Tag: nutrition

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

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

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.”

Apple and longevity: how to use the fruit of health in the kitchen – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

Just like the wines, in the Val Venosta Apple recipe book, each variety of apple is combined with other ingredients both to enhance its nutritional effects and to enhance its flavour. To begin with, as an aperitif, you will find the recipe for an infusion of green tea and Pinova apple, which is characterized by floral notes and a balance of sweetness and acidity. Why were they put together? «The apple allows you to absorb 100% of epigallocatechin from green teaan important polyphenol, its absorption is significantly reduced if tea is combined, as is often done, with milk” explains Dr. Manzi.

How to use apples to reduce sugars

As an appetizer, then, there is a caponata with artichokes, celery, tomato and Red Delicious apples, used in this mix because with their typical sweetness they perfectly balance the ingredients of the recipe which otherwise generally requires the use of sugar. Another idea? Among the dishes on the menu, tried for you in Bologna in Dr. Manzi’s restaurant, we particularly appreciated black black rice with Granny Smith apple and hazelnutsin a heart-friendly combination that combines the antioxidant protection of vitamin E from hazelnuts with the potassium of apple.

What to pair apples with in savory dishes

«The apple is the food of health, a superfood, and with the right combinations its effects can be enhanced explains Dr. Manzi. «In general I suggest accompanying it with other heart-friendly foods such as fish and dried fruit. They are rich in good fats and combined with potassium and apple pectin they are a decidedly winning mix.” Blood sugar? «The apple, like all fruits, contains sugar, but in quantities well mixed with fiber and water. Eaten fresh, in small quantities, it does not cause spikes. Furthermore, with the right combinations, it also helps to reduce absorption.”

Gordon Ramsay Recipes