5 SIMPLE AND HEALTHY ITALIAN EATING HABITS

The Slow Food Movement originated in Italy.  It is no surprise then that Italians rank one of the highest countries in terms of longevity. Italians live to be a whopping 83 years old!

This longevity can be attributed to many factors but one of these factors certainly is Italian food and meals.  You can acquire more information by visiting my website at www.livingtheitalianlifestyle.com.
Here are five easy ways to eat simple and healthy Italian food and maybe just maybe increase your longevity:

1. USE HIGH QUALITY EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. Italians use high quality extra virgin olive oil in almost everything they eat.  I say high quality because on the market there is everything and anything with the high quality label. This type of olive oil is not cheap. If you are getting a 5$ bottle (1 liter)  of oil, chances are it is not high quality. If it is Italian, make sure it is actually made in Italy and not just bottled there.  Also make sure you keep your olive oil  away from heat. Olive oil needs to be stored in dark bottles and in cool places in order for it to keep its healthy antioxidants.  It is better to buy small quanties at at time.

2. EAT RAW VEGETABLES.  The more the vegetables are cooked, the more they lose their  important nutrients and vitamins. In fact, it is best to opt for fresh and eat them as soon as you can. The more they are in your refrigerator the more they lose their nutrients. Yes, I know who has time for this? Well, make it a habit of purchasing lots of vegetables at one time and then making sure you eat veggies with every meal. Some favorites of my Italian friends: cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, tomatoes.

3. CONSUME AND USE GARLIC IN MEALS FREQUENTLY.  I  was told by my older Italian friends that eating 2 cloves of raw garlic in the evening is a sure way of keeping away colds and illnesses. But I said "It will keep away everyone around me too." The answer they say is chewing 2 coffee beans afterward. It's worth a try.

4. EAT LEGUMES. Italians consume many legumes of all types. Lentils, peas, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, soybeans. These can be cooked in even 15 minutes time. Strain, add some salt and a bit of that extra virgin olive oil. Instant healthy meal.

5. AVOID PROCESSED FOODS, CONDIMENTS, FAST FROZEN MEALS.  These are huge no no's for Italians. 

TWO MORE AS FREEBIES:

6. EAT A HOME COOKED MEAL THAT IS EASY, SIMPLE AND HEALTHY (I WILL INCLUDE SOME OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES IN AN UPCOMING POST)

7. DARK CHOCOLATE. YES OF COURSE "WITHOUT EXAGGERATION" AS SOME ITALIAN FRIENDS NOTED.

For more easy to follow recipes and how to simplify your life through the Italian lifestyle get my ebook with resources and audio:
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ITALIANS & FOOD: A BIRTHRIGHT

Even after all these years of living in Italy, I still am awestruck when I think of the relationship Italians have with food. We spent the weekend at the beach in Cesenatico, a lovely place that I highly recommend to anyone who wants to spend some time at the beach in the Romagna area. Italians love to eat. It is their birthright to not only eat, but to eat well.

I am always amazed how everything comes to a standstill between 1 and 3 pm. I noticed that all the people and children who were in the water were suddenly gone. The beach chairs empty.  Basically what was alive and jumping suddenly turned into a seaside ghost town. I asked my husband if the people came out of the water because the water is too cold. He said "no, they left but now are over there" as he pointed towards the bar / restaurant. What I saw was crowds of people pushing their way to order no, not a sandwich but a full on sit down seafood meal with all the works: wine, bread, olive oil, etc. I was amazed. "You mean they are going to eat all that food and then go back to the beach??" I asked. And sure enough they did right after their espresso.

So what did we do? Well when in Rome..... We helped ourselves to an amazing sit down lunch and washed it down with the owners own homemade wine he offered us to welcome "i nuovi toscani" to their beachside. Then an espresso and back to the beach. Not bad, not bad at all.

Tips On Using & Preserving Olive Oil

My new found best friend is Italian extra virgin olive oil. Once you have tasted the best, it is really difficult to accept the rest. I am serious. I am becoming a connoisseur of olive oil and had no idea that bottle of oil that I had been using everyday contains such important qualitites.  Not all extra virgin olive oils however have these qualities. Only the higest quality extra virgin olive oil contains the largest number of polyphenols or antioxidants.   And even if you have the highest quality extra virgin olive oil, you can literally destroy its good properties with the wrong use or preservation. 

The enemy of olive oil is heat and light. That is why it is a good idea to purchase olive oil that is in either tins or dark glass bottles. Never never purchase or store olive oil in plastic. Plastic will kill it and destroy those antioxidants not to mention what it does to the flavor in general. The absolute best place for storing olive oil is in stainless steel containers but not many of us have the space or access to these, so the second best is in tins or dark glass bottles.

Keep your olive oil away from sunlight, heat from stove top range, any source of heat or light. Store in cool, dark area.

The best olive oil is the newest or "olio nuovo". It is the opposite of wine. If you can, it is best to purchase the newest or latest harvest of olive oil. This is because it contains the best qualities for flavor and health benefits.