Tag: Eat

Why you should eat pasta with vegetables: benefits and recipes – Italian Cuisine

Promotes satiety, increases good mood and helps you stay fit and healthy. Here are all the properties of this combination and the best recipes to try

Pasta with vegetables is an excellent first course to satisfy your taste and stay fit and healthy. Cooked correctly and consumed in the right quantities, it ensures vitamins, antioxidants and other precious substances for the functioning of the body. «First you need to choose the right pasta. Whole grain than white provides more vitamins and minerals, "says the nutritionist Valentina Schirò. In addition, it has a lower glycemic index. "In addition to complex carbohydrates, it contains a portion of fiber, which helps to control the ups and downs of blood sugar which, over time, promote the overweight and the onset of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and many other ailments" says the expert. Cooking can also make a difference. "Al dente pasta combined with vegetable fibers, compared to a plate of spaghetti or well-cooked penne, without sauce or with sauce, makes the carbohydrates of which it is rich more slowly absorb and make it less quickly assimilable by the body". But eating pasta with vegetables also has other advantages. Here are all its benefits and our best recipes to try.

Promotes good humor

The combination of pasta with vegetables provides a super nutrient booster for the mood. "The paste contains tryptophan, an essential amino acid precursor of serotonin, the hormone of happiness. Then it brings complex carbohydrates, which increase its production "says nutritionist Valentina Schirò. Some vegetables also contain tryptophan. «The list includes asparagus, artichokes, chard, spinach. Vegetables, in particular those with green leaves, are also rich in B vitamins that promote the balance of emotional well-being. They are in fact involved in the synthesis of the hormones of good humor .

Helps eat less (and lose weight more)

Pasta with vegetables has a good satiating power that helps avoid overeating and the accumulation of extra kilos. "The carbohydrates of the pasta combined with the fiber of the vegetables are assimilated slowly and ensure long-lasting energy," says nutritionist Valentina Schirò. «The fibers slow down the times of gastric emptying and at the same time promote satiety. In addition, they reduce the assimilation of sugars and fats, keep blood sugar constant and help keep hunger attacks and weight gain away, "explains the expert.

Counteracts cholesterol

The pasta combined with the vegetables sautéed in extra virgin olive oil helps to increase the levels of good HDL cholesterol and to lower those of bad LDL cholesterol. "Plant fibers have a cholesterol lowering action. Associated with pasta carbohydrates they lower the assimilation of fats in the blood "says the nutritionist.

Facilitates digestion

Pasta is a very digestible food. "Together with vegetables, especially bitter ones, such as escarole, turnip greens, radicchio, it favors the production of bile and helps the liver to work better". "Thanks to the wealth of water and minerals, such as potassium and magnesium, it lightens the work of the kidneys, promotes diuresis and the disposal of toxins and excess waste substances", explains the nutritionist.

Helps you sleep better

Pasta with vegetables is a dish that is easily digested. Consequently, it can also be eaten at dinner. Facilitates sleep. "The tryptophan with which it is rich promotes the production of the serotonin hormone, which relaxes and makes falling asleep easier." "The minerals present in vegetables such as magnesium and potassium thanks to their muscle relaxant action lower the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone and help to relax. In addition, melatonin is present in many vegetables such as cabbage, tomatoes, radishes, asparagus, which regulates the sleep-wake rhythm and helps to counteract early awakenings says nutritionist Valentina Schirò.

Here are our best vegetable pasta recipes to try: look at the gallery

Quarantined diet: what to eat and what to avoid to stay healthy – Italian Cuisine

Vegetables and seasonal fruit at will. Yes also to whole grains and healthy proteins. Here's how to limit excesses at the table and make healthy choices

Quarantine has changed the diet and lifestyles for everyone. We eat more and in a messy way. We do little movement and often sleep badly. Incorrect nutrition, sedentary lifestyle and lack of rest are among health risk factors and the line. They favor overweight, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and many other ailments. That's why even in quarantine it is important to try to take small steps to stay healthy. First, even at the table, following a routine is fundamental. «Eating always at the same time and not skipping meals allows you to give a rhythm to the days and, consequently, to our body, explains the nutritionist Valentina Schirò. "It promotes the proper functioning of the metabolism, which with sedentary life and the lack of night rest tends to slow down," says the expert, who here suggests what to eat and what to avoid in quarantine to stay healthy.

