Health Tips from Türkiye
«Egzersiz yapmak kalbinize yapılan bir hürmettir.»
«Exercise should be regarded as a tribute to the heart.»
1
Turkish Coffee - A symbol of friendship
Turkish coffee is a rich, thick, and delightful drink to be enjoyed slowly with good company. It is brewed in a copper coffee pot called a cezve, made with powder-like ground coffee, and sweetened to the drinker's taste. This style of coffee is not filtered. Instead, the coffee is ground so finely that it resembles flour and becomes part of the drink.
It is by fact the oldest coffee brewing method in the world, where the foam consists of coffee and grounds, and it retains the taste for the longest time on the palate.
Among the benefits of Turkish Coffee, which has many health benefits, it provides energy to the body, strengthens your mental activities, and helps you stay fit throughout the day if consumed two cups a day.
The three most important benefits of Turkish coffee are:
1) Good for Mental Disorders: Turkish coffee has a memory-enhancing effect against mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Depression. It opens the mind and greatly reduces the chances of getting such mental problems. It helps to relieve headaches such as migraines. It significantly increases the effect of painkillers. According to some scientists, it increases the effect of painkillers by up to 30 percent.
2) Fights Cancer Diseases: Regularly drinking 2 cups of Turkish Coffee a day reduces the risk of developing colon, breast and rectal, large intestine, larynx, and esophagus cancers. Studies conducted at Harvard Medical School have shown that it reduces the risk of gallbladder diseases by 45% and colon cancer by 25%.
3) The Turkish coffee tradition is a symbol of hospitality, friendship, refinement and entertainment that permeates all walks of life. An invitation for coffee among friends provides an opportunity for intimate talk and the sharing of daily concerns. Turkish coffee also plays an important role on social occasions such as engagement ceremonies and holidays. Friendship has a positive impact on mental health and physical health.
2
Oil Wrestling - An art of strength, fairness and respect
Oil wrestling is a traditional Turkish sport, where participants, wrestle while covered in oil. Competitions are held in proving grounds. One challenge of oil wrestling is that oiling the wrestlers' bodies makes it harder to grab each other. Oil wrestling was performed by ancient communities 4,500 years ago in Thrace and the Balkans.
Oil wrestling is a very popular sport among Turks and is considered a show of strength. The core reason to add the oil, is to make the competition equal to both wrestlers. Oil wrestling competitions begin with prayer and music.
Oil wrestling as a sport helps develop overall strength in the core, shoulders and legs as well as general endurance. Wrestlers prepare similar to other sports with weight training, running and speed drills. The opening prayers can foster a sense of connection, whether it's to a higher power, to the opponent, or to what a person finds important in life. It is also a rememberance of respect toward the other wresteler and a sign of humility. Prayer helps also regulate the heartbeat, making it stronger and less stressed. Though it is a mental and spiritual activity, it also has positive effect on the body.
3
Turkish Bath - To keep you clean and happy
A Turkish bath, or hammam, is not simply a means to get clean but is also a ritualistic experience, one made up of hot steam, detoxifying body treatments and a soothing cup of cold tea.
A Turkish hamam is a hot steam hydro-therapy treatment which has a miraculous effect on both the mental and physical state of everyone able to enjoy its benefits to the full.
Six benefits of Hammam
1) Relieves stress.
2) Cleans the skin.
3) Eliminates toxins.
4) Improves blood circulation.
5) Clears respiratory tract.
6) Increases sense of happiness and wellbeing
The hammam, or Turkish baths we know today, are a combination of the ancient Roman and Ottoman bathing traditions. While the ritual started as a way to keep clean, the intricately decorated, domed bathhouses became important places in town where men and women could gather (separately) to catch up on news and gossip. In fact, hammams were so important in the social fabric of Ottoman society that a wife could file for divorce if her husband prohibited her from visiting one.
The tradition of communal bathing still exists for special occasions, such as weekend catch-ups with friends and family, though most people do have a bathroom at home.
4
Salep - The drink of the sultan
As soon as the weather gets colder in Turkey almost every cafe offers Salep - a cinnamon-dusted creamy drink that keeps you satiated thanks to the complex carbohydrates it contains - called glucomannan. As salep is made with milk, it becomes even more nutritious thanks to the proteins. Cinnamon is also added, which helps to balance blood sugar. The traditional drink is also rich in vitamins A and C and potassium.
It is dubbed the drink of the sultans, salep has a history that dates back 3,000 years. Salep is made out of the dried tubers of the Orchis genus of the orchid family, characterized by its purple or pinkish flowers.
