Tag: gaining

Chestnuts: eat them without gaining weight – Italian Cuisine

Recipe Rice, milk and chestnut soup


Can they be consumed if you need to lose weight or is it better to avoid them? Here's what you need to know and a series of tips and tricks for eating them without problems

The chestnuts they are the ultimate symbol of autumn. They are a tasty fruit, which those who need to lose weight often give up. Yet like any other food, chestnuts are a fruit that can be eaten even if you are on a diet. "Just combine them with the right foods, pay attention to the quantities and follow some small precautions, able to make this food advantageous for the figure and health", says the nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo, specializing in clinical biochemistry. «Chestnuts are a good source of B-complex vitamins. They contain vitamins B6 and B12, involved in the processes of metabolism. They also offer vitamin C and minerals including potassium and magnesium, friends of the circulation. In addition, they have a reduced fat content. So they contain a series of useful micronutrients, "says the expert, who explains here how many and how to eat chestnuts so as not to risk gaining weight.

The recommended amount of chestnuts

Chestnuts are an energetic fruit. «They contain about 100 calories per 100 grams when eaten raw. Their caloric intake increases if they are boiled and can be almost double if they are eaten roasted. The suggestion is therefore to eat them in any case in moderation, limiting yourself to 6-7 chestnuts a day and avoid combining them in the same meal with other foods rich in starch such as pasta, bread, potatoes and easily absorbable sugars including fruit. fresh. The risk is to increase the glycemic load of the meal and stimulate greater production of insulin, a hormone that promotes overweight ", explains the expert.

How to eat the chestnuts

Chestnuts can be eaten at any time of the day. «They are perfect for breakfast to have energy or instead of dessert or fruit at the end of a meal or in soups together with legumes to bring an excellent single dish to the table. Chestnuts are also ideal at snack time to satisfy the desire for something good and tasty with a natural, low-fat snack, "says nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo. "The important thing is to always be able to balance their impact on blood sugar". How? "By combining this highly starchy fruit with protein sources such as yogurt or milk in the morning and as a snack and with meat and derivatives, fish or legumes for lunch and dinner and always accompanying them with a small amount of beneficial fats such as those of dried fruit (walnuts, almonds etc.) or extra virgin olive oil, which increase its satiating power and reduce its impact on insulin and consequently on the figure and health .

Working from home, 5 tricks for not gaining weight – Italian Cuisine

Working from home, 5 tricks for not gaining weight


Smart working. Heavy legs? Swollen belly and extra pounds? Here's what to do at the table to remove the risk of gaining weight by working from home

For those who work from home, in these long smart working months, the more sedentary life, the sense of loneliness, mistakes at the table and, often, the little time available to prepare meals risk promoting weight gain. In order not to get fat, the first rule to follow is to try to move around at home and divide the food intake into 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) plus 2 snacks. "This strategy allows you to have energy and satiety for a long time and to avoid bingeing during breaks", suggests the nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo, specialist in clinical biochemistry. "In addition, it always keeps the metabolism active, which a sedentary lifestyle tends to make slower". The expert suggests 5 other tricks for not gaining weight.

Bet on a healthy and super satiating breakfast

When working from home, overdoing overtime snacks is one of the most common temptations that risk weighing on the line. "To avoid overdoing snacks rich in calories, sugars and fats, the first strategy to implement is to ensure that, upon waking, a breakfast complete with all the nutrients that allow the body to have energy and to curb food". So let's avoid just the cup of coffee drunk on the fly. Yes instead to a source of low glycemic index carbohydrates such as bread or whole grain flakes. «Thanks to the richness of fibers and slowly absorbed carbohydrates, they ensure a longer lasting charge. Combined with a portion of proteins they induce satiety . A few examples? «Ricotta is excellent for both a sweet and savory breakfast. Yes to pancakes too. "They are an excellent source of satiating proteins". And, finally, never miss a portion of "healthy" fats. "A teaspoon of chia seeds, for example, provides a large amount of essential fatty acids, which support mood and promote brain activity".

Avoid too hasty meals

In the kitchen and at the table, no rush. As for cooking, those that are too aggressive, such as grilling and boiling, should be avoided. "The first stimulates the production of Age substances (Advanced Glycation End products), which inflame the cells and promote aging. Boiling, on the other hand, risks the dispersion of micronutrients useful for keeping fit and healthy . Even at the table it is important to consume the different meals of the day calmly. "Slow chewing allows you to avoid the accumulation of gas in the intestine, which favors a swollen belly. In addition, it allows you to eat less because it allows you to feel satiety earlier .

For lunch and dinner do not miss the vegetables

In addition to providing very few calories and giving satiety, vegetables act as real "scavengers". «Enzymes, vitamins, such as vitamin C and minerals, in particular potassium and magnesium, of which they are rich, help to dispose of metabolic waste, says nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo. "Thanks to the high fiber content, they are also a panacea for the intestine that the more sedentary lifestyle can make lazy. They stimulate transit and help get rid of excess toxins. In addition, in addition to being laxative, thanks to the richness of water they have a diuretic effect that counteracts water retention .

During the breaks, munch on dried fruit

Does concentration drop and hunger increase during the morning or afternoon? “Eating a handful of walnuts or a spoonful of sunflower or pumpkin seeds may be the solution. They guarantee micronutrients and polyunsaturated fatty acids that support memory and mood and at the same time counteract fatigue ", suggests the expert. «In addition, they help not to easily transgress with unhealthy snacks because they give satiety.

In the evening meal, avoid cheese and salami

In the evening it can happen to feel exhausted and have little desire to cook. A mistake that is often made in the evening meal is to overdo it with meats and cheeses, which should instead be brought to the table by reducing the portions and the frequency of consumption. "They are rich in calories and sodium, which promote weight gain and water retention. They also contain tyramine and saturated fats, which slow down digestion . In addition, they hinder the rest, essential not only to feel snappy and full of energy the next day, but also to avoid gaining weight. "During sleep, the body's fat cells produce leptin, which lowers the levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. The advantages? It reduces the sense of appetite and helps to better manage the desire to fail during the day .

how to combine them at the table so as not to risk gaining weight – Italian Cuisine

how to combine them at the table so as not to risk gaining weight


Can they also be eaten on a diet? How to consume them without taking extra kilos? Here are the nutritionist's advice to make them allies of the line and health

The cheeses, fresh and seasoned, are one of the foods most present in the summer on our tables. Thanks to their practicality they are the ideal solution in hot weather and you have little desire to cook. But how can you eat them without risking gaining weight? «Although they have an important caloric content, which can exceed 400 calories per 100 grams, cheeses are not a food to be avoided. But you have to eat them in moderation. They must first be consumed no more than twice a week in the right quantity which does not exceed on average 50 grams for seasoned ones and 80-100 grams for fresh ones ", explains the nutritionist Valentina Schirò, specializing in food science. It is then necessary to combine them correctly at the table. The classic mix of mozzarella (or ricotta, robiola, crescenza etc.) and tomato, for example, should be avoided by those suffering from digestive difficulties. "The lactose present in fresh cheeses associated with acidic foods promotes gastric fermentation and abdominal swelling," says the expert. Another mistake to stay away from is eating cheeses, fresh or seasoned, at the conclusion of lunch and dinner. "It risks exaggerating with fats, cholesterol and calories, which weigh on health and on the line". Even the classic pairing with salami or other protein sources (eggs, meat, fish) should be avoided. "The excess of proteins, in addition to slowing down digestion, produces a surplus of waste substances that risk fatiguing the work of the kidneys and slowing down the elimination of excess fluids and toxins, responsible for water retention and swelling". In order not to risk gaining weight, be careful also to consume them often together with jam, honey and particularly sweet fruits such as figs, grapes, pears and dried dates. "The risk is to fill up on simple sugars that are assimilated very quickly by the body and cause a peak in production of insulin, a hormone that stimulates hunger and over time promotes weight gain", explains the expert , which here suggests how to pair the cheeses on the table so as not to risk gaining weight.

For breakfast with toast and extra virgin olive oil

For those who love savory breakfast, fresh and aged cheeses can be a good source of protein to start the day as an alternative to milk or yogurt. They have a good satiating effect. "A small square of seasoned cheese, for example combined with complex carbohydrates and the fibers of toasted whole wheat bread and the good fats of extra virgin olive oil, gives energy constantly without spikes in blood sugar, without weighing too much on the line and on health", says nutritionist Valentina Schirò.

For lunch with rocket and onion

"Vegetable and vegetable fibers slow down the absorption of fats and sugars present in cheese. They act positively on cholesterol, of which they are particularly rich, promoting the increase in the levels of "good" HDL ", says nutritionist Valentina Schirò. "In addition, plants provide useful nutrients to reduce absorption and eliminate waste substances released during meal digestion. To enhance their benefits, just add an onion, raw or cooked, to the vegetable dish, which has an excellent diuretic action. "

Snack with walnuts

A square of seasoned cheese combined with 2 or 3 kernels of walnuts is the ideal snack to recharge your energy and counteract tiredness in particularly intense periods. "The carbohydrates and proteins of the cheese, associated with the good Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats from walnuts, slow down the digestion of sugars and keep insulin secretion under control, giving satiety. Cheese is also a good source of B complex vitamins. In particular, it provides vitamin B12, useful for the proper functioning of energy metabolism. The magnesium present in abundance in walnuts, on the other hand, helps to counteract the action of sodium with which cheeses are particularly rich, in particular seasoned cheeses, facilitating the correct blood circulation ".

Dinner with lettuce and avocado

Seasoned cheeses should be avoided at dinner especially if you have difficulty falling asleep. "They contain tyramine, a substance that promotes insomnia, which over time facilitates weight gain. They are also particularly rich in sodium which stimulates thirst and promotes awakening during the night . To counterbalance the "exciting" effect and facilitate rest if you cannot avoid it in the evening, the ideal "is to prefer fresh ones with a lower fat content that give satiety without weighing it down excessively". The combination to try? Ricotta with avocado and lettuce. It facilitates rest and helps to keep away from the accumulation of extra pounds. "The tyrosine and tryptophan of which it is rich, combined with the essential fatty acids of avocado, stimulate the production of sleep hormones including melatonin. Lactucin and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, present in lettuce, relax and promote rest, "concludes nutritionist Valentina Schirò.

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