SALAD OF BLUEBERRIES AND RED GRAPES, A CURE FOR WINTER

With the arrival of the winter season and the cold weather , it is important to strengthen our immune system in order to limit , and why not to avoid the small but annoying ailments typical of the period .

Nature, even in this case, contributes to our well-being by providing foods such as blueberries and red grapes has always been known for their health properties .

During different periods in history blueberries have been used for wide variety of purposes , such as the Gauls and Celts , they used to use the berries of a cranberry color for the clothes, the women of the Roman Empire in the water instead inserivano which were bathing in order to promote the ' tan , while the greek physician and botanist Dioscorides used to treat dysentery.

But reaching nowadays , blueberries and red grapes have been the subject of study by researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute Oregon State University , where they were analyzed 446 substances in blueberries and red grapes , of these only two , resveratrol and pterostilbene , have shown ( in this study ) really interesting therapeutic properties .

Both of these substances work synergistically with Vitamin D stimulates the formation of cathelicidin, a substance present in the body , produced mainly by neutrophils (cells of our immune system ) and some epithelial cells. This type of cells belong to the innate immune system type , that is the first line of defense of our body active against any type of pathogen attack. The cathelicidin therefore, acts similarly to an antibiotic, strengthening our natural defenses against pathogenic bacteria .

From these results we can deduce that include blueberries and red grapes in our food supply, especially here in times when our body is weaker , it may be an appropriate choice , and as usual we propose a simple and tasty recipe made ​​with blueberries and grapes

Salad of blueberries and grapes

INGREDIENTS:

· 300 g of white grapes

· 300 g of red grapes

· 200 g of blueberries

· 400 g of whole wheat bread

· rocket

· nuts

FOR THE DRESSING

· 300 g of white grapes

· 6 tablespoons of olive oil

· 1 large lemon

· Salt and pepper

Preparation:

For the dressing , mix the grape and pass through a tissue , add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Only then add the oil with vigorous stirring

Dice the bread , brush with extra virgin olive oil and toast lightly in a pan (be careful not to form black areas on the bread ) .

Mix all the salad ingredients and condiamo with the emulsion prepared , serving all with the toasted bread.

Enjoy your meal!

Andrea Busalacchi

SUSHI, PRECAUTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

Now a real fashion , sushi has invaded Italy (it was now ... ), composed mainly of rice , acidulated with rice vinegar, and a series of ingredients that varies depending on the type of request , now is a dish that There is a little ' everywhere.

Probably imported from China in the seventh century BC, is a variant of an ancient method of preserving fish in the Eastern Churches , where the latter still raw , was kept alternating layers of salt and rice and pressed for a few weeks . At the end of this period was left to ferment for a few months .

Today the recipe that is proposed to us in reality has very latest , we are talking about 1800 AD when Yohei Hanaya began to prepare morsels of rice flavored with vinegar over raw fish , hence the spread of the pot and the birth of all its variants . But my attention today is paid to the processing of the plate and in particular the storage and handling of the fish, which conceals many pitfalls that should not make us complacent .

The law in Italy (853/ 04 and 854/ 04) requires that fish processing by restaurateurs, must be preceded by a precise heat treatment, ie : they must be frozen at a temperature not higher than -20 ° C in parts of the product for at least 24 hours ( ... ) fishery products to be consumed raw or almost raw . This method tends to prevent parasites from fish , or of infectious diseases caused by parasites , or transmitted , in the specific case we speak mainly of:

Pseudoterranova decipiens ( Anisakis)

Diphyllobothrium latum

Clonorchis sinensis

Also do not forget the problem of heavy metals (especially mercury) much more common in large fish predators , but here's a list in descending order of types of fish where there is a greater amount of mercury :

• grouper
• orange roughy
• swordfish
• shark
• Mackerel ( real)
• Sea Bass
• croaker
• halibut
• Tuna ( canned albacore )
• Tuna ( fresh bluefin )
• Salmon trout
• bluefish
• lobster

This should not worry us, but directing us to a more informed choice by referring to these simple instructions :

• Always ask for the origin of the fish
• Not to serve raw fish marinated or without prior heat treatment
• In the case of breast-feeding, pregnant women and small children , to avoid excessive consumption of fish at risk mercury

A parenthesis should be opened on the accumulation of mercury from the body , and this depends mainly on what we expose ourselves to the contaminant and the speed with which it eliminate once introduced .

