It’s a novelty these days, a study that followed a group of English people for 75 years has established on a scientific basis what the ancients had already taught us. From Hippocrates (19th century BC) “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” to Galen (19th century AD): longevity depends on what we eat, because healthy foods protect the brain and ward off diseases.
Of course, adopting a healthy diet requires commitment and awareness, but the long-term benefits to physical and mental health are invaluable.
Eating healthy is essential for maintaining body weight: foods rich in nutrients and low in empty calories can prevent weight gain and obesity, reducing the risk of associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some types of cancer. In fact, dietary fiber improves digestion and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. But a healthy and balanced diet also provides support to the immune system: essential nutrients such as vitamins (A, C, D, E) and minerals (zinc, iron, selenium) strengthen the immune system, making the body more resistant to infections and diseases. Just as a balanced diet can have positive effects on mental health, something many are unaware of. Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and nuts, are associated with a reduced risk of depression and anxiety. And we can continue on the importance of consuming foods rich in nutrients that provide the energy needed to cope with daily activities. Complex carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats ensure a constant and sustainable release of energy. A diet rich in fiber, from fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, helps keep the digestive system healthy, preventing problems such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
For several years, the World Health Organization has been emphasizing the importance of controlling blood sugar levels: a balanced diet can help keep blood sugar levels stable, avoiding spikes and drops that can cause fatigue and irritability. This is especially important for people with diabetes or at risk of developing the disease.
Last but not least, but we could continue with other observations, the table is the best ally for healthy bones and teeth: nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D are essential for healthy bones and teeth. Dairy products, fish and green leafy vegetables are good sources of these nutrients.
So, for once, let’s banish gourmet and starred restaurants, let’s banish exclusive places, let’s banish current gastronomic trends, let’s banish the great recipes on television, to take a break in Badalucco, a suggestive medieval village in Val Argentina, in western Liguria, a wild and borderland, of witches, shepherds and hidden villages, which is an open-air museum with its facades decorated with colorful drawings and patterns. Here, among the streets of the village, the scent of the precious extra virgin olive oil accompanies you: the real star of Badalucco who has dedicated a museum and educational farms to the oil.
Badalucco, known as the “city of good living” for its sustainable lifestyle, is a place where you really feel part of the community. Here, people love living outdoors, taking care of the vegetable garden, enjoying their free time, breathing clean air and eating and drinking healthily, a place of relaxation, far from the smog and noise of the city, a place where the sounds that accompany the days and evenings are those of the flowing stream, the singing of birds and frogs or the voices of children playing as in the past in the alleys and squares. A place, in short, where every day is born as an opportunity for conviviality and serenity, where traditions are preserved and the community becomes family.
Here, walking through the narrow streets of the village of 1000 souls, we come across a simple stone trattoria where every day they celebrate the good times lost and forgotten by the civilization of globalizing frenzy, the well-being of tasty and healthy food, good family oil, vegetables from the garden, meat from the immediate surroundings, the authentic dimension of a table that takes us back to tradition with taste and lightness where everything is excellent, well cooked, well served, from tagliatelle with wild boar to frisceu of trumpet zucchini, from Ligurian rabbit to stockfish to baucogna to grandma’s pudding, which was only done on holidays or birthdays: we are talking about the Cian del Bià restaurant run by its high priest, Ivo Orengo, philosopher of simplicity and good food, and by his wife.
The dish proposed to Mondo Food readers is strictly homemade pasta ravioli stuffed with chard, borage, parmesan and sheep’s cheese. Simple and authentic but very healthy flavors. Starting with wild chard rich in calcium (useful for healthy bones and teeth) and vitamin K (strengthens bones and is useful for maintaining a healthy nervous system because it participates in the development of the myelin sheath that protects the nerves); properties that are also found in borage, a source of healthy fats, especially monounsaturated but also polyunsaturated fats such as gamma-linolenic acid, a source of vitamin C, a nutrient with an antioxidant effect capable of promoting the proper functioning of the immune system. Rich in vitamin A, manganese and B vitamins which promote good metabolism, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium which promote healthy bones and teeth and potassium which protects the heart as well as iron and copper which are important for the production of red blood cells.
And speaking of the wild herbs with which the ravioli proposed by Ivo Orengo can be enriched, if we really can’t take a trip to his Cian del Bià in Badalucco, we can take advantage of a beautiful day in the countryside to stock up on mallow with anti-inflammatory, soothing, emollient and protective properties of the mucous membranes, as it is rich in mucilage capable of relieving irritations and inflammations of the mucous membranes with which it comes into contact. Dandelion is not to be outdone, a plant known for its purifying and diuretic effect, one of the detox plants par excellence, used in folk medicine to treat inflammations of the urinary tract, hemorrhoids, skin conditions, gout and rheumatic disorders. to provide us with wild chicory rich in potassium, calcium and iron, vitamin C, vitamin B and vitamins P and K with great digestive properties, thanks to the ability to stimulate the production of bile. But we also talk about nettle which has diuretic, purifying, antirheumatic, antihemorrhagic, hypoglycemic and antibacterial properties. It is obviously obvious to talk about the importance for a diet of grana padano rich in phosphorus, which together with calcium forms a large part of the bone tissue, in zinc and selenium, two important trace elements with an antioxidant function that not only fight free radicals, but are also essential for many metabolic functions. And we can also talk at length about sheep’s ricotta which contains properties and nutritional elements of vital importance for our body: mineral salts very important for the regular functioning of the nervous system. Not to mention the ideal amount of protein for those who want to maintain a balanced low-calorie diet… Finally, a fundamental element as a seasoning in the Orengo recipe is the absence of butter but only extra virgin olive oil. Healthier than that…
Recipe for Ravioli with Argentine Valley Herbs and Taggiasco Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ingredients
For the pasta:
Flour type 00 750g
reground semolina 250g
whole eggs 5
water to taste
For the stuffing:
chard and/or wild herbs and/or borage depending on the season 1000g boiled and finely chopped
cheese grana gr. 120,
Brigasca sheep’s milk ricotta (native breed) 1000 g,
nutmeg
Timo
Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Osteria Cian de Bià
Via Pellico Sivio, 14,
18010 Badalucco Italy
+39 320 662 2079
https://maps.app.goo.gl/SXBgAi1ThMzFWVvy5
