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In shape for spring
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Following the winter season, with its chilly temperatures and gloomy, dark days, the arrival of spring can have a big influence on our system. Especially if we tend to be sensitive to changes in the weather.
The experts speak in terms of the spring "syndrome" or "asthenia", expressions intended to describe that sense of fatigue that overcomes us with the lengthening of the days when the air mellows and loses its wintry sting. This lack of energy is brought about by the effort our bodies must make in order to adjust to the changing climatic conditions, but it can be easily combated by implementing just a few practical countermeasures.
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The first thing to do is adjust your eating to the new season, focusing on dishes that are rich in vitamins and crucial proteins, substances the system depends on more than ever during this critical period of transition.
First and foremost we urge you to lay off the sort of energy-packed dishes that were so important during the depths of winter, while at the same time reducing your intake of fats. Pasta dishes and all the other foods that provide carbohydrates continue to play an important role on into the spring; but now it's time to change the sauces, shifting to much lighter dishes, preferably ones that can be prepared with fresh ingredients.
Fish is a food that is particularly indicated during this period, since it combines the advantages of an elevated organoleptic profile, i.e. a wealth of high-quality, wholesome flavors and aromas, with the benefits of effortless digestibility, an extremely important consideration when it comes to pampering our still-dozing organisms. And here too, we recommend opting for simpler cooking methods and recipes that avoid grease and heavy sauces, like grilling, baking or even baking in paper.
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THE RAW TRUTH ABOUT VEGETABLES |
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When it comes to vegetables, we recommend eating them raw, uncooked, in order to augment your intake of vitamins and pigments. You can't get enough carrots, rich in carotenoids, but alternate them with lettuce and spinach. In addition to adding interest and texture to salads, the sprouts of soybeans and other cereals are brimming with precious nutritive substances and they are ideal for warding off the spring doldrums.
And a dribble of extra-virgin olive oil is the best way to dress your healthy raw vegetables.
But this wholesome new regime mustn't end at the table. Your healthy eating habits should be accompanied by a program of physical activity that enables the entire body to get in shape. We encourage you to haul out your bicycle, take up jogging or simply start walking more, breathing deeply from the bottom of your lungs and inhaling as much of that splendid fresh spring air as you can.
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