Entries Tagged 'Foods Menu' ↓

Foods have 50% less nutritious in respect to the past…5 tips to improve our health

February 2nd, 2008 — Current news, Foods Menu, Italian Cuisine, Nutrition facts

Nutrition and agro-food technologies experts denounce a reduction by more than 50% of the nutritional properties of foods so called “friends of health” caused by:

Loss of seasonality
Pollution
Agricultural policies of some countries

Have been accused especially fruit and vegetables and other “ingredients” of the Mediterranean diet. They are no longer those of the past.

The reasons?

The procedures for the production and storage of products that come from all parts of the world
The demand for products beyond their natural season
Pollution

So at equal calories intake, foods have far fewer vitamins, salts and fibers.

“Surely products have something better than what happened just 20 years ago but them have lost more than 50% in terms of nutritional principles” , confirms Dr. Andrea Strata, professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Parma, Italy.

Today, the industrial social model requires a variation of food proportions.

Here 5 simple rules to review and update the Mediterranean diet to adapt it to new needs and modern lifestyles:

The first rule: regular intake of carbohydrates on the basis of your actual physical activity and lifestyle.
The second rule: increase consumption of fruit and vegetables
The third rule: help your body through the integration of nutrients. Especially at certain times of the year, in winter take vitamins, as well as minerals during the hottest periods.
The fourth rule: choose, as far as possible, food where the use of pesticides has been minimal.
The fifth rule: be informed on the meal and food ingredients and preparation.

You can read more here

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Extra Virgin Olive Oil helps to combat cancer and other degenerative diseases

January 26th, 2008 — Diet blogs and resources, Health benefits, Olive oil, healthy diets

Extra virgin olive oil and bread
Thanks to 79704578@N00

According to an European research group, the consumption of olive oil rich in polyphenols (natural antioxidants) improves the lives of people suffering from oxidative stress, and is also highly beneficial for the prevention of cell aging and osteoporosis.

According to Professors Alberto Fernández and Antonio Segura:

“As preventive substances, polyphenols help to combat any oxidative disease associated with the degenerative process.”

A healthy snack idea: The Mediterranean cracker with cheese and tomatoes

January 23rd, 2008 — Italian Cuisine, Meal ideas, Med Diet Info, Nutrition facts, Olive oil

Here a single idea to choose a snack that mix all the Mediterranean in a cracker…

It’s a product of the Barilla Group that I buy in Italy.

gran pavesi mediterraneo

Ingredients:

Wheat flour
Tomato (20%)
Not hydrogenated vegetable fats
Extra virgin olive oil (2,8%)
Salt
Cheese grain (Parmesan) (1,65%)
Barley flour
Oregano (0,5%)
Natural yeast
Eggs

Nutrition information for 1 serving (1 ounce) butritional information for the cracker

135 Kcal
Protein 2.8
Carbohydrates 21.2
Fat 4.3

I’ve tried to search how to find them in the U.S. but nothing.

So if you want to cook them at home here how to prepare a cracker.

Preparation:

Put all ingredients in a blender until fine crumbs.
Transfer to a small bowl.
Add cheese to blender until smooth.
Return flour mixture and process until ball forms.
Roll out dough thinly.
Prick dough all over with a fork.
Cut crosswise into equal strips.
Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.

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How to prevent heart disease with the Mediterranean diet

November 17th, 2007 — Current news, Vegetarian, Wine

There is only a single way to prevent heart disease…eating like a Mediterranean.

Last day in this article about the “Secret of Mediterranean diet”. I’ve read about a study on why the Med diet helps preventing heart attacks etc…in a single word “Green“.

In fact, the U.S. researchers say that leafy green vegetables may help protect heart tissue from the injury caused by a heart attack.

They suggest that nitrite (found in celery, beets and greens) may be the secret ingredient of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.

More info:

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Do you know the calorie count of the traditional Italian foods?

November 10th, 2007 — Italian Cuisine, Pasta, Wine

Pizza or Pasta?

Last day during my daily news hunting, I’ve found this article about the real healthy effects of the menu of 2 of the best Italian restaurants in America: Romano’s Macaroni Grill and the Olive Garden

A report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest suggests that maybe eating Italian is not so healthy.

They say that recipes like Spaghetti, Lasagna, meatballs, etc…are high in calories and full of saturated fat.

Generally most people believe the Mediterranean diet is eating like the countries of the Mediterranean cuisine. But it’s not so.

There are thousand of recipes, those healthy, those tasty and those fatty. It’s normal!

The Mediterranean diet is based on:

Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Wine
Pasta
Etc..

But It doesn’t mean that all recipes that contains these foods are healthy.

I think that it’s a responsibility of the e restaurants to inform the consumer about the calories and provide a food chart in their menu.

The risk is that the consumer could believe all Italian recipes are healthy.

I’d like also to clarify some things:

I’m Italian and I think that these restaurants haven’t nothing of Italian. They are managed as business…and everybody of us know that Money=Unhealthy.
A typical Italian restaurant should be family managed and of little dimensions. I had a look on the websites of these chains and I saw also “Franchising”….what?!
How can they “sell” the Italian cuisine? Who guarantee you that the ower is another Italian?
Another thing to consider is that today the Italian cuisine in America is an evolution of the tradition. So most foods don’t come from Italy and recipes have been modified.

Try to cook the Pasta with the Italian water instead of the American one and feel the difference!

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An healthy diet plan to cure obesity heart diseases in American people

November 10th, 2007 — Current news, Diet plan, Foods Menu

How to avoid risks for obese people

Last day I’ve read an article about a new study of the Emory University (presented in the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions) that shows how some slight diet changes can lead to significant improvements in an obese person’s cardiovascular health and repairing the damages from the past.

The research compared 3 groups on markers of heart disease risk. The groups where:

Follow a Mediterranean style diet [high in fruit and vegetables, bread, wheat and other cereals, olive oil, fish, and red wine]
Follow an American type diet [Relatively high in saturated fat, trans fat, chemical additives, refined sugar, and overall calories]
Continued to follow their usual diet

Entries Tagged 'Foods Menu' ↓

Pizza or Pasta?

How to avoid risks for obese people

Red wine is good for your heart

What led you to write “Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet”?

How the Mediterranean diet avoid the risk of obesity

Eating Mediterranean foods can help you

Tomato is 1 of the best sources of lycopene

What food to eat for high cholesterol?

Are all the diet pyramids the same?

Med diet pyramid increases your health

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