Unfortunately, this "speed" is contained in our DNA , in a particular polymorphism that allows us to eliminate this metal more quickly through increased production of glutathione , an antioxidant enzyme capable of binding mercury and make it eliminated. This enzyme can be stimulated through the intake of certain dietary supplements , such as NAC , or the N- acetyl-cysteine ​​, a derivative of the amino acid cysteine ​​by the strong antioxidant capacity , synergistic with that of glutathione and able to promote the synthesis of same . This should not lead us to consider the NAC a remedy , but just remember that a possible aid must always be evaluated with appropriate staff as your doctor or pharmacist . But back to the sushi, in case you want to prepare it at home, make sure that your freezer reaches -20 ° C or use of smoked fish or prepared vegetarian sushi (a variant not to be underestimated ) .

Here's the recipe for the preparation of rice :

Ingredients

• 1200 ml of water
• 1020 g of rice ( sushi rice grains to small and round )
• 200 ml rice vinegar
• 100 g sugar
• 20 g of salt
• 10 g of seaweed

Preparation

Remove the starch present, rinse the rice in a large bowl until the water becomes clear . At this point the rice well in a dry filter. Put the rice in a pot with water and seaweed , and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, then lower the heat and continue for 12 minutes. After cooking , leave everything in the pot for at least 10 minutes , leaving the lid. Meanwhile, put the rice vinegar in a saucepan with the sugar and salt and let it melt slowly over low heat (avoid boiling ) . After 10 minutes, remove the algae from rice and pour the rice in a wooden container, on which pour the sauce made with vinegar. Mix everything together and cover with a cloth until cool . At this point you just need to prepare your favorite sushi .

Enjoy your meal!

Andrea Busalacchi

MALE INFERTILITY AND THE MULTIVITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS

The problem of male infertility is on the increase all industrialized countries , in particular Italy is among the last in Europe ( at least according to a Spanish study ) , for " semen quality ." According to these data would lead to decrease by 5% every decade , the amount of sperm .

Accusing the lifestyle of industrialized countries, does not fully explain the problem but surely affects markedly : psycho-physical stress , pollution, smoking , alcohol abuse , imbalanced diet and use of cosmetic products and detergents of poor quality.

In this regard I quote a study Sicilian who analyzed the incidence of malformations of the genitourinary male ( isospadie ) , which showed that the frequency with which standard ( 3 in 1000 ), would be doubled or even quadrupled (12 in 1000 ) in areas heavily polluted by the chemical ( one examined was Augusta) , in addition to this you add up the following data analyzed on a large scale : 30 % less than the quantity of sperms in the past 15 years, 10% more properties or abnormal sperm .

In this bleak picture , fortunately scientific research is bringing to light many results, obtained also by integrating nutritional studies , with very encouraging data , let's see : a group of New Zealand research , analyzed the couples undergoing treatment for infertility , where the men were given a supplement of vitamins and minerals in these couples there was a greater likelihood of conception.

A close correlation , it adds an Austrian study , where men with at least one year of infertility for 3 months were subjected to an integration of an antioxidant mix ( CQ10 , vitamin E , folate , glutathione , selenium, L-Carnitine and L- arginine ) .

The results were encouraging:

33.3 % of ejaculate volume

+215.5 % Concentration in the sperm cell

+83% Of sperm motility

23% of cells with normal form

These data do no more than confirm the important role of supply ( rich in antioxidants) and nutritional supplements , but I remember that for the use of supplements is always advised to first consult your doctor .

