HOW TO START EATING HEALTHIER AND IN A MORE SUSTAINABLE WAY
We Italians are relatively among the healthiest people in the world. The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and most sustainable, also having positive effects in the environmental and economic spheres; agricultural and agri-food production, in fact, together with the culinary tradition on the one hand ensure quality and, on the other, guarantee compliance with ethical and environmental criteria.
Unfortunately, however, in recent years, there has been a decline in the 'Mediterranean' diet in favour of less healthy eating styles. This is due to a multitude of causes: from the increased accessibility of food, to the 'speeding up' of people's daily activities (which has resulted in an increasingly widespread habit of eating out), reducing the time dedicated to lunch breaks and to the preparation of meals themselves. By now, lunch, out of laziness, can only come via the phone app, without thinking about what is behind the whole chain that leads to high garbage consumption and pollution.
In recent times I have tried to stick to my slow lifestyle, in work, in my private life but especially in my diet. It is all about personal organisation, controlling time, dealing with problems calmly and being able to handle stress constructively.
I have decided to focus on myself: to stop, evaluate and decide. And I have decided to go slow, especially with regard to my nutrition and I have chosen to eat better, for my health and for our planet. It's a kind of return to basics: eating seasonally and cooking from raw materials instead of ready-made food.
And, believe it or not, this has brought me great savings in terms of time and money, as well as great personal satisfaction.
What we can do is to embark on a correct lifestyle, based on healthy eating and regular physical activity. Let us try to eat mindfully and keep up the rigour of good eating habits in most of the meals we consume, without, however, totally depriving ourselves of life's little pleasures (a snack, a soft drink, a sandwich take-away or a glass of wine every now and then will not be our downfall, believe me).
We live in a society of dietary excess, taken to the limit by industry propaganda: we are literally bombarded with food at every moment of the day and wherever we are. Eventually this system seduced us with its promise of quick and easy food, and is now trying to convince us that it can help us even when we want to eat healthy. But we are seeking balance, fundamentally, and what we eat is an essential part of the process.
It is a path that must be taken at a slow pace, but it will be worth it, for in that slowness you will learn to appreciate the true pleasure of food and how it is prepared, with whom we share it, and its effects on our health. Favouring wholemeal foods, fresh, seasonal and quality vegetables, unprocessed foods with no added sugar, as well as animal products that do not involve intensive farming will lead you to an extraordinary increase in energy, as well as a greater sense of satiety and physical well-being. We are talking about food that has been grown ethically, that has not been altered with pesticides or dyes and preservatives, that has not been transported from the other side of the world, nor that arrives to us wrapped in plastic.
FOLLOW A REGIME, NOT A DIET
When we are stressed, we tend to eat badly, which slows down our metabolism, damaging our bacterial flora, which can even affect our mood. To counteract this problem, it is necessary to follow a regime, not a diet. A new way of cooking and preparing meals, in a simple and creative way, that can make you feel good about yourself and the people around you.
I am not here to tell you to eat mostly fruit and vegetables, but to follow a mostly healthy lifestyle that is simple, colourful and not at all boring. My meals are never lacking in the macronutrients my body needs: at every meal, including breakfast, I try to combine the right amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats that my body needs in a balanced way (I like most of the time to put all the ingredients of my meal a bowl, it gives me a feeling of comfort towards the meal I am eating). I also follow the rainbow: my dishes are never mono-coloured but always coloured by the spices, vegetables and seasonings that enrich them.
When I prepare a meal I ask myself what makes this dish good: I have to like it naturally, otherwise I wouldn't waste my time on it. And I have also learnt to ask myself questions about the nutritional contribution that that meal is offering me: I don't talk about calories, but rather whether I have cooked respecting the nature of the ingredients and whether maybe I can improve in some steps.
This more conscious approach to my diet has helped me over the years to feel good about myself, to reduce bad moods, hunger pangs and has helped to give me an energy I had never felt before.
I do not want to presume that this is the secret of happiness. Mind and body are linked and only if we can keep everything in balance can we claim to be in harmony with ourselves. This kind of path worked for me. Try it for yourself, don't wait for something unexpected to happen to you to start feeling better.
A little warning: I am not a doctor and the one I follow IS NOT A DIET but a lifestyle, which works for and which I think is useful to share. But remember that each body reacts according to how it is made. Adjust according to your personal needs. My advice will help you change your daily habits for the better.
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