Because eating well makes us live longer
After all if you think about it, it is obvious that this is the case: in the course of our lives, we take tons of food and this acts in depth in the regulation of metabolic processes and the repair of our cells.
Ageing is a multifactorial phenomenon but in part it is characterized by a progressive loss of efficiency at the metabolic level with an excessive production of free radicals and inflammatory molecules that create damage at the level of the cells.
Refined and artificial foods contribute to worsening the accumulation of damage instead of providing the raw material with which to protect the cells and repair any damaged structures. Eating well means not only preventing diseases and having a better chance of living longer but feeling better, having more energy, and even improving mood
Do you think you are eating in a healthy and balanced way?

The above recommendations are taken from the Guidelines for a Healthy Diet, developed by the National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition.

1. Check your weight and always stay active

Weigh yourself once a month and check your Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Mass Index (BMI) falls within the range of normal weight. The BMI is an index that takes into consideration the weight of the individual in relation to his height. It is calculated by dividing the weight (in kg) by
the square of the height (in meters).
The World Health Organization (WHO or WHO) has used BMI to classify weight categories:

BMI Chart

This classification is valid only for adult individuals and is independent of the age and gender of the individual. This classification also does not consider the relative percentages of lean mass and fat mass.
If your weight does not fall within the normal weight range, consult your doctor and consult a nutrition specialist. Avoid unbalanced or very drastic “do it yourself” diets, which can be harmful to your health. Remember that a good diet should always include all foods in as balanced a way as possible.
Achieving a correct body weight is not only achieved through a balanced diet but also through a more physically active life. To avoid a sedentary lifestyle, get used to carrying out daily activities using muscles rather than machines: for example, walk instead of using the car, go up and down stairs rather than take the elevator, do small housework manually.

2. Consume more grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits

Cereals, legumes, vegetables, and fruit are important foods because they provide carbohydrates (especially starch and fiber) but also vitamins, minerals and organic acids. Additionally, grains and legumes are also
good sources of protein.
In addition, the consumption of an adequate quantity of fruit and vegetables allows to reduce the energy density of the diet. This is not only because the fat content and overall caloric intake are limited but also because the satiating power of these foods is particularly high.

So, how to behave?

⦁ Eat more servings of fresh fruit and vegetables every day.
⦁ Increase your consumption of fresh and dried legumes (chickpeas, beans, peas, broad beans, and lentils).
⦁ Consume bread, pasta, rice, and other grains regularly, preferably whole grains.
When you can, choose products made from wholemeal flours and not with the simple addition of bran or other fibers

3. Choose quality fats and limit the quantity

To stay healthy, it is necessary to introduce a balanced quantity of fat with the diet, without becoming unbalanced either by excess or by defect. In addition, the quality of fats can be very different. In fact, their chemical composition varies, and in particular that of fatty acids. The different quality of fats can have important effects on human nutrition and health. Finally, cholesterol is found in fats of animal origin. This cholesterol contained in food can contribute to causing an increase in blood cholesterol levels.

So, how to behave?

⦁ Moderate the amount of fats and oils you use for seasoning and cooking; possibly use non-stick pans, foil or steam cooking.
⦁ Limit the consumption of seasoning fats of animal origin (butter, lard, lard, cream).
⦁ Prefer seasoning fats of vegetable origin, especially extra virgin olive oil.
⦁ Use seasoning fats preferably raw and avoid reusing cooked fats and oils.
⦁ Do not exceed in the consumption of fried foods.
⦁ Eat fish more often, both fresh and frozen (2/3 times a week).
⦁ Prefer lean meats and eliminate visible fat.
⦁ Eat 2 eggs a week.
⦁ Preferably choose skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, which still maintains its calcium content.
⦁ All cheeses contain high amounts of fat: still choose the leaner ones or eat smaller portions.

4. Limit sugars, sweets, and sugary drinks

The sweet taste is linked to simple sugar: glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose and lactose.
These simple sugars are found in sweet foods and drinks: fructose, glucose and sucrose are contained in ripe fruit and honey; sucrose (commonly called table sugar) is obtained by extraction from both beet and sugar cane; maltose is contained in cereals; lactose is contained in milk.
To satisfy the desire for a sweet taste, it is preferable to consume baked goods rather than candies, bars, chocolate. This is because baked goods contain, in addition to simple sugars, also complex sugars ( starch ) and other nutrients. Instead, the second group of foods contains mainly sucrose and fats.
The consumption of simple sugars, especially if taken alone, quickly causes a rapid rise in blood sugar ( blood glucose concentration), which then tends to return to its initial value within a more or less long period.
Simple sugars can be consumed as sources of energy for the body within the limits of 10-15% of the daily caloric intake.

