Tag: wellbeing

Peaches allied to beauty and well-being: that's why they do well – Italian Cuisine

If the apricot is 'the orange of summer', it is perhaps the peach that is the fruit of the summer and of the holidays par excellence. Flavor of the sea, where it can be rinsed in salted water, the sweet taste of fresh rest. Just a pleasure, or even health food? The answer is number two: le peaches they are a gift from Welfare.

We have already learned to choose, preserve and enjoy them. Now let's deepen their health properties. First of all they are rich in water and fibers and keep an assortment remarkable of minerals – primarily potassium, whose deficiency can be responsible for tiredness and muscle weakness and cramps. The presence of vitamins is also excellent, especially C and A. The latter is especially valuable for the health of the skin, and those who eat peaches can rest assured of giving a touch of color and beauty to your complexion. And then – how not to love them for this! – they are packaged with antioxidants of various kinds and kinds, all ready to help us prevent diseases and aging.

Vitamins and antioxidants, including vitamin E and selenium, also help detoxify the body system. Peaches increase the sense of satiety, and therefore, thanks above all to the fibers they contain, they are excellent for those who have the goal of losing weight.

Not for nothing have they been much appreciated in folk medicine, both Western and Eastern and in particular Chinese for centuries, given that – it may surprise us Mediterraneans – if there is a country in the world for peaches, that's China. The properties are cleansing and digestive, and then many others, ranging from candida to anemia. Several scientific studies have even examined the properties of cancer prevention: a 2014 study found that the polyphenols present in selected peaches inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells in breast tumors. Finally, the benefits of peaches would also be on the psyche, and in particular these fruits would help reduce stress.

Don't mind the peel: on the tongue the sensation changes a lot depending on the variety, and sometimes it is too hard and above all a little hairy … In most cases, however, it is good on the palate and does really well: most of the fibers, for example, are contained just in the peel, as well as many vitamins that – like so many other fruits – are in its skin but not necessarily in the pulp. One more reason to buy organic peaches, and not risk filling up on vitamins and pesticides.

Last detail, the peach, cha is part of the family of roses, in Chinese mythology is symbol of longevity: the Immortals fed on this fruit, in fact associated with the God of longevity and health …

Carola Traverso Saibante
June 2017
updated June 2019

DISCOVER THE COOKING COURSES OF SALT & PEPE

well-being properties and variety of the most popular dried fruit – Italian Cuisine

They are a healthy snack, with or without shell, and become an ally for a healthy break. Science has confirmed this for a long time nuts and the walnuts in particular they are beneficial to health. Eat three nuts a day it is good for the heart, it reduces the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and cholesterol, thanks to the presence of "good" omega3, omega 6 and arginine fats. They are also an important source of antioxidants due to the presence of vitamin E, but also B1 and B6. In short, walnuts are authentic superfood, a panacea for our well-being.

Among the best-selling nuts

Walnuts are the best-selling nuts in Italy, and according to the latest report by Nucis Italia, an association of the main companies in the sector, it is estimated a consumption of about 50 thousand tons, practically a tenth of the European one.

Of Persian origins, walnut has been cultivated in Italy since Roman times, but production has suffered a certain decline over time. In recent years, given the decidedly growing consumption trend, attention has also returned to those Italian regions traditionally suited to this production, including Campania, Lazio, Veneto and Emilia Romagna and the Nuts are on the rise again.

Meanwhile, new varieties of nuts from different parts of the world have also become part of our usual consumption, helping to raise world production. Some are better known both in Italy and in Europe, other varieties begin to appear on our markets only recently, but we are talking about quality and rich in nutrients.

Nuts from the world

The pecan nuts, originating in the southern United States and Mexico, they have a rich and buttery taste that makes them one of the favorite ingredients in the kitchen and pastry of the United States. Pecan nuts production is expected to increase by 10% compared to last year, which is important for understanding market trends.

The macadamia nuts, coming from Australia, have a sweet and delicate taste, are rich in minerals, vitamins and monounsaturated fatty acids and therefore with multiple beneficial properties. But, look at the calories of these oil seeds. They are quite widespread and the total yields of macadamia nuts even increase by 19%.

The Brazil nuts, very famous, arrive directly from the heart of Amazonia. Rich in selenium, a powerful antioxidant, they have a flavor that is very reminiscent of coconut. They are to be consumed without excess, as it is a very caloric food. Among the many benefits are the thyroid, mood, digestion and the immune system.

