RESERVED AREA - THE PANTRY OF A HAPPY EATER
The Western lifestyle , characterized by an increasing sedentary lifestyle and a high-calorie diet increasingly rich in industrially refined foods and poor in vegetables, legumes and whole grains, contributes to increasing the risks of contracting numerous diseases . In an increasingly explicit way, the same international medical bodies express recommendations that go in the direction of consuming abundant whole grains, legumes, non-starchy vegetables and fruit (including dried fruit); to avoid sugary drinks and processed meats (cured meats, canned meats, frankfurters, hamburgers); to limit salt, red meat, high-calorie foods (rich in fat and sugar, such as fast food ) and alcoholic beverages, dairy products and their derivatives.
Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that:
- reducing foods of animal origin (in particular red meat, cured meats and dairy products) and increasing legumes (in particular soy) reduces LDL cholesterol;
- reducing sugars reduces triglycerides;
- reducing fats, meat, excess salt and increasing vegetables and physical activity reduces blood pressure;
- by choosing a diet based mainly on non-industrially refined plant products, obesity, diabetes and the risk of cancer are prevented and reduced.
The traditional Italian Mediterranean diet was made of durum wheat pasta, wholemeal bread, legumes, vegetables (cultivated and wild), fruit, oilseeds (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds), fish in seaside countries , olive oil, few dairy products and only occasionally meat.
Studies conducted on humans suggest that caloric restriction without malnutrition induces the same physiological, metabolic and molecular changes that have been observed in experimental animals. Recent studies suggest that the reduction in caloric intake achieved through intermittent fasting (e.g. fasting 1-2 times a week) induces protection from cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia and extends healthy lifespan.
An energetic balance of food between yin and yang recommends avoiding the extreme yin of sugary drinks and sweets rich in fat and sugar, and the extreme yang of cured meats and meats cooked at high temperatures on the grill or on the griddle, to consume only exceptionally the yang of red meat or the yin of alcohol, occasionally the moderate yang of fish, fruit only in season and daily whole grains and legumes, more balanced, and seasonal vegetables.
We recommend a hearty, savory and/or sweet breakfast, without using sweeteners, a lunch based on whole grains, legumes, oil seeds, seasonal vegetables and fruit and a light dinner .
Among the legumes we include all those of our tradition, among the cereals we alternate bread or pasta made from ancient grains with, more frequently, grain cereals (rice, barley, spelt, millet, oats, sorghum, buckwheat)
Desserts should be sweetened with fresh or dried fruit and nuts. We recommend the greatest variety of seasonal vegetables and fruits.
Cooking is the first medicine, and cooking with love is one of the pillars of authentic health . Love towards those who will taste your dish, love towards the land that grew the ingredients it is made of, love towards all the people who worked so that those ingredients could arrive on your table. Love towards your hands that prepare, love towards the fire that cooks with its heat, towards the water that softens and expands.
Here are the ingredients to always keep present in our pantry, ready to be consumed every day. Below is an indication of some ingredients that we consider to be quality food:
THE PANTRY
Whole grains
That is, not industrially refined (rice, barley, millet, buckwheat, spelt, etc.) typical of your area
Legumes
Of all types (grass peas, chickpeas, beans, broad beans, lentils...) typical of your area
Seasonal vegetables
A wide variety of seasonal vegetables (potatoes and aubergines only occasionally), always fresh, including brine or sauerkraut (lacto-fermented vegetables, very beneficial for the intestine).
Seasonal fruit
The best base for the preparation of our desserts.
Dried fruit
Sultanas, prunes and dried apricots.
Oilseeds
Like almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts. pistachios etc.
Condiments
Quality oil: extra virgin olive oil is excellent, but other oils are also interesting, as long as they are organic and cold-pressed (it is better not to use soya oil in cooking, which is very susceptible to heat).
Whole sea salt
With other condiments such as gomasio (better if self-produced) and tahini (excellent base for creams and hummus).
Algae
They help enrich our dishes with mineral salts and Omega 3 fats.
Miso
Fermented soy paste, for Western tastes it is better to choose rice or barley miso, where the soy is fermented in association with a cereal.
Apple or rice vinegar,
They are gentler than wine vinegar.
Naturally leavened bread
Leavened with sourdough, also called sourdough or sourdough or natural yeast, prepared with wholemeal or semi-wholemeal flours (i.e. sifted) of ancient grains.
Sweeteners
To sweeten, occasionally and in a first phase of change, to accustom the taste to a more natural sweet flavor than the cloying industrial type, we can use cereal malt
Drinks
Some very interesting herbal teas with different positive effects on the body and particular teas, free of theine.
Yeasts
In the preparation of desserts we can use non-chemical leavening agents, such as sourdough, cream of tartar, sodium bicarbonate.
Fish
A little fish to use occasionally instead of legumes. For example, our blue fish or salmon are interesting if caught, due to some nutritional elements present.
Meat and Dairy Products
In small quantities occasionally if you are a lover