Tag: bad

Is drinking extra virgin olive oil bad for you? The expert answers – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

After water and turmeric, water and lemon and apple cider vinegar, the new trend, among people who are attentive to their health, seems to be that of drink extra virgin olive oil in the morning and on an empty stomach. A special elixir which, as videos and testimonials on social media assure, would be able to bring countless benefits to the body and even help us lose weight. But is it really like that? We asked the nutritional biologist Concetta Montagnese, researcher at the CNR Institute of Food Sciences.

The properties of extra virgin olive oil

The expert confirms that extra virgin olive oil is truly a very precious, indispensable food with multiple beneficial effects. Let’s understand together if drinking extra virgin olive oil actually has benefits. «It is a powerful anti-inflammatory, which helps us fight cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Rich in important monounsaturated fatty acids, including oleic acid, and polyphenols, in particular oleocanthal, it also contains lots of vitamin Ebeneficial for the immune system and the skin. Thanks to its antioxidant compounds, it helps cells stay younger”, explains the nutritionist. «Some studies have also associated a high consumption of extra virgin olive oil with the prevention of tumors.

The right quantities

To benefit from this anti-tumor effect, a consumption of more than 20 grams per day is recommended, which is equivalent to more than two tablespoons. And the protective effect seems stronger as the amount of consumption increases. However, we know that extra virgin olive oil is a very caloric food (100 grams contain around 900 calories): doesn’t it make you fat? «The Italian guidelines suggest taking some between 20 and 40 grams per day, two to four tablespoons“, says Montagnese, “because when we talk about a balanced diet we must not only refer to the number of calories, but also to the nutritional values and composition of the food. Extra virgin olive oil contains 99% fats, but mostly the good ones, which help keep the body healthy and are also essential for the correct functioning of the metabolism. This precious food it is therefore also indicated in cases of obesity and metabolic syndrome. If anything, it is its deficiency that is harmful: extra virgin olive oil is one of the cornerstones of the Mediterranean diet and cannot be replaced with any other type of food or condiment.”

In the morning on an empty stomach

However, it is not necessary to drink extra virgin olive oil in the morning and on an empty stomach, a practice that we see more and more often on social media. «To date, no study has shown that drinking oil in the morning is more effective than using it as a condiment in main meals. Its consumption, during the day, is certainly good for you and keeps the body healthy, but, more than taking it alone, combining it with some foods can help improve the absorption of important bioactive compounds (for example, antioxidants in tomatoes), with beneficial effects. It is somewhat fashionable to look for a magic potion for health, and therefore prepare elixirs to be consumed in the morning or on an empty stomach, but it is enough to consolidate the healthy habits of the Mediterranean diet – and use oil as a condiment, preferably raw, and in sautéed – to derive all the possible benefits”.

Blue Monday: our menu against a bad day – Italian Cuisine

January 18, 2021 is the saddest day of the year. Let's face it hard-nosed and with a menu that really makes us feel good

The winter weather, the too many expenses made in the last months of the year, a 2020 that we have just left behind and that has put us to the test, and then the wait (too long) for the next holidays, the failure of the good intentions and a new week ahead to face. According to the algorithm of the English psychologist Cliff Arnal, a very depressing day awaits us. In 2021, Blue Monday will be January 18th. Unmotivated, tired, lacking in expectations and, moreover, this year, with the restrictions for Covid-19! In short, you feel just a rag. But don't worry, it's just the predictable effect of a bad day foretold.

There is a remedy for everything, even on Blue Monday

So let's face it this Blue Monday and face it hard! Set the alarm half an hour earlier than usual, spend a few minutes on a dessert muscle toning, continue with the shower, a good one Breakfast and wear your favorite clothes. It does not matter if you are in smart working and now spend whole weeks in pajamas: today self-love must take over. Make yourself beautiful as if you were going to a party. Face the day light-heartedly and avoid making plans. Focus only on today, on the here and now, and make it perfect. Feel like queens and kings of your time and treat yourself to a well-set table, enriched with your favorite foods. Here is our advice for a menu that will awaken pleasant memories and will certainly prompt lots of good vibes.
And don't forget the music! To sing out loud.

Let's start from the table to rediscover joy

To face Blue Monday, we have thought of a good mood menu full of pleasant childhood memories, transgressions and gratifications. After all, this is a difficult day: we deserve some extra pampering, right?

