It is said that Sophia Loren, at almost eighty, who looks simply amazing, is on a diet based on pasta. Our nutritionist Oleg Vladimirov talks about whether this is actually possible.
Macaroni is popular in many countries, and not only because it is a very tasty food — they are really good for our body:
– pasta contains almost