdoing the calories and fat. One attractive alternative is feta cheese – a cheese that's lower in calories and high on flavour. What are the health benefits of feta cheese?
  
  It's Less Likely to Blow Your Diet
  
  When you choose feta cheese over standard cheddar cheese, you get the cheesy taste with a third less calories. Feta cheese is also a third lower in fat. The good news? With feta cheese, it only takes a small amount of cheese to get great cheese flavour.
  It May Actually Promote Weight Loss
  The calcium in feta cheese helps to build stronger bones.
  The tasty heal benefits of feta cheese
• Lemon
  In Greece, lemons are used as a feature flavor in sauces, appetizers, entrées, salad dressings and the popular avgolemono, or Greek egg-lemon soup.
  Health Benefits: Lemons are an excellent source of vitamin B6, iron and potassium, and a very good source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. They also contain calcium, copper, folic acid, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc.
  Aside from their many nutrients, lemons are rich in bioflavonoids, which protect against damage from free radicals, act as natural antibiotics and may help prevent heart disease and cancer. Lemons are also anti-bacterial and anti-septic, making them good for mouth ulcers, canker sores and sore throats.
  Finally, lemon pulp and skin contains pectin, a compound that may lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels in diabetics.
• Eggplant
  Many of Greece's most famous dishes -- like moussaka and melitzana salata, an eggplant dip -- contain eggplant, which is known for its slightly bitter flavor and spongy texture. Eggplants are a rich source of phytonutrients, which have potent antioxidant properties. One such nutrient is nasunin, found in the eggplant's skin. Nasunin is an antioxidant that protects against free radical damage and protects the fats in brain cell membranes.
  Eggplants also contain chlorogenic acid, which is known to have anti-cancer, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties, as well as help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. They're a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, copper and vitamin B1.