So, how to behave?

⦁ Moderate your consumption of sweet foods and drinks throughout the day, so as not to exceed the amount of simple sugars allowed.
⦁ Among the desserts, you prefer traditional Italian baked goods, which contain less fat and sugar and more starch.
⦁ Use sweet products to spread on bread or rusks in controlled quantities (such as jams, fruit jams, honey and creams).
⦁ Limit your consumption of products that contain a lot of sucrose, and especially those that stick to your teeth, such as soft candies or nougat.

5. Drink plenty of water every day

Our body is mainly made up of water. In the newborn, water represents about 75% of the body weight. This percentage fraction decreases until adulthood when it stabilizes at around 55-60% of body weight. In the elderly there is a further decrease in the amount of total body water, both as an absolute value and as a percentage fraction. The differences between the sexes are evident starting from adolescence. The woman, in fact, having a higher percentage of adipose tissue (poor in water), has a lower percentage of water.
Body water is essential for carrying out all physiological processes and biochemical reactions that take place in our body. Maintaining a fair balance of our “water balance” (ratio between the “inputs” and “outputs” of water) is therefore essential to maintain a good state of health in the short, medium and long term.
Water contains no calories, and any short-term changes in body weight due to increased water loss or retention are deceptive and momentary.

So, how to behave?

⦁ Always indulge the sense of thirst and even try to anticipate it by drinking enough, on average 1.5 – 2 liters of water per day (8 glasses): also remember that children are more exposed to the risk of dehydration than adults.
⦁ Drink frequently and in small amounts. Drink slowly, especially if the water is cold: in fact, a sudden drop in the temperature of the stomach can create the conditions for dangerous congestion.
⦁ Older people need to get used to drinking frequently throughout the day, during and outside meals, even when they don’t feel thirsty.
⦁ Water balance must be maintained by essentially drinking water, both tap and bottled water, both of which are safe and controlled. Remember that different drinks (such as orange soda, cola-type soft drinks, fruit juices, coffee, tea) as well as supplying water also provide other substances that contain calories (for example simple sugars) or which are pharmacologically active (for example caffeine). These drinks should be used in moderation.
⦁ It is wrong to avoid drinking for fear of sweating excessively (sweating is essential for regulating body temperature) or gaining weight (water does not provide calories).
⦁ During and after physical activity, drink to promptly and promptly replenish the losses due to sweating, mainly using water.
⦁ In certain pathological conditions that cause a greater loss of water (for example febrile states or repeated episodes of diarrhea), the lost water must be adequately and promptly replenished.

6. Use little salt

Both the flavor and the biological properties of common salt ( sodium chloride ) are mainly related to sodium. Under normal conditions, our body eliminates a certain amount of sodium daily, which must be reintegrated with the diet. However, it is not necessary to add salt to foods, as the sodium contained in nature in foods is already sufficient to cover the needs of the body.
Reducing the amount of salt that is consumed daily is not difficult, especially if the reduction occurs gradually. In fact, our palate adapts easily, and it is therefore possible to re-educate it to less salty foods. Within a few months, or even weeks, these same foods will look just right, while those seasoned in the previous way will seem too salty.
An average consumption of salt below 6 g per day (1 teaspoon), corresponding to an intake of about 2.4 g of sodium, represents a good compromise between satisfying the taste and preventing the risks associated with sodium.

So, how to behave?

⦁ Progressively reduce the use of salt both at the table and in the kitchen.
⦁ Do not add salt to baby food, at least for the entire first year of life.
⦁ Limit the use of alternative sodium-containing condiments (bouillon cube, ketchup, soy sauce, mustard).
⦁ Flavor foods with herbs (such as garlic, onion, basil, parsley, rosemary, sage, mint, oregano, marjoram, celery, leek, thyme, fennel seeds) and spices (such as pepper, chilli, nutmeg, saffron, curry).
⦁ Enhance the flavor of foods by using lemon juice or vinegar.
⦁ Choose low-salt product lines when available (unsalted bread, low-salt canned tuna).
⦁ Consume only occasionally processed foods rich in salt (salty snacks, potato chips, table olives, some cured meats and cheeses).
⦁ In moderate sporting activity, it replenishes the liquids lost through sweating with simple water.