How to organize meals

The advice «is to have a more substantial meal for breakfast and lunch and a lighter one for dinner. In this way you run the risk of gaining less weight and sleeping better . In fact, a too abundant meal slows down digestion and risks disturbing sleep. As for mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks, to cure hunger, healthy solutions must be chosen. «A white yogurt or seasonal fruit combined with some almonds or walnuts helps to counter sudden hunger attacks. It provides fiber, "good" fats and carbohydrates that give energy and satiety . Another useful strategy is to avoid eating quickly. "We take advantage of the time available to calmly consume food throughout the day." The advantages? "It allows you to eat less and feel less bloated at the end of the meal."

Foods that are good

At the table you have to privilege seasonal vegetables every day. "Vegetables and fruit provide many fibers that promote intestinal regularity", explains nutritionist Valentina Schirò. "In addition, they slow down the absorption of sugars and fats and give satiety. Carrots and fennel, for example, can also be eaten as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. They provide few calories, but they give a lot of satiety. They are also a source of valuable vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which promote the proper functioning of the body. " Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans, etc.) are also rich in many precious nutrients. They can also be consumed 3-4 times a week. «Combined with pasta, for example, they provide complete proteins similar to those contained in meat. Also good for whole grains (rye, oats, brown rice etc.) and pseudocereals (quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, etc.). They are a source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. «They give energy for a long time and help to keep the metabolism efficient. In addition, they provide tryptophan, an amino acid precursor of serotonin, the hormone that regulates mood and satiety. " Finally, in the daily menus, the proteins of meat, fish, eggs, milk and its derivatives should not be missing. «Consumed in the right quantities and included in a healthy and balanced diet, they are allies of health and fitness. They help to eat less because they give satiety. In addition, they help maintain and build lean mass, "says the nutritionist.

Foods that are not good

To stay healthy, the expert suggests "you must limit the consumption of foods rich in fats and sugars. These include snacks, biscuits, cooking nuts, sauces and industrial foods in general . Savory foods such as cured meats, cheeses, industrial snacks such as fries in bags should also be avoided. "They bring an important share of sodium which consumed in excess promotes overweight, obesity, cellulite, retention, cardiovascular diseases and other ailments", explains nutritionist Valentina Schirò.

What to drink

Water is essential for the functioning of the body. «It stimulates diuresis and counteracts heaviness and swelling, two frequent problems in those who move little and live a sedentary lifestyle. In addition, it promotes the functioning of the metabolism and helps to keep away from the accumulation of extra pounds. " To increase the water intake, herbal and herbal teas can also be consumed. "For example, hawthorn promotes relaxation and helps you sleep better," says the expert.

In the gallery the other tips to follow to stay healthy in quarantine

20 pasta dishes to eat in these weeks to spend at home – Italian Cuisine

Forced sedentary life in the house, refrigerator at your fingertips, boredom, anxiety … So you end up squeezing throughout the day. But then to remedy you don't need to make big sacrifices at the table, you don't need to deprive yourself of your beloved pasta!

In these days of forced (and responsible) closure at home, with little possibility of movement, and the fridge always there at hand, the risk of accumulating a few extra pounds becomes almost a certainty And to say that, usually, the battle against overweight, the search for form and the fight to the death against rolls and extra kilos are more effective precisely in spring, when the increase in temperatures makes it easier to reduce the portions and (in other years) to get closer costume testing has always shown a strong motivation. Usually, during periods of reduced calorie diet, pasta, which is a staple of our diet, leaves room for lean meats, boiled vegetables, baked fish and salads. But … what nostalgia!

Yes, because few things like pasta (with sauce, garlic, oil and chilli, normal, with ragù …) give us that fabulous feeling of comfort at the table, without making us want anything else. So why say no to pasta?

It is certainly not the ideal time to season it with fatty cheeses such as zola or cacio, meats such as bacon, sausage, lamb and minced pork or with creamed butter-based sauces, but there are still many and delicious variations available. Help yourself from low calorie ingredients and to recipes that do not include the addition of condiments and creams, we can indulge in the pleasure of a good plate of pasta even in these very uneventful and rather sedentary weeks. Green noodles with lime sauce, whole spaghetti, prawns and rocket, trofie with tuna and avocado cream, trenette with lettuce pesto and sprouts, orecchiette with cod and artichokes, linguine with perch and friar's beard, penne with tofu and chickpeas, fusillini, olives and courgettes, tagliatelle with anchovies and lemon express sauce and paccheri, ricotta and aubergines.

Gordon Ramsay Recipes