Tag: nutrition

Water and food combination: the best according to the hydrosommelier – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay


The combination of food with water starts from the choice of the fixed residue.

The water card in restaurants

And he explains to us that water makes a difference at any time of the day Andrea Battaini, assistant restaurant manager of Roteo, the fine dining restaurant inside the 5-star MUSA boutique hotel on Lake Como. «Before any menu, we usually share the water menu with our customers, the first to be served; many remain intrigued, perhaps even initially confused, but let’s try to explain, without boring, that the choice must be calibrated according to needs” says Battaini. Needs that range from food pairing, such as that proposed with the dishes on the fixed menu Aqua, with dishes such as oyster pearl, ceviche water, green apple or risotto with hazelnut, bottarga. In these cases, when the menu is varied, customers start with one bottle and continue with another perhaps with a higher fixed residue. Then there are also those who need more mineralized waters after doing sports, and so the suggestion is more easily oriented towards waters with a higher fixed residue. Last but not least, the presence of Arab customers, for example, «who, not drinking alcohol, choose water as if it were a bottle of wine.

«Before any menu, we usually share the water menu with our customers Andrea Battaini, assistant restaurant manager of Roteo in Sala Comacina, on Lake Como.

In fact, by the summer, Roteo will also introduce some commonly unobtainable bottles into its water list, such as the Hildon, present on the Windsor table. «She was the favorite of Queen Elizabeth who chose her to accompany and lengthen her whiskey precisely because of the balance of her minerals. «With a neutral taste, it makes it perfect to accompany not only food, but also wines and spirits «so much so that since 1989 it has been the mineral water chosen by the sommeliers of the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine. As well as the Canadian Iceberg or the Finnish Vellamo. Prices? From 30 euros up, like a bottle of wine.

The Hildon was Queen Elizabeth’s favorite water bottle.

The importance of water also in mixology

«Water is not just a simple tasteless and odorless chemical element, but a food in all respects says Elena Scordamaglia BRITA hydrosommelier and B2B marketing manager BRITA Italia, a leading company in water filtration. And he adds: «Its ingredients are mineral salts which help to stay hydrated, but also harmful substances, such as nitrates or volatile organic compounds, and chlorine which is used to disinfect the aqueduct pipes and which, although not harmful, it alters the taste and smell of the water.” To create culture there are some courses to follow, those of Aquademy by BRITA: a multilevel program to become experts in water and its areas of application. Aimed at everyone, even professionals especially in the coffee, mixology and pastry sectors. An example? Mosaico Spirits is the company that has patented a machine for personalizing gin that can be replicated anywhere through software. The water used is Brita filtered, in fact. «Gin is a cooking recipe based on a mosaic of ingredients, of which three are essential: water, alcohol and botanicals; water is essential for the success of a balanced premium product” explains Marco Bertoncini, CEO of Mosaico Spirits.

The expert: why it’s good to eat an orange a day – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay


Why is it good to eat an orange a day? This fruit at the table is one of the most consumed and praised especially due to its good vitamin C content. But there are many reasons why it is worth not giving up the goodness of this food, which gives its best especially if consumed whole or in freshly peeled cloves, rather than the drinking version (juice or squeezed juice) less rich in this nutrient, which is very sensitive to air and heat, and fibre. «The latter, present above all in the albedo, the white part that surrounds the pulp, are able to slow down the assimilation and absorption of sugars and fats and provide long-lasting satiety explains the nutritionist Salvatore Ercolano. “Eating an orange a day, for example at breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack, helps keep your appetite under control and counteract weight gain.” But the benefits of this fruit are also many others. This is why it is good to eat an orange a day.

Keeps the skin elastic

«Eating an orange a day allows you to stock up first of all on anthocyanins present in abundance especially in those with red pulp, capable of neutralizing free radicals and protecting against wrinkles. The vitamin C present in this fruit is also fundamental for the production of collagen, a protein produced by the skin that keeps it soft” says nutritionist Salvatore Ercolano. «The consumption of even just one orange also ensures good quantities of copper and zinc, two minerals which respectively stimulate the production of elastin, a protein that keeps the skin compact and the synthesis of hyaluronic acid, which preserves its luminosity.

Protects against aging

Few people know: one of the benefits of eating an orange a day is that it promotes longevity, due to the anti-aging properties at the center of several Education. «Among the many advantages it boasts is the presence of antioxidants, such as carotenoids, which in addition to fighting free radicals, protect against the weakening of the skeleton and osteoporosis and which are also precious for preserving eye health explains nutritionist Salvatore Ercolano. «Then there is another reason to eat an orange a day: the presence of prebiotic fibres, excellent allies for keeping the good intestinal bacteria in balance, facilitating the production of metabolites with anti-inflammatory action, which protect against overweight, obesity and chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes.”

