It's news these days, a study that monitored a group of Englishmen for 75 years has ascertained on a scientific basis what the ancients had already taught us From Hippocrates (XNUMXth century BC) «Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food») to Galen (XNUMXnd 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 for physical and mental health are invaluable.
Eating healthily 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 diseases. 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 illnesses. Just as a balanced diet can have positive effects on mental health, something that many ignore. 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 necessary to face daily activities. Complex carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats guarantee a constant and long-lasting energy release. A diet rich in fibre, coming from fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, helps keep the digestive system healthy, preventing problems such as constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
For some years now, the World Health Organization has underlined the importance of controlling blood sugar levels: A balanced diet can help keep blood sugar levels stable, preventing 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 still go on with other observations, the table is the best ally for bone and tooth health: Nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D are essential for bone and tooth health. Dairy products, fish and leafy green vegetables are good sources of these nutrients.
So, for once, banish to gourmet and starred restaurants, banishment to exclusive venues, banishment to the gastronomic fads of the moment, banishment to TV super-recipes, to give ourselves a break in Badalucco, a suggestive medieval village in the Argentina Valley, in western Liguria, a wild and frontier, land of witches, shepherds and hidden villages, which constitutes an open-air museum with its facades decorated with colorful drawings and motifs. Here among the streets of the village, the scent of the prized extra virgin olive oil accompanies you: the true star of Badalucco which has dedicated a museum and educational farms to the oil.
Badalucco, known as the "town of good living" for its sustainable lifestyle, is a place where you can truly feel part of the community. Here they love to live in the open air, take care of the vegetable garden, enjoy their free time, breathe clean air and eat and drink healthily, a place to relax, 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 they once did 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 alleys of the village of 1000 souls, you come across a simple all-stone trattoria where every day we 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 home garden, meat from the immediate vicinity, the authentic dimension of a table that brings us back to tradition with taste and lightness where everything is excellent, well cooked, well served, from tagliatelle to wild boar to frisceu of trumpet courgettes, from Ligurian rabbit to stockfish au baucogna to grandmother's pudding, what was only made on holidays or birthdays: we are talking about the Cian del Bià restaurant managed by its high priest, Ivo Orengo, philosopher of simplicity and eating greet, and by his wife.
The dish suggested for Mondo Food readers is strictly homemade pasta ravioli filled with chard, borage, parmesan and sheep's cheese. Simple and genuine but highly healthy flavours. Starting with wild chard rich in calcium (useful for the health of bones and teeth) and vitamin K (strengthens the bones and is useful for keeping the nervous system healthy because it participates in the development of the myelin sheath that protects the nerves); properties that we also find in borage, a source of fats allied to health, especially monounsaturated but also polyunsaturated 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 group 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 make a trip to his Cian del Bià in Badalucco we will be able to take advantage of a beautiful day in the countryside to stock up on supplies during a healthy walk in the open air of mallow with anti-inflammatory, soothing, emollient and protective properties of the mucous membranes, because it is rich in mucilage capable of relieving irritation and inflammation of the mucous membranes with which they come into contact. Not to be outdone is Dandelion, a plant that has always been known for its purifying and diuretic effect, one of the detox plants par excellence, used in popular medicine to treat inflammation of the urinary tract, hemorrhoids, skin conditions, gout and rheumatic disorders. to supply 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 are also talking about nettle which boasts diuretic, purifying, antirheumatic, antihemorrhagic, hypoglycemic and antibacterial activities. 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, zinc and selenium, two important trace elements with an antioxidant function which not only fight free radicals, but are also indispensable 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 that are 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... Lastly, a fundamental thing as a seasoning in the Orengo recipe is no butter but only extra virgin olive oil. Healthier than that…

The recipe for Ravioli with herbs from the Argentina Valley with Taggiasco extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients
For pasta:
00 type flour 750g
re-milled 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
grana cheese gr. 120,
Brigasca sheep's ricotta (indigenous breed) 1000 g,
nutmeg
Timo
Taggiasca extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Osteria Cian de Bià
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