Lesser-known varieties

The red walnuts, similar in every way to the common walnut, differ in the red kernel. The taste is delicate and very oily, they are the result of a natural cross between the common walnut and Persian walnut. It is a particularly rare variety and therefore also with a rather high cost on the market.

The Mongongo nuts, sweet and nutritious, they are a precious and widespread fruit in Namibia and in south-western Africa where they are a food very consumed by the local population. A precious oil for cosmetic use is also extracted from these nuts.

The Kemiri nuts, or candle nuts, a variety native to Indonesia, rich in oils, is widely used both in cosmetics and in local cuisine. The large amount of oil present in these nuts allows it to be used as candles (that's why the name nuts candle).

Mariacristina Coppeto
March 2019

Photo credits: Pixabay

Inflammatory foods: the relationship between food and well-being – Italian Cuisine

Food and well-being have always gone hand in hand, even if in recent times it seems that this awareness has been a bit lost, thanks to a lot of misinformation, especially on the topic food intolerance. Food is not an enemy to be opposed and it is clear that the only two intolerances accepted by science are gluten and lactose. That said, there are some foods that affect, among other things, the regulation of inflammatory processes and can bring an increase in the blood of some cytokines, those proteins produced by different types of immune cells.

Inflammation from food
"Inflammation is perceived by everyone – explains the Dr. Attilio Speciani, allergist and immunologist, expert in food intolerances – and all have a fair sense of the existence of a relationship between what is eaten and the state of well-being". Numerous studies, in recent years, have allowed us to accurately assess the relationship between what we eat and the rise of cytokines very specific, a precise connection between food-related symptoms and increase of BAFF (important inflammatory substance) both in blood and intestinal.

"The inflammatory response is in many cases individual – Speciani continues – and must be carefully studied to help the nutritional resolution of many diseases. Typically, it depends on the systematic repetition of some foods. A 2014 Cai study showed that while in Europe "inflammatory" foods for people suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases are Milk, Gluten and Yeast, in China, for the same disorders the foods involved are Rice, Soy and Corn".

What is the Food Inflammation Test?
There is a very simple test, the Food Inflammation Test, able to assess the level of inflammation present in the body and its personal food profile. Two particular cytokines are dosed BAFF is PAF and the results become key tools to identify a personalized diet that aims to reduce the inflammatory state and therefore, the incidence of certain diseases such as some types of migraines, arthritis or colitis. The test consists of a small sample of capillary blood from the fingertip, performed in a subsidiary center Recaller or Biomarkers and analyzed in a specialized laboratory, with based in Rome at the University of Tor Vergata whose results are processed to obtain a final report.

Are anti-inflammatory foods available?
"The variety is already anti-inflammatory in itself – replies the dott. Attilio Speciani – then there are other aspects that help to define the inflammatory or anti-inflammatory value of a series of foods. Their richness in isoflavones, in phytofenols, in minerals and vitamins. The more a food is rich in raw and vital substances the more anti-inflammatory it is in general. For example, the tomato lycopene, which develops only when cooked, makes some exceptions. From recent studies it has also been seen that foods super-refined have a pro-inflammatory action. We use them only occasionally, giving preference to foods, even industrial ones, which have undergone few changes. And on the anti-inflammatory choice we remember that the sweetened products have a value that promotes inflammation and that since 2006 the Harvard School of Medicine has defined the correct distribution of carbohydrates and proteins in the same meal as one of the most important anti-inflammatory actions independently managed to feel better , lose weight, stimulate the metabolism and control the inflammatory levels of the whole organism".

The rotation diet
To reduce inflammation e promote food tolerance It is essential to set up a rotation diet. Within the week, some days are established in which one abstains from foods taken in excess or to which one has a reactivity, and of the days during which the same foods are progressively reintroduced. A way to discover valid food alternatives find a relationship of friendship with food. A little 'as happens with the technique that is put in place during child weaning. The test report indicates a personalized diet to be followed in total autonomy with the support of a free online MD4.me platform (Medical Doctor for Me) dedicated to patients.

To stay fit and regain general well-being it is clear that every choice should be studied on the individual subject, but the variety of daily nutrition, the dominance of fresh and rich in bioactive substances, together with the control of excess sugar and the balancing of proteins and carbohydrates in every meal, represent a good food practice to prevent food inflammation.

Mariacristina Coppeto
January 2019

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