Protects the heart and immune defenses

«Flavonoids, in particular anthocyanins, present mostly in blood oranges are antioxidants whose intake in the diet is associated with the reduction of oxidative stress, a condition which over time damages the arteries and increases the risk of suffering from stroke, atherosclerosis, hypertension and other cardiovascular disorders”. Eating an orange a day allows you to enjoy the benefits of a truly natural supplement of precious nutrients to boost the body’s defenses. «This fruit provides minerals such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and selenium and B complex vitamins, including folates, useful for the correct functioning of the immune system.

How to cut orange

Why it's good to eat an orange a day
Oranges, swordfish and spinach with mustard

For a refined, fresh and light appetizer that is easy and quick to prepare, discover our recipe for Oranges, swordfish and spinach with mustard

Go to the recipe

How does metabolism change with age? The nutritionist speaks – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

La Cucina Italiana


Does your metabolism change with age? Let’s start with a fact: for everyone (or almost everyone) there comes a moment in life when you realize that you gain weight more easily. Often the first thing we think is that it is due to our body’s lower ability to burn the calories consumed with food as the years go by. In fact, there are several in the literature Education who investigated how metabolism changes with age. Every 10 years, for example, an adult’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) has been shown to decrease by 1-2% due to the loss of skeletal muscle, thus decreasing energy needs and promoting overweight and obesity. «There are many other factors, however, that could come into play and work in favor of a lower efficiency of metabolic processes comments the nutritionist Simona Melonito whom we asked some questions to clarify how metabolism changes with age.

What is metabolism?

«Metabolism is the set of anabolic and catabolic chemical reactions that occur within our organism explains nutritionist Simona Meloni. «The former exploit smaller reagents to create larger molecules, for example the synthesis of proteins starting from amino acids; catabolic ones, on the contrary, break down large molecules to obtain smaller ones or free individual components such as the breaking of long glycogen molecules to obtain glucose” says the expert. «The presence of all these reactions has the objective of maintaining homeostasis, i.e. the balance of our body’s functions. Metabolism is also our ability to produce energy from the nutrients present in the foods we eat daily and possibly store it. Some people are born with a less efficient metabolism in which the ability to conserve the energy produced by these chemical reactions is very high and for this reason they have a greater ability to gain weight easily. On the contrary, people whose metabolism has a more efficient activity tend to dissipate too much energy and therefore waste it while managing to maintain a healthy weight more easily.”

Because the metabolism slows down

There are several factors that can favor a lower efficiency of the metabolism, starting from the type of diet you follow. «The lack of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals at the table can lead to metabolic imbalances with consequences on the functionality of our organs and on health in general says nutritionist Simona Meloni. «A low-calorie diet continued for too long and associated with a sedentary lifestyle leads the body to adapt to a state of energy conservation, lowering the basal metabolism. But there’s another factor that’s often brought up when talking about a slowing metabolism: age. As the years go by metabolism changes primarily due to hormonal changes. «The excessive or reduced production of a hormone can modify the metabolic structure. However, hormones change not only based on age, but also based on unfavorable conditions such as sleep deprivation and thecellular aging, which leads to a slowdown of all reactions because they are no longer necessary for growth. Furthermore, with age the assimilation of nutrients is reduced with a greater risk of suffering from deficiencies of some nutrients useful for metabolic reactions. The greater production of free radicals that normally occurs within our body and increases with age can also be another factor that can worsen the metabolism. The presence of chronic inflammation can equally be a further factor that works against its correct functioning.”

When metabolism changes for women and men

Another factor that influences metabolism is gender. Women, by nature, have a lower amount of muscle mass and lean mass and more fat mass than men, therefore a less efficient basal metabolism. «In women a crucial moment is the arrival of menopause. Around the age of 50, the collapse of the hormones progesterone and estrogen leads to a much faster change than in men who already in premenopause leads to a change in the accumulation of fats and physical conformation with an accumulation affecting the upper part of the body, therefore abdomen, back, arms” says the expert. «In men, the arrival of andropause and the sudden drop in testosterone causes a greater ease in accumulating fat in adipose tissue, especially visceral fat, but the change is much slower and more progressive and occurs around the age of 70.

Effective remedies for metabolism

«To maintain an active metabolism even with age, it is essential that the diet is rich in fruit and vegetables, which contain nutrients that can contribute to its correct functioning. The diet must also be balanced: the deficiency or excess of macronutrients, for example diets that are too rigid and continue for too long in which an important category such as carbohydrates is eliminated, can negatively influence metabolic processes. And, again, we need to maintain an active lifestyle and carve out spaces for relaxation.”

Proudly powered by WordPress

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Click here to read more information about data collection for ads personalisation

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Read more about data collection for ads personalisation our in our Cookies Policy page

Close