It contains a mucus-like substance that might help soothe the digestive tract. People use salep for diarrhea, heartburn, gas, indigestion, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
5
Boza - Winter Magic in a cup
Just as old as Salep, or perhaps even older, is the traditional Turkish winter drink Boza. Boza is made out of grain and then fermented. The drink is rich in protein and vitamin B and is usually drunk with some leblebi (roasted chickpeas) on top. Boza has a thick consistency, a low alcohol content (around 1%), and a slightly acidic sweet flavor.
Boza has been found to have several health benefits: the drink helps to balance blood pressure, to increase milk production in lactating women and to facilitate digestion. it is a valuable nutrient to physically active people, as it contains vitamins A, c, e and four types of vitamin B.
6
Tea - To relax and improve sleep
Tea is a daily staple in Turkish culture and not only in its cuisine. And as much as black tea is loved, herbal teas are also close to Turks' hearts.
Drinking tea has been considered a healthy habit since ancient times.
The ones most preferred in Turkey are classic chamomile, which helps ease anxiety, and lemon balm tea, which is very soothing – so much so that it helps you sleep better. Mint tea is also great for the digestive system, so if you are feeling nauseous a cup of it could help relax the stomach. In addition to true classics like Linden, it is important to keep in mind that excessive consumption of herbal teas can be bad for you, so stick to a cup or two a day to keep yourself warm and hydrated.
7
Döner - A packed Wellness Sub
If you like subs and sandwiches, you are definitely going to love döners. Try kebab sandwich prepared with slow cooked chicken, lamb, or beef meat served with vegetables, spices, and garlic yogurt. It is goodness and fresh flavors packed inside the pita bread. Enjoy it with hummus or traditional Turkey dips to elevate the taste. The meat is cooked on a vertical rotisserie and is full of flavors. The sliced shavings are filled inside the doner stacked along fresh veggies and dressing. Turkish fast food is generally healthy and salubrious. So, you wont feel guilty of gorging on doners.
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Corba - A soup great for the heart
Corba is a hearty red lentil soup, super flavorful and comforting. Mercimek Çorbası (Corba) is a very popular soup in Turkish cuisine. This lentil soup has been a staple in Turkey for centuries. Lentils are incredibly popular throughout the entire Mediterranean.
Lentils are rich in fibre, folate and potassium making them a great choice for the heart and for managing blood pressure and cholesterol. They are also a source of energising iron and vitamin B1 which helps maintain a steady heartbeat
9
Most used vegetables
Mediterranean region is well known for their warm and sunny climate which allows growing vegetables year-round. Three of the most common vegetables grown and eaten in Turkey are zucchinis, eggplants, and cauliflower. They all have clear helth benefits.
Zucchini is rich in vitamin B6. Research suggests that this vitamin can help with regulating blood glucose. The vitamin may even play a protective role against diabetes. Compounds such as lutein and zeaxanthin protect the eye's cells by filtering blue light wavelengths.
Eggplant has antioxidants like vitamins A and C, which help protect your cells against damage. It's also high in natural plant chemicals called polyphenols, which may help cells do a better job of processing sugar if you have diabetes.
Cauliflower is naturally high in fiber and B-vitamins. It provides antioxidants and phytonutrients that can protect against cancer. It also contains fiber to enhance weight loss and digestion, choline that is essential for learning and memory, and many other important nutrients.
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Family culture - The source of comfort and safety
Turkish culture is very family oriented. There is a strong belief that people should maintain ties with their relatives and care for their parents and elders into their old age. Turks may live in their family home for a long time into adulthood and visit their family on a regular basis.
Family and kinship are extraordinarily important values of culture and heritage in Turkey. Kinship, family ties, and spirituality are regarded with utmost value in Turkish society. Family union has been long cherished since the early days of Turkey. The close-knit social structure of the family remains strong. The cornerstone of day to day life in Turkey is always family, being the first place Turkish people turn to when in need of support.
A few of the benefits of spending time with family are that nobody knows you like your family and they can be a source of comfort and safety. Family is not always perfect but it is important to build family bonds that will get you through the tough times as well as the good times. A family is not always perfect, but when you have a family, you have people to love and who love you. No matter what. That is a great comfort and a shield for safety.
Nugget: Agriculture is the main occupation of the majority of the Turkish population, as almost half the country consists of agricultural land. Historians believe that many agricultural systems originated in Turkey. Due to its fruitful soil, favorable climate and plentiful rainfall, in terms of food production, Turkey is one of the few self-sufficient countries in the world. Turkey supplies approximately 75% of the world’s production of hazelnuts and is thus one of the pillars of the Turkish export market. Mainly due to its favorable weather conditions for hazelnut production, hazelnut fields stretch along the Black Sea coasts of Turkey.