It starts from scallops au gratin with herbs and 'nduja, counting on power exotic shells (it's never too early to think about hot holidays) and the energizing power of chilli. Following a small portion of pasta alla gricia. Comfort food of excellence, pasta is the right choice to reassure us in a difficult day. The crunchiness of the bacon and its flavor will make us feel immersed in one of those ancient Roman trattorias where you eat, drink and laugh, leaving every thought behind.
As a second dish against sadness we chose the skewers of beef with beetroot ketchup. They are reminiscent of the finger foods of worldly aperitifs, but above all … they are eaten with your hands. The child in us will be very happy to be able to leave the cutlery aside. Furthermore, the beetroot sauce is a precious source of mineral salts and antioxidants, ideal for taking care of ourselves and finding the right energy.
To close the good mood menu, the tart with ganache, oranges and cream. We count on the ability of chocolate to comfort in bad moments, on the goodness of cream that always sounds like a sweet transgression and on vitamin C. Oranges are in fact the seasonal fruit to rely on to fill up with vitality. Not to mention the fact that a citrus-based dessert will give us a sense of freshness capable of inducing sleep. And they are good dreams!

Our menu for Blue Monday

Food and well-being: what are the foods that are bad for the mood – Italian Cuisine

Food and personal well-being: discovering the foods that can negatively affect our mood, and which is therefore good to know and consume in moderation

When it comes to the combination diet food and wellness attention generally falls on foods that contain substances that can relieve stress, fatigue and insomnia and are therefore able to stimulate a good mood. In particular, these are foods characterized by a high content of tryptophan, which is an essential amino acid that regulates mood in the brain. While on the one hand it is good that these "foods of good humor" are present or that they are introduced as part of a balanced diet, on the other it is also important knowing and limiting the intake of those who, otherwise, can increase negative sensations and feelings.

What are "foods of unhappiness"

It should be noted, first of all, that to decree what these foods are from unpleasant side effects on our happiness it's science. This category of foodstuffs and food products, in fact, is mainly characterized by a high quantity of refined sugar and refined and starchy carbohydrates, but also hydrogenated fatty acids and sodium. All these substances, although initially giving a pleasant sense of fulfillment, then end up being harmful both for our body and for our mood. In particular, the increase in the blood sugar level can cause symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating; the consumption of hydrogenated fats (or trans fatty acids), on the other hand, can make us more nervous and aggressive since, in addition to decreasing the level of good cholesterol and having effects on the metabolism, they hinder the intake of Omega 3 fats, able to regulate mood and behavior.

Attention to "comfort junk food"

The bad news is that, as we have seen, foods that can worsen mood often hide behind the deceptive label of "comfort food", or foods, often associated with traditions, habits and happy personal memories, from which we feel more easily attracted. Although some comfort foods are healthy, low-calorie and nutritious, most of them contain the harmful substances that we have analyzed before and that, in fact, give us a fleeting happiness and then leave us with a sense of irritability, sadness, listlessness and, last but not least, with great feelings of guilt. To make it more complicated is that the temporary feeling of well-being is a chemical effect of contained sugars and fats, which initially increase the release of dopamine, or the famous neurotransmitter that stimulates pleasure and personal motivation.

The pursuit of happiness can begin at the table: which foods to limit

In short, these high-calorie foods that can worsen mood are a real trap that is easy to fall into. Among the many foods for which moderate consumption is recommended, there are first of all packaged, frozen, or freeze-dried foods and baked goods that are high in hydrogenated fats, refined sugar, and salt; they range from potato chips in bags to sweet and savory snacks to less suspicious food products, such as canned foods, cereals, yogurt, fruit juices or energy bars. Knowing how to read and understand food product labels is essential, also because the danger often hides behind reassuring labels and terms such as "light", "vegan" or "palm oil free". It is good then, to pay close attention to alcohol and carbonated drinks, often rich in sugar, and last but not least, in drinks and foods they contain caffeine. This substance, in fact, can have positive effects on mood if consumed moderately, otherwise it can cause agitation and anxiety.

In short, a varied and balanced diet is not enough to be happy, but it is also important think about the effects of what we eat on our feelings and what we feel and choose the foods that make us smile and feel good.

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