Olive oil
Olive oil is perhaps the most important part of the Cretan Diet, though undoubtedly the most counter-intuitive.
Yes, we know what you’re thinking. Doesn’t olive oil have loads of fat? It does, but not necessarily the bad kind. Those regularly on the Cretan Diet on average consume three times more fat than most Americans.
Unlike other oils, olive oil contains components that have been linked to keeping people cancer-free. Cretans don’t typically fry with olive oil, using it instead for dressing or in sauces for bread. Speaking of bread, that’s another thing readily abundant within the Cretan Diet – Cretans consume three times more bread than the average American.