7. Consume alcoholic beverages in controlled quantities

Alcoholic beverages consist mostly of water, and the remainder of ethyl alcohol (or ethanol ). Ethanol is a toxic substance for the body. Ethanol is then metabolized by the human body not according to the real organic needs, as happens for nutrients, but with the sole purpose of being neutralized and eliminated. The human body is in fact mostly able to withstand ethanol without obvious damage as long as it remains within the limits of moderate consumption.
Although not a nutrient, ethanol provides a large amount of calories.
Ethanol is absorbed already in the first portions of the gastrointestinal tract and, in modest proportions, even in the mouth. Absorption is slower in the presence of food, faster in the presence of carbon dioxide (soda, sparkling wines and other fizzy drinks). Once absorbed, ethanol enters the bloodstream.
Metabolization of ethanol occurs both in the stomach and in the liver. The enzyme present in the stomach ( alcohol dehydrogenase ) metabolizes ethanol before it is absorbed and reaches the blood, and therefore the whole body. The enzymes present in the liver instead act only after the ethanol has entered the bloodstream and has
therefore had the opportunity to exert its effects.
It can be assumed that drinking alcohol on a full stomach is better because it causes
the ethanol to be absorbed more slowly and decreases the amount that enters the bloodstream.
The concentration of ethanol in the blood depends on various factors: amount ingested, method of consumption (fasting or with a meal), body composition, weight, sex, genetic factors, amount of body water, individual ability to metabolize alcohol, habits ‘alcohol. Women, having a lower weight, lower amounts of body water and lower efficiency of alcohol metabolization mechanisms, are more vulnerable to its effects and, for the same consumption, have a higher alcohol level (alcohol present in the blood).

So, how to behave?

⦁ If you wish to consume alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation, with meals or, in any case, immediately before or after eating.
⦁ Of all alcoholic beverages, give preference to those with a low alcohol content (wine and beer).
⦁ Avoid alcohol intake altogether during childhood, adolescence, pregnancy and breastfeeding, reduce it if you are elderly.
⦁ Do not consume alcoholic beverages if you have to drive cars or use delicate or dangerous equipment for yourself or others, and therefore you need to keep intact attention, self-criticism and motor coordination.
⦁ If you take any medications (including non-prescription medications), avoid or reduce alcohol consumption unless you have obtained explicit permission from your doctor.
⦁ Reduce or eliminate alcoholic beverages if you are overweight or obese or if you have a family history of diabetes, obesity, hypertriglyceridemia.

8. Vary your choices at the table often

A healthy and balanced diet is achieved by choosing at least an adequate quantity (portion) of a food for each food group on a daily basis, also taking care to habitually vary the choices within each individual group.

The food groups are 5:

1. Group of cereals, derivatives and tubers: bread, pasta, rice, corn, oats, barley, spelled, potatoes. Among the foods of this group it is also advisable to use whole-grain ones, which are richer in fiber.
2. Vegetable group, fresh legumes, fruit. Among the foods of this group it is advisable to use seasonal foods
3. Milk and derivatives group: milk, yogurt, dairy products, cheeses. Within the group, semi-skimmed milk, dairy products and less fat cheeses are preferred.
4. Meat, fish, eggs, dried legumes group. Within the group, lean meats and fish are preferred. On the other hand, as regards quantity, the consumption of products with a higher fat content, such as certain types of meat and sausages, should be moderate. Finally, for eggs, an acceptable consumption for healthy subjects is that of one egg twice a week.
5. Seasoning fats group:   extra virgin olive oil, seed oil (fats of vegetable origin), butter, cream, lard, lard (fats of animal origin). Vegetable fats are preferred, in particular extra virgin olive oil.

 So, how to behave?

• Choose portions of foods belonging to all the different groups, alternating them in the various meals of the day.

9. Special tips for special people

In the universe of normal consumers there are some categories that must be considered more “at risk” of nutritional deficiencies, not due to diseases and not necessarily due to bad habits, but simply for situations related to their age or to particular physiological conditions. These people have some specific needs which are important to know and which need to be addressed carefully.

How to behave in pregnancy?

⦁ Avoid excessive weight gain and be careful to cover your increased needs in protein, calcium, iron, folate and water: therefore regularly consume fish, lean meats, eggs, milk and derivatives and a wide variety of vegetables and fruits.
⦁ In particular, throughout the childbearing age, take care that your folate intake covers your needs. This will reduce the risk of neural tube changes (spina bifida) in the fetus.
⦁ Do not consume raw or undercooked foods of animal origin and do not drink alcoholic beverages.

