This is an installment on our Series – Live to One Hundred and One. Eat like a peasant in Sardinia, Russia or Japan, people who are the healthiest around the world.
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In Dan Buettner’s book The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People, the author reveals what the people around the world who live the longest are more likely to eat.
The Sardinian people eat a mostly plant-based diet for the majority of their lives. Many who live to be 100. The hardy shepherds drive livestock from the mountains to the plains, eat lots of goat’s milk and sheep’s cheese, and a moderate amount of carbs with flat bread, sourdough bread and barley. These centenarians also eat plenty of fennel, fava beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, almonds, milk thistle tea and wine from Grenache grapes.
One of the keys to longevity?
Milk thistle
Sardinians drink a tea of milk thistle, as locals believe it will cleanse the liver.
Emerging research suggests that the milk thistle’s main active ingredient, silymarin, is an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory benefits. It can be found in American health food stories as an ingredient in some herbal teas.
Here is a site that explains some of the benefits:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320362.php
Milk thistle is a flowering plant that comes from the same family of plants as the daisy. It grows in Mediterranean countries and is used to make natural remedies.
Different parts of the milk thistle plant may be used to treat various health conditions. The most common use of milk thistle is for liver problems. However, there are some other pretty hefty health claims:
cirrhosis
jaundice
hepatitis
gallbladder disorders
Supports liver health
Promotes skin health
Reduces cholesterol
Supports weight loss
Reduces insulin resistance
Improves allergic asthma symptoms
Limits the spread of cancer
Supports bone health. Milk thistle tea may help to prevent bone loss caused by a lack of estrogen.
Improves cognition
Boosts the immune system
How to add milk thistle to your diet:
Tea: Milk thistle is available as packaged tea, or can be used in home-made tea. To do this put crushed milk thistle leaves and seeds in a muslin bag. Steep the bag in hot water for five minutes. Add honey for flavor.
I could not find a product imported from Sardinia, but this one looks pretty good.
The Republic Of Tea, Milk Thistle Superherb, 36 Count
Diluted Milk Thistle Tincture: Add a few drops to a glass of water. • Powdered Seeds: Sprinkle this powder on your burgers, smoothies, and salads. This one is super concentrated.
- Super Concentrated 2,000 mg of Pure Milk Thistle Extract
- Promotes Healthy Liver Function, Detoxification & Supports Waste Elimination
- Fast Absorption – Absorbed Faster Than Tablets or Capsules
- Alcohol-Free, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO Verified, & Holistically Balanced
- Made in the USA, by Naturer’s Answer, a company renowned for it’s passion for Quality for over 40-years.
Grow some. If you want to grow some milk thistle, you can add milk thistle stalks, leaves, flowers, and roots to your diet as an ingredient in salads and cooked meals.
Here is an article on growing it;
https://www.herbazest.com/herb-garden/growing-milk-thistle
And this looks like a good source of seeds
David’s Garden Seeds Herb Milk Thistle SL (Purple) 25 Non-GMO, Heirloom Seeds
Milk thistle can be made into a delicious smoothie or put in fruit juice. Soak ground milk thistle seeds in water overnight. Then add chopped lycium berries and some lemon juice.
Milk Thistle Smoothie:
1/2 cup of oats
1 banana
1 dried fig
1 teaspoon ground milk thistle seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
500ml Almond milk or other milk of choice
Starwest Botanicals Organic Milk Thistle Seed, 1 Pound
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Love,
Lee Jordan