Christina Cooks: Back to the Cutting Board

The man famous for “I’ll be back” has said “Hasta la Vista” to meat. Yup, famous muscleman Arnold Schwarzenegger has backed off meat as the protein to power his muscles and advises us all to do the same. But can we be big and strong without meat, but with beans? You know the answer is one big delicious yes.

In Puglia, eating locally means using foods produced town by town to create your pantry, fridge and eating style. Today, we head to Alberobello, famous for fairy-like houses known as trulli, but for me, the best part is their almonds and figs. I can’t wait to show you this town and create some fabulous sweets as we live our healthiest lives.

Is there more to food than food? I think you know that I’ll say yes. Of course, there are our macronutrients, fat, protein and carbohydrates along with vitamins and minerals essential to our wellness. And then there’s the energy of the food; the impact it has on us in more than just physical ways. Can it help us to relax? Feel energized? Annoyed or happy? Yes, yes and yes.

Can our ancestral past help us as we move into the future? Our ancestors evolved to ensure survival, creating settlements, becoming agrarian, growing food, processing food and preserving food. They revered, respected and feared nature for its power over humanity. Today we cook to honor our past as we visit mystical Matera and learn how ancient foods still inform how we eat in our modern world.

We love the little cliché that variety is the spice of life, but do we understand it? It means that stimulation is the key to vitality and however you see that is what will work for you. In terms of food, nothing…and I mean nothing stimulates us physically quite like hot spice, from ginger to chilies, adding spice to your life is easy, yummy and contributes to living our healthiest lives.

There are tons of jokes about beans and their ability to make you feel good, but…musical. The truth is not so silly. Beans may be humble but when it comes to your heart and overall wellness, there is no bigger superstar of the table. Let’s explore the easy and delicious ways to add beans to your diet and live our healthiest lives, from our hearts to our digestion.

We struggle with vegetables. Marketing, ads, and even cartoons condition us to believe that vegetables are, well…gross, unappealing and unsatisfying. I’m here to tell you it just ain’t so. And with only 1 in 10 Americans eating their recommended number of servings, I know I have my work cut out for me. It’s time to fall in love with veggies and live our healthiest lives.

If there’s one thing Italians love, it’s tradition; either revering it…or breaking it. Tradition gives us a foundation to fly; to create; to build on wisdom. Today, we’ll build on my Nonna’s traditional sweet holiday pastry and visit Altamura to discover one of the most beautiful Pugliese traditional breads…focaccia!

The life expectancy in America is 79 years of age, 42nd in the world. I don’t know about you, but that seems young to me. Life expectancy in Mediterranean countries is higher, with Italy ranking 12th and Spain 16th. Are we the worst? No. Could we do better? Yes. Let’s live our healthiest lives, starting with gut health which is partly derived from enjoying delicious fermented foods.

Taking care of our livers can be delicious. What you say? What if I told you a classic pasta dish from Puglia was designed to do just that? Let’s head to Bari, live our healthiest lives and become “mangia foglie,” since they have cleverly figured out that bitter greens can put us right.

I hear you. Here she goes again, talking about heart health. Well, you’re right; here I go again. With 1 in 5 deaths resulting from heart disease, I’ll talk about it again and again and again. It’s a tough one, but so easy to solve, it’s almost silly. 90% of heart-related diseases are considered preventable if only we would change our food and lifestyles.

Real, authentic extra virgin olive oil has been a staple of the Mediterranean diet for more years than we can count. Loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols that create heart health, this valuable food deserves a place of honor in every kitchen and on every table.