“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”
Rainer Maria Rilke
Spring is here, days are getting longer and it’s time to come out of hibernation!
The change of season always brings with it tiredness, sluggishness and stress, when we need energy, brilliance and clarity to face the days and to regenerate. A great help, apart from the sun, can certainly be food.
Breakfast still be very important. It should not be heavy, but nourishing, with the right combination of sugars, fats and proteins. At the AbanoRitz, with our continental breakfast buffet, there is no shortage of ideas, although it would be preferable to forget brioche and excess sugar, preferring fruits, both fresh and dried, cereals, yoghurt and honey instead of sugar.
Wheat germ, bran, walnuts, strawberries and avocados, but in general foods rich in B vitamins, are essential to wake up the mind, helping the concentration and the attention.
We are not talking about dieting, on the contrary, with all the goodness coming onto our tables, we love to take advantage of them and it would be impossible to deprive ourselves of them, but we are talking more about balancing our diet so that we do not get too heavy and we get as much energy as possible.
Spring Wellness Vegetables
Radishes
Red, round, cleansing, diuretic and low in calories with a high concentration of minerals. They can soothe coughs and liver pain, but perhaps not everyone knows that in the Roman Empire they were used as natural sleeping pills due to their tranquillising properties.
Asparagus
Sprouts that are the kings in Veneto. Diuretic, purifying and rich in folic acid, they help strengthen capillaries, as well as having a beneficial effect on ligaments, kidneys and skin. Known and much appreciated by the ancient Romans, we have recently discussed them in a dedicated article.
Carrots
Half of the daily requirement of beta-carotene is contained in just 100 grams of carrots. We all know them for eye problems, but they also prevent ageing. In addition, a publication in the Journal of Agricoltural and Food Chemistry recommends “one carrot a day to protect against cancer” as it contains falcarinol, a compound with great anti-cancer action.
Avocado
It fights diabetes and defends the heart by rapidly balancing the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood: a benefit for the entire circulatory system. It has aromatic and digestive properties and helps to combat dysentery.
Spring Wellness Fruits
Strawberries
One of the tastiest fruits of spring and they boast many properties. They are excellent anti-inflammatory, like all the red fruits of this season, and they are low in calories and rich in fibres. As well as being particularly filling, they contain xylitol, a substance that prevents the formation of dental plaque and bad breath.
Cherries
The elixir of youth. Perfect against oxidative stress and cell rust, they maintain the body. Rich in water and low in calories, they are suitable for diets as they quickly produce a sense of satiety and they have diuretic properties.
Blueberries
Precious for the blood circulation and in combating abdominal obesity and hypercholesterolemia. Like all berries, also blueberries have antioxidant properties.
Peaches and Apricots
Like all yellow-orange fruits, they are rich in carotenoids, the best known of which is beta-carotene, essential for the eyesight, the bones and the immune system. No less important, with summer approaching, it’s good to know that they are excellent for the skin, making it easier to get a tan.
ENJOY YOUR MEAL!
