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How to strengthen the immune defences through nutrition Dr Giusto Cristina - nutritionist biologist Immune defences can be weakened for various reasons, with varying effects from person to person; some actions and behaviours that put the integrity of our immune system at risk are Wrong and unbalanced diet Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages Stress Environmental and climatic factors Smoking Taking antibiotics Sedentary lifestyle Insufficient night rest Of the listed causes, diet is certainly the most important: deficiencies in certain foods known to boost the immune system can impair the immune response to harmful stimuli. For this reason, a balanced and complete diet is essential to ensure the functioning of the[Segue]

We often tend to be lazier during the summer holidays: we want to relax, move less, change our eating habits and our rhythms.  All this is normal and serves our organism and our mind to escape the routine of everyday life and give itself a moment's respite but, let us remember that, physical activity can help us savour even more of these moments of freedom, as well as giving us health ‘bonuses’.  To make the most of the holiday and its benefits, self-care and exercise are a winning combination.  exercise are a winning combination. Exercise makes us more aware of our bodies, stimulates the release of endorphins, reduc stress[Segue]

Finally, the long-awaited holidays arrive and the opportunities for seaside lunches, which can be enjoyed at a restaurant or beach bar or under the parasol, resume. It is often the case that with the heat the appetite goes away or we settle for something quick and fresh like an ice cream or fruit. However, it is important that the meal is more substantial to avoid hunger attacks during the rest of the day. Hunger attacks are favoured not only by the lower calorie content of an ice cream or fruit, compared to a normal meal, but also by the fact that[Segue]

Summer time is a time of year when we want to feel fit but at the same time it is full of temptations and convivial moments. The long summer days entice us to stay outside longer for an apericena or to tour our beautiful region for an informal dinner at the countless festivals full of typical and local dishes. A first tip is to combine convivial moments with motor activities if possible: e.g., stop at the festival after hiking in the mountains, apericena after a jog with friends, or wake up early the next morning and start the day with[Segue]

In midsummer, beautiful dark blue buds called Blackberries appear among the green leaves of a very common Mediterranean shrub. They come from a plant that belongs to the Rosaceae family (like the beautiful and better-known Rose of a Thousand Colours) and have some really interesting nutritional characteristics. The dark blue aggregated fruits (poly drupes) are harvested from this plant. If harvested early, they are rather sour with an astringent taste, while if eaten when fully ripe, they are very sweet thanks to the good amount of fructose. Thanks to their favourable caloric density, they are, in balanced consumption, an ally of the daily[Segue]

Fresh fruit is the basis of a healthy diet, along with vegetables and greens, and is essential for its high content of vitamins (especially vitamin C and vitamin A), minerals, including zinc, selenium, copper, potassium, fibre, polyphenols and other antioxidants. The World Health Organisation suggests consuming 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day, a standard portion of fruit, as indicated in the guidelines, corresponds to about 150 g, i.e. one medium fruit such as apple, pear, or two small fruits such as apricots or tangerines for a daily total of about 400 g. In fruit, lipids are almost absent. Its[Segue]

Fasting is defined as the absence of food and drink consumption for a certain period of time during the day.  In various diet plans, intermittent fasting is used with the aim of reducing fat mass and increase the daily basal metabolic rate.  How should it be performed? The optimal fasting period suggested by recent studies is 14 to 16 hours a day, and it is recommended to use the night and morning period to reach this quota. It goes without saying that the meal to be eliminated will be breakfast, to arrive directly to lunch without having eaten.  In addition, intermittent fasting is also[Segue]

We hear a lot lately about intermittent fasting: is it just a passing fad or does it have real health benefits?  real health benefits? Let's first see what it is. "Intermittent fasting is a variable period of time (of hours or even days) during which no food is introduced into the body". Intermittency is determined by alternating time windows in which one eats with periods of time in which when no food is taken in. Normally, we all already practise intermittent fasting. When?  During the night: about 10-12 hours pass from dinner to breakfast the next day. Furthermore, abstaining from food is a very common practice from antiquity,[Segue]

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, belongs to the group of so-called water-soluble vitamins, for  essential nutrient for humans and must be introduced through the diet on a daily basis, whereas carnivorous animals produce it themselves.  carnivorous animals produce it themselves. Vitamin C provides several benefits:  antioxidant and immune activity essential for collagen production (important for the structure of hair, skin, nails) plays a role in the transformation of L-carnitine, thus aiding energy production, but also becomes an adjuvant for keeping weight under control and supporting the metabolism by reducing free radical levels. inhibits the formation of nitrosamines that are present in pesticides or that can be formed from nitrites[Segue]

The blood-red heart of summer (or sunny yellow in some varieties), the watermelon (or watermelon) represents one of the symbols of the hottest season of the year. one of the symbols of the hottest season of the year: when you eat the first slice of watermelon... summer begins! summer begins!It is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, a family that also includes melon, pumpkin, courgette and the cucumber, for example, plants that are very common in our vegetable gardens and on our tables due to their ease of cultivation and versatility in the nutritional field. Watermelon, as we were saying, is[Segue]