SLOW LIVING
Join Dr. Michele Burklund as she discovers the art of slow living in the village of Avdou on the island of Crete in Greece.
What’s the most inspiring part of living in a small Greek village? Watching the elders work in their gardens each morning and seeing them forage for herbs to prepare their daily cuisine. Botanical studies have even shown that this island has one of the most interesting eco-systems in Europe, rich with indigenous plants.
Other Countries Consider It A Weed But Not The Cretans! After doing some research, I was amazed that I had never heard of this plant... or, for that matter, how someone could view it as a weed! Purslane simply deserves more respect.
Finally, I have found a country that isn't afraid to use garlic and lots of it. It's a very nice thing to be living alone right now, because I have no idea if I smell like garlic to anyone else :) Almost everyday since I've arrived I have eaten tzatziki!
In the U.S we would spend hundreds of dollars to seek out the hippest restaurant that offers local, organic, farm-fresh food but here, it's just another day. We ate eggs that were from an 80-year old man's chickens, avocados from the neighbors crop, and kiwi's grown around the corner. The dinner consisted of kiwi cheesecake made with Greek yogurt, grilled avocado salad, and an omelette made with spinach and eggs.
He was the first doctor to recognize that disease was associated with environmental factors, diet, and living habits. It seems so commonplace now, but back in 460 BC this was an interesting idea.
Smelling the sweet scents of jasmine & rose, hearing the birds sing, walking the dirt roads covered in flowers and lined with stones, and looking at the gorgeous view of the mountains is how I started my morning.
After a long flight (and an insane layover in Germany), I have finally arrived in Crete! I booked a one way ticket and way too much stuff for my journey to write a book based on this blog! My goal is to write 10-15 pages a day and also chronicle my life in this tiny, yet incredibly charming village called Avdou. Whenever I travel to a new location my goal is to be immersed in the culture and live like the locals do. What's the point of traveling if you're just going to stay in a chain hotel and do activities just designed for tourists??? Well, I found the perfect place to explore local culture and discover a slower way of life.
Mugwort, aka Artemisia vulgaris, an amazing women's herb used to tonify the reproductive system…
Making olive oil is both an art and a science. Besides sourcing the best organic, non-GMO olives, there's many other standards that must be taken into account.
Being immersed in olives for the last month, I couldn't help but write about the endless uses for this magical and nourishing food…
For the last couple of weeks I decided to immerse myself in the Greek culture instead of simply writing about it…
You don't have to go to a spa and spend thousands of dollars to get the benefits of mud! Why not simply go to the source?…
Don't get me wrong, the Greeks know how to make a mean salad but sometimes it's fun to change up old classics…
I feel like this is the first time in seriously over a decade that I can actually relax…
Going back to the basics is the best way to get in touch with the healing power of nature…
Living in Greece has been so inspiring, peaceful, and pretty much perfect well, except that I don't have any of my usual blogging equipment. Back home, I had everything available to me... an amazing photographer, great cameras & lenses, a dress for every occasion, a car to drive to the perfect location, makeup artists, hair stylists for the perfect wave, and shops to find anything in between. The crazy part of all of this??? I'm way more creative with a selfie stick, Iphone, and limited wardrobe.
Traveling alone doesn't mean you're a total loner; it's actually quite the opposite! It means that you feel totally comfortable with yourself and enjoy adventure. I've traveled to many countries alone over the last decade and had a blast.. some of the travels where for personal development and others were simply because schedules could not sync up.
The first Greek document describing carob was over 4,000 years ago! The Greeks were the first ones to cultivate this plant and discover all the wonderful uses…
Greek women take full advantage of all the wonderful plants around them like olive trees, chamomile, rosemary, sage, and dittany. Learn their secrets to gorgeous hair!
They use olive oil in everything including their hair.
Avocados, which are also rich in oils and vitamin E are abundant in the country.
Even though I live in such a small village (population about 150, average age about 75), I feel as though I'm always discovering something new everyday! Simply walking down the streets lined with flowers, seeing the women sitting outside of their homes crocheting beautiful things, and watching all the village people gather in the town square for coffee and conversation inspires me to remember the importance of the little things in life.
Well, first off, the Greek women know that beauty comes from the inside out and their lifestyle is the foundation for glowing skin and a vibrant life…
One of my personal favorite things to do with roses is a hydrosol which refreshes and moisturizes the skin. Give it a try!
I decided to forage for wild flowers this morning around the mountains and came home with a gorgeous bouquet! Blue, purple, pink, red, green, white, yellow... and every hue in-between…
The Greeks have been familiar with this gorgeous fruit since ancient times and in Greek Mythology, the pomegranate was known as the "fruit of the dead" and used to honor the spirits of the dead…
So, we're all pretty darn familiar with the research based on the Mediterranean diet that shows a correlation between a diet rich in healthy fats, fish, and vegetables…
MEDICINE WILD. curated by Dr. Michele Burklund. Dr. Michele Burklund perfectly blends the art of natural medicine into beautiful and inspiring health tips in her health and wellness website, Medicine Wild. Learn about natural remedies, DIY treatments, naturopathic lifestyles, and more
Every morning since I have arrived in Crete I start the day with Greek coffee and it's amazing! That's quite a compliment coming from a Seattlite, the birthplace of coffee in the U.S. (and Starbucks).
Why is Greek coffee so much better? Well, it's all in the preparation which creates a higher concentration of more protective compounds than your average cup of joe.