The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are here. And Americans should read them.

Rigatoni pomodorini e tonno. 

Today the FDA released the updated Dietary Recommendations for the USA. The whole document is available on the Internet for free, and you should read it:
http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/

People are going to hate me for this post, but I'm going to post it anyway because somebody needs to say it. When I open Facebook, half of the posts are about how women should love their bodies. What gets me is that nobody says that loving your body is not only about accepting the way you look. Overweight is not healthy. You are not loving your body unless you adopt a healthy lifestyle.

From the guidelines released today:

"In addition, the eating patterns of many are too high in calories. Calorie intake over time, in comparison to calorie needs, is best evaluated by measuring body weight status. The high percentage of the population that is overweight or obese suggests that many in the United States overconsume calories. As documented in the Introduction, Table I-1, more than two-thirds of all adults and nearly one-third of all children and youth in the United States are either overweight or obese."

I look around and I don't see a healthy society. What's even more saddening is that I see young people getting more and more overweight. This is particularly bad because the way the body stores fat is something that is shaped during childhood. Epigenetic marks that regulate the usage and storage of nutrients are set during childhood and are highly affected by the diet. So, a diet high in fats will make a person prone to diabetes and all sorts of health problems.

But this is epigenetics, not genetics. This means that these marks are reversible if you catch them in time. On the other hand, if you don't do anything about it, these epigenetic marks will be passed on to your children and, chances are, to your children's children. In fact, I believe that many of the overweight kids we see today have inherited the marks from their parents. Coupled with an unhealthy lifestyle acquired from home, you have a recipe for disaster: more health bills and a lifetime dependency on medications and their side effects.

America, is this where you want to go?

I grew up on a Mediterranean diet and I never had to go on a weight loss diet in my life. Contrary to what you've been told, carbs are not bad for your health unless you have diabetes or an allergy to gluten. And on a side note, the growing rate of allergies is again the biproduct of unhealthy life styles. And let's face it: anything will make you fat when overconsumed. The key to health is balance. 

The Mediterranean diet is one of the easiest to adopt and it's scientifically proven to provide long-term health benefits [2,3]. Below you can find two of the many papers on how adherence to the Mediterranean diet was found to lower the risk for certain cancers and circulatory diseases. You can find many more on Pubmed. 

Pasta makes for fast and easy recipes, and you can add proteins and vegetables for a complete meal. I shared some recipes here. The image above is another super easy one: Rigatoni Pomodorini e Tonno. All you need is a box of pasta, a can of tuna fillets (I prefer the ones that come in a glass jar, they are a bit more expensive, but the taste and quality are way better), a small container of fresh cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and oregano. 

Half the cherry tomatoes and sauteed them in two tablespoons of olive oil for a few minutes. Add the tune fillets, salt, pepper and oregano, and let simmer for a few minutes. Cook the pasta al dente, drain it and toss it in the pan. Mix well and serve. Voila', a healthy meal is served. :-)

[1] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (2015). Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, Eigth Edition health.org DOI: 10.1037/e516742014-001

[2] Mancini, J., Filion, K., Atallah, R., & Eisenberg, M. (2015). Systematic Review of the Mediterranean Diet for Long-Term Weight Loss The American Journal of Medicine DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.11.028

[3] Schwingshackl L, & Hoffmann G (2015). Adherence to Mediterranean diet and risk of cancer: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Cancer medicine PMID: 26471010

Riso, Patate e Cozze

Happy New Year. On new year's eve we usually make a typical dish from Puglia, a region in Southern Italy, and since the recipe involves several steps, this year I decided to document every step with my camera. The result? A photorecipe that I'm sharing here in case you want to try it too. So here it goes: Riso, Patate e Cozze (Rice, Potatoes and Mussels).

Ingredients: potatoes (peeled and sliced), 1 yellow onion, basil, parsley, parmesan, garlic (chopped), grated parmesan, bread crumbs, 1 can of crushed peeled tomatoes, parboiled rice, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil.

And mussels, of course, boiled, opened, and halved. If fresh aren't available, you can use the precooked ones you find in the frozen seafood aisle.

Layer mussels at the bottom of a pan, add chopped onion and garlic, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.

Generously sprinkle with parmesan.

Layer potatoes slices.

Add pepper, salt, onion, garlic, parsley, and basil.

Sprinkle with parmesan again.

Add parboiled rice (the kind of rice is very important, has to be parboiled).

Spread the rice evenly on top of the potatoes.

Sprinkle with parmesan and add, once again, salt, pepper, parsley, onion, garlic, and basil.

Spoon the crushed peeled tomatoes and spread over the layer of rice.

Spoon the crushed peeled tomatoes and spread over the layer of rice.

Sprinkle with parmesan.

Add another layer of potato slices.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onions, garlic, parsley, and basil.

More parmesan.

Lots of extra virgin olive oil.

Last layer: bread crumbs, evenly distributed on top.

Now add water: we used the tomato can, just fill it with water and then pour it into the pan from one corner so not to disassemble the layers. Pour until the rice is completely covered.

Bake for 1 hour at 350.

Enjoy!

Holiday Recipes

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday break. Mine was very relaxing.

One of my favorite activities was cooking, paired with food photography -- which, you may think is obvious and easy but it's not! Something that looks inviting may turn out to be totally meh in a picture. Here are some of my best shots (with recipes), but I also threw away many shots that turned out very bad. I think the best for food photography is a good macro lens that enhances textures and good eyes for surroundings, like a nice table cloth and simple china/silverware, for example. The highlight needs to be the food itself, so avoid too much clutter in the picture. Enjoy!

Farfalle al Salmone

This is one of our favorite dishes for the holidays: Farfalle al Salmone. For this one, you'll need a package of smoked salmon, fresh chives, a box of bowtie pasta, creme freche or half and half, butter and 1 lemon.

Cut the smoked salmon in small pieces, sautee' it for a few minutes in a pan with melted butter, then add about half a cup of creme fraiche or 1/2 and 1/2. Simmer a few minutes until the cream is thick. For an even creamier texture, add two tablespoons of mascarpone. In the meantime, cook the farfalle al dente, drain them, then toss them in the pan with the salmon. Season to taste with pepper and salt (though usually the smoked salmon is already salty). Mix well, then serve with chopped chives and lemon zest on top.

Spinach-filled Baguette

I got the above recipe from a friend and modified it slightly: spinach-filled baguette. Makes a fantastic appetizer. You'll need one baguette, green onions, one bag of pre-washed spinach, cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, butter, parmesan cheese, olive oil, paprika flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Melt some butter in a pan, sautee' two chopped green onions, then add the spinach and season with salt, pepper, paprika, and nutmeg. stir until the spinach are wilted, then reduce the heat to low. Add about 1/3 of a cream cheese tablet, cubed, and stir until melted. Remove the pan from the stove and add about 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella and 4 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. 

Prepare the baguette: cut it in fourths, hollow them, then slice them without separating the slices. This will make it easier to separate the slices when serving without squeezing out the filling. Spoon the filling inside, then sprinkle the top with olive oil and parmesan cheese. Wrap the baguette fourths in aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  

Penne alla Crema di Spinaci

Finally, I had some leftover of the spinach filling from the recipe above. It was a bit too thick, so I added some 1/2 and 1/2 and then tossed over some penne pasta. It was delicious !!!!

Hope you enjoy these recipes, if you end up making them let me know and send me some pictures too. :-) Happy New Year!