Andrea Busalacchi

THE CHOCOLATE AND ITS ANTI-AGING PROPERTIES

Chocolate as we know, has ancient origins (about 4000 BC ), but the Maya were the first to cultivate around 1000 BC, the value of mystical and religious , was consumed as a drink with a procedure similar to that for the preparation of tea .

The taste is very bitter and unpleasant , he had his first " correction of taste " only in 1600 when the monastic orders Spaniards added to this drink , vanilla and sugar.

It took another 200 years to get to the first chocolate bar commercial, produced in England and perfected in the rest of Europe. Since then, several variants were born , including the pasta Gianduja ( chocolate and chopped hazelnuts and toasted ) in Turin , milk chocolate and dark chocolate in Switzerland, and finally in 1946 the hazelnut cream in Alba , the famous Nutella (which could not be cited).

But in addition to having a taste much appreciated by many , chocolate is a good food from a variety of health properties . Today we focus on a particular chocolate , made with a method well known in Sicily , in particular in Modica , ie the cold working .

My attention moves on a particular production realized by Sabadi Simone Sabaini , which was able to revisit the chocolate giving it a new face. It is the line " quality of life ", or chocolate combined with other natural substances , in order to enhance some properties already present in the mother product to ensure a high nutritional value.

Among the many variants of the product ( Leisure, Youth , Gender , Health , Optimism ) , as an expert in Anti -Aging , I can not talk about what Youth. The chocolate Youth caught my attention , for the interesting combination of its ingredients : Pasta bitter cocoa - Origin: Ecuador, whole cane sugar , açaí berries , rose hips , red orange extract, grape seed extract, green tea .

In this variant enhances the natural anti-aging ability of cocoa, due to the presence of polyphenols (substances with strong antioxidant properties ) through the combination with Acai berries , rose hips, grape seed extract and green tea. The interesting note , the findings of a study that was carried out in collaboration with the University of Ferrara, where he was evaluated the antioxidant capacity of this product.

The result is really interesting , chocolate Youth , thanks to the addition of other foods antioxidants and through the process of cold working , preserves antioxidant capacity of about 70,000 ORAC units per 100 grams of product. ( the ORAC test is a standardized method , which allows to evaluate the antioxidant potential of a food ) .

The ' American FDA or the Agency for Food and Medicines American, has established a value of ORAC units to be taken daily , this value is around 5000 units , from a quick calculation you can see that only 7.14 grams of chocolate Youth are needed to meet our daily dose of antioxidants. This moderate amount allows us to cover a good anti -aging without affecting too much on our budget calories ( only 32 calories per 7 grams of product). One last tip ? Wear it 30 minutes before a meal, will help keep the line. But of this , we will discuss in a future article ! In the case of cocoa also want to enjoy a meal , I found a recipe from interesting combinations and low glycemic index.

" Artichoke hearts chocolate "

Ingredients

250 g of artichoke hearts

25 gr fresh chives

0.5 dl of white wine

50 grams of tomato sauce

25 grams of cocoa powder

salt and pepper

nutmeg ( fresh grated )

extra virgin olive oil

1.5 cups vegetable broth

Preparation:

Fry the spring onions , chopped , add the artichoke hearts cut into six parts, still fry the artichoke hearts along with the onion, when they are dry enough , add the dry white wine ( good quality ) and let it evaporate, then add two cups of vegetable broth and bring to a half cooked, cooking over low heat then add the tomato sauce and cook , stirring with a wooden spoon on the tomato begins to emerge when the oil add the cocoa to rain and a glass of vegetable broth salt and pepper , finish cooking while stirring.

Serve hot on a bed of lettuce and bacon as an appetizer or as a side dish , simple accommodation close to game dishes .

Enjoy your meal!

Andrea Busalacchi