How to behave while breastfeeding?

⦁ While breastfeeding, your nutritional needs are even higher than those of pregnancy: a varied diet, rich in water, fresh vegetables, fish, milk and derivatives, will help you feel good and produce milk that is completely suitable for the needs of the newborn.
⦁ Avoid those foods that can give your milk unpleasant odors or flavors or trigger allergic-type manifestations in the infant.
⦁ Avoid alcoholic beverages and use products containing nerve substances (coffee, tea, cocoa, cola drinks) with caution.

How to behave in menopause?

⦁ Take advantage of the possible increased availability of free time to practice greater physical activity and to take care of your diet: learn never to unbalance your diet and remember that, since every food has its own specific role in the context of daily nutrition, you must never indiscriminately eliminate entire food groups in favor of others.
⦁ Do not overdo it with milk and cheese, despite their high calcium content; prefer semi-skimmed milk and, among cheeses, choose those with a lower fat and salt content.
⦁ Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables every day.
⦁ Preferably use extra virgin olive oil.
⦁ Remember that overweight and obesity, sedentary lifestyle, constipation, cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse are important risk factors even in menopause.

What to do if you are under 12?

⦁ Eat breakfast, divide your diet appropriately throughout the day, and choose vegetables and fruit more frequently.
⦁ Avoid overindulging in the consumption of sweet foods and fizzy drinks, and indulge too often in the typical American fast-food dishes.
Spend at least 1 hour a day for physical activity and movement

What to do if you are between the ages of 12 and 18?

⦁ Avoid adopting particularly unbalanced and monotonous eating patterns just because they are “in fashion”.
⦁ Pay particular attention, especially if you are a girl, to cover your increased needs in iron and calcium: follow some trends in vogue among young people that lead to excluding from the diet foods such as meat and fish (excellent sources of iron) and milk and derivatives (excellent sources of calcium) makes this coverage and that of vitamin B12 very difficult.

What to do if you are over 75?

⦁ Strive to systematically consume a varied and palatable diet.
⦁ Avoid too frequent use of cold meals, pre-cooked or reheated dishes.
⦁ Choose foods based on the conditions of your chewing system and prepare them appropriately: mince meats, grate or mash ripe fruit, prepare soups, purees and smoothies, choose a soft bread or soften it in liquid.
⦁ Avoid heavy meals and divide your diet on multiple occasions throughout the day.
⦁ Have a good breakfast including milk or yogurt.
⦁ Maintain an acceptable body weight, continuing to maintain a good level of motor activity and avoiding the abuse of fatty toppings and sweets.
⦁ Reduce animal fats, frequently choose fish and alternative meats (chicken, turkey, rabbit), do not overdo the cheeses.
⦁ Consume fresh legumes, fruits and vegetables often.
⦁ Do not exceed with the consumption of alcoholic beverages and with the addition of table salt.

10. The safety of the food you consume also depends on you

Foods have always contained and will always contain, in addition to serving nutrients to our body, potentially toxic substances or agents
( additives , environmental contaminants , microbiological contaminants ).
To lower the food risk to a level that guarantees sufficient safety for consumption, the consumer is responsible for the purchase, control and correct use of the food he consumes. He must be aware and informed correctly, learn to read and interpret the labels, know the purchased product and how to store it well, know how to handle it in the kitchen and consume it at the table in order to protect himself and his family from any risks.

 So, how to behave?

⦁ Vary your food choices, also to reduce the risk of repeatedly ingesting foreign substances present in food, which can be harmful.
⦁ For the elderly, infants, children and pregnant women, it is necessary to completely avoid the consumption of raw or undercooked animal foods (undercooked eggs or sauces based on raw eggs, rare meat, raw fish, fruits raw seafood).
⦁ Pay attention to home preserves (especially in oil or brine), which must be prepared respecting scrupulous hygiene rules; never taste a suspicious preserve.
⦁ Do not allow cooked food to cool out of the refrigerator for too long and without covering it. It should be placed in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking at the latest (1 hour in summer). When using leftovers, reheat them until they are very hot inside as well.
⦁ Do not defrost food of animal origin at room temperature. If you can’t cook them yourself, put them in the refrigerator in advance or put them to defrost in the microwave.
⦁ Avoid contact in the refrigerator between different foods, keeping leftovers in closed containers, eggs in their original container.
⦁ Do not have excessive confidence in the ability of the refrigerator to store your food for too long: it does not carry out any reclamation action and does not preserve food forever.