Qualitaly_114

DEC. JAN. 2020 XII the traditional Tyrolean inn of our historic hotel, which serves traditional dishes, local wines and buys ingredients from local producers. We do not offer ¾ board with afternoon snacks, as is the tradition in this area, but we encourage our guests to visit the local huts run by farmers, to ensure that they also make a profit. They take care of our territory. We also take great care of our relationships with those who work for us and with our suppliers, a key element of our sustainability. ______________________________ AT PAGE 38 Qi Feeling good at the table An apparent luxury Eating out of season fruits and vegetables. Here are the ‘health’ reasons for not falling into this bad habit By Dr. Barbara Panterna Today, more and more frequently, there is talk of following the seasonality of food as an essential element to maintain our health. Yet, there are still many do not follow this rule. Perhaps because they are too accustomed to having available in any month of the year - all the fruit and vegetables that we want without asking the question of whether or not it is in season. This apparent luxury is guaranteed by the massive cultivation in greenhouses and the import from tropical countries, but are we really sure that these foods are appropriate from an organoleptic and nutritional point of view? In fact, eating food that is not in season exposes us more to the risk of introducing more preservatives, pesticides... and far fewer important nutrients for our health. Nature is perfect, and it seems to do everything with a precise logic. So why don’t we respect her and learn to make the most of the gifts she gives us? Think of Italy, our beautiful country characterized by a large variation in temperature between summer and winter, so our nutritional needs change significantly depending on the changing climate. In the summer, for example, when the outside temperature is high, our metabolism is reduced. It will therefore need fewer calories to maintain a constant internal body temperature but, sweating more, we will encounter a depletion of mineral salts that will be readily integrated, and for this reason nature helps us by providing us with summer fruits and vegetables that have a low calorie content but a rich wealth of water and electrolytes such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus. Moreover, being very colourful, they contain nutrients that will help us to counteract the harmful effects of the sun’s rays. Just think, for example, of apricots rich in carotenoids, precursors of vitamin A; they are antioxidant substances that can counteract free radicals, and the beta carotene of which so much is said is an example, useful in the hot months to counteract the harmful effects caused by sunlight. In addition to apricots, we can also find it in melons. During the winter, however, the colder temperature will lead us to require more nourishment to be able to maintain a constant body temperature (which must remain around 37 ° so that the cells of our body can perform their functions properly). We will sweat little and will be less exposed to harmful sun rays but, on the other hand, more prone to chills, respiratory diseases such as colds, sore throats, bronchitis, etc.. Even in this season, nature helps us by providing food adapted to these new needs. For example, winter vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, turnips and savoy cabbage will help us to combat seasonal ailments thanks to their sulphur content, a mineral with a high anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and toxin depuration power, fighting aggression by pathogenic microorganisms. Another ally of our health this season is the adorable pumpkin: warm in colour and very versatile in the kitchen, a powerful antioxidant. It is rich in carotenes, precursors of vitamin A, vitamin C and B group and minerals such as phosphorus and iron. Then there are the mid-seasons, which we will call transition seasons, because they allow us to gradually get used to the changing climate. Autumn, for example, is the time when we will have to recharge our energy and store fat (without exaggeration!), to better cope with the harsh winter weather on the doorstep. Help arrives in the form of grapes, persimmons and chestnuts, which contain many sugars, vitamins and antioxidants. During the spring, on the other hand, we have to dispose of the fat accumulated during the winter, oxygenate and “detoxify” the body to be lighter when the heat becomes torrid. Fruit and vegetables with purifying properties assist us in doing so. But we must not think that only the latter should follow seasonality, it also applies to other foods such as fish. In this season, the green light is given to snappers, gurnards, hakes, musky octopus, sea bream, umbrina, cuttlefish and scampi, for example. THE ADVANTAGES OF A ‘SEASONAL’ DIET Following the seasonality of the food therefore has many advantages! For health, as seasonal products are less treated for preservation and do not have to be transported over long distances, thus keeping more intact all their nutritional properties. MAGAZINE