The Italian Model  

There's no need to feel deprived while endeavoring to live a less toxic life.  The Italians, those masters of lifestyle and culture, have already done a great job of finding a balanced approach to diet that can be simultaneously delicious, fun, low fat, low-toxin and accessible to most of us wherever we go, year-round.

Italian cuisine is part of a larger gastronomie known as the Mediterranean diet.  Evidence is mounting that this is one of the healthiest eating strategies in the world.  You know the elements already, but you may be challenged to modify your existing approach to Italian food.

We think pasta is great and personally prefer not to try to get "super healthy" with the pasta itself.  We suggest you try whole wheat and non-wheat pastas, and if you like them, great!  Our approach is to go with the regular wheat pasta and go lightly on the wheat elsewhere in your diet. 

If you avoid cream sauces and sauces that include meat, you've got a main dish that's filling, low fat and usually very tasty.  Pesto sauces are one example. Fresh tomato sauces are another.  Without meat or dairy, it's naturally less toxic and less allergenic.  Go lightly on the parmesan!

Before (or after, if you prefer the European approach):  a great green salad!  We love the lettuces that are becoming more popular, especially arugula.  Add a light dressing with balsalmic vinegar and olive oil.  The balsalmic is optional, but a high quality "extra virgin, cold pressed" olive oil dressing, especially with a lot of freshly squeezed garlic, is naturally very healthy.  To know why this is so important, read more about Essential Fatty Acids.  If you don't like "rabbit food," try a salad plate of sliced tomatoes, or a chopped salad with tomatoes, corn, grated carrots, green onions and or whatever combination you do like. 

Antipastos are fun and don't have to be fattening.  Great olives are becoming more commonly available, and the little green peppers [peperoncelli sp?] aren't too hard to find.  If you have an Italian deli in the neighborhood, try imported grilled eggplant packed in olive oil, on a cracker.  Artichoke hearts are always great.  If you look for the ones that are packed in high quality olive oil, you don't have to worry so much about the calories.  The body needs some good quality oil to function.  (Extremely important--see Essential Fatty Acids.  Enjoy here.  Cut back somewhere else, such as in dairy foods.  Pass on the salami and pepperoni.  Preserved meats include nitrates, which are known to be carcinogenic, and they're very high in saturated fats, overall a bad combination.

Moderate wine consumption in a family or social context does not seem to be harmful.  Scientists continue their studies to figure out why, including analysis of tannins, grapeseed extract and other factors.  One aspect they may not have researched yet, but which may be a factor is the combination of mineral water and wine that most Europeans drink with their meals that minimizes the negative effects of the alcohol content in wine.  (Not in the same glass, mind you, but at the same meal.)  The mineral water (we love Pelligrino) hydrates the body, replacing fluids lost to alcohol's diuretic effect, as well as replacing the minerals that alcohol depletes.  Buying better quality wine also seems to help.  Probably fewer additives, and more enjoyable too.

A cup of minestrone is healthy, and even if it isn't vegetarian, it's still low-fat, flavorful and comforting, as soup always is. 

If you're still hungry after all that, learn to ask for more salad, soup or a bit more pasta.  Steer clear of the breads and high calorie desserts.  Fresh fruit is certainly low calorie and healthful, but if you're into food combining (which is the best way to improve your digestion dramatically), it's a no-no.

Remember, a healthy, less toxic diet doesn't mean you have to feel deprived.  In the long run, you're better making dietary changes you can live with, and with results that mean a richer life, not swinging between deprivation and overcompensation.

---

Related Articles:   the Mediterranean diet,  Essential Fatty Acids  and  food combining.