Tag: Happy

Vegetable garden: fights stress and makes us happy – Italian Cuisine

Vegetable garden: fights stress and makes us happy


Growing vegetables, vegetables and fruit helps to eat better, feel good, get rid of tensions and keep away from sadness and depression. Discover the surprising benefits of making a vegetable garden on the balcony or in the garden

The hobby for the home garden is growing. The numbers say it. According to a Coldiretti / Ixè study, 6 out of 10 Italians dedicate themselves to the self-production of some vegetables, vegetables or fruit on the terrace, on the balcony and in their own garden. Gardening at home has countless advantages. It has beneficial effects on the body, mood and health. For example, it allows you to fill up on vitamin D because it is an activity that is practiced outdoors. "Vitamin D that is activated thanks to exposure to sunlight is precious for health. Promotes the absorption of calcium, an essential mineral to keep bones strong and prevent osteoporosis ", explains the nutritionist Valentina Schirò, specializing in food science. Vitamin D is also an excellent ally for good humor. "It is involved in the production of wellness hormones such as serotonin." But the advantages of making a vegetable garden at home are also others.

The benefits for the line and health

Cultivating a vegetable garden at home allows you to bring vegetables and fresh and seasonal fruit to the table. "The products consumed as soon as harvested compared to the ripe ones ensure more antioxidants and allied vitamins of the line and health" says the nutritionist. "They are for example more rich in vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system and promotes proper blood circulation, counteracting swelling, cellulite and orange peel skin." Vegetables and fruit from the home garden also have another advantage. "They are good for our health and that of the environment. In fact, they are produced without the use of chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides ".

The benefits for emotional well-being

Having a vegetable garden at home also benefits psycho-physical balance. «Nature has great potential. Each person should cultivate their own green and fragrant corner to make fertile and fruitful thoughts grow in daily life ", he comments Veronica Bertoncelli, psychotherapist psychologist specialized in short strategic psychotherapy. «Taking care of a plant brings us back to the" roots "of our being. This allows us to tune into ourselves. In fact, plants allow us to carve out moments of solitude that make us "tune in" to our deepest part .

Improve your mood

"Taking care of a garden requires a minimum of organization, planning and capacity for action. These processes allow you to shift your attention from what makes us feel bad in everyday life to what engages us and makes us feel better. The pleasant action therefore becomes the daily antidote against bad mood and negative thoughts "explains Veronica Bertoncelli.

Counteract stress

"Dedicating yourself to the cultivation of vegetables and fruit allows you to transform negative energy into positive. In fact, it allows you to unplug the chaotic reality that surrounds us by keeping stress away, "adds the psychologist. Confirmation also comes from several studies. Research has analyzed the beneficial effects on quality of life and psychophysical health. Experts have found that dedicating yourself to growing vegetable gardens and plants also helps reduce anxiety and depression.

Discover in the gallery 5 other good reasons to make the vegetable garden at home on the balcony or in the garden

Antica Trattoria del Gallo: a happy Sunday – Italian Cuisine


The trips out of town those where you get up from the table satulated and happy … here is a special address

After years I found that I was looking for a perfect restaurant for Sunday lunch slightly outside the door. He brought us a friend whom I thank again (Yup Mario, it's really you thanks). Si located in Vigano Certosino, in the southern agricultural park East from Milan (direction Abiategrasso). As soon as you get off the highway, a little bit of land to the right and left here is the place, low construction, here is the Antica Trattoria del Gallo. Family atmosphere, warm atmosphere, all very clean, white and reassuring tablecloth, beautiful smiles. Two families, mine and that of friends, big table. Seguiamor they who are regular customers and order fried potatoes, among the best in my life or cut like the ones in the package but delicious and light, high-level frying. I order a lasagna, chicken deviled my him, the must of the house, the proposal for children with cutlet and fries (Leonardo skyrocketing with joy), the Russian salad of which I am extremely good maniac. In the meantime, I meet Eugenio Boer with his partner who eats normal and non-gourmet things (always a good sign when you meet chefs of great stature in a restaurant outside the door).

Antica Trattoria del Gallo

And then finally the cannons arrive, light as the wings of a butterfly. Flavor of the deadly cream, they compete with those of the Cerea brothers who serve you at the end by injecting as much cream as you want with the sac à poche. And then satolli and happy (we tried white wines from Santorini and a Slovenian because the paper it has labels eccellentthe), let's go walking on the road that leads to the Guzzafame farmhouse. A few meters to stretch your legs and lighten not so much the balance as the sense of guilt. But what a happy Sunday!

Ps since it seems to me essential to always indicate the price of a restaurant, we spent three about 130 euros, however, consider that we ordered two bottles of crazy wines.

Photo by Francesca Moscheni

Porters superstar: 30 recipes that will make you happy – Italian Cuisine


The garden this month gives us delicate aromas, intense aromas and a great desire to re-ignite the oven and stove. After the summer heat that invited us to enjoy the freshness of raw dishes, it's time to rediscover our favorite recipes. Rolls, gratins, pies, velvety, soups, pastas, patties and delicious side dishes. But also some fritters that whet the appetite.
And the leeks are perfect for each of these preparations, thanks to their particular shape that lends itself to contain other foods and the delicate flavor that characterizes each dish.

Like the onion

One of the most intuitive uses of leeks is to use it in all the recipes in which we usually use onion. It will be one perfect base for risottos, sauces, stews, roasts and mixed vegetable side dishes. It will also make special broths of meat, fish and vegetables and will give an aromatic and recognizable note to each soup and velvety.

Read also

Leeks: woe to throw away the green

Even more digestible

If onion, shallots and leeks give you some trouble during digestion, you should try treating them differently. One of the most popular methods is the stracottura. In practice the cooking time of the leek is prolonged by lowering the heat and adding hot water or broth. We proceed to the loss of consistency of the vegetables, which can then be used to flavor other dishes or as a basis for all the recipes that require their use. Alternatively, you can fry an abundant quantity of sliced ​​leeks in the oil which we will then filter and we will use it to season pasta, rice, fish or meat.

The benefits

In addition to the innate aromatic characteristics, leeks are also highly appreciated thanks to the numerous properties. I'm moisturizing, low-calorie (consisting of almost 90% water) and rich in mineral salts, fibers and vitamins. They are also valuable for preventing cardiovascular diseases, reducing bad cholesterol and keeping the skin young and supple. They are very indicated in diets thanks to their satiating power and because they promote bowel cleansing.

In the gallery, our collection of 30 recipes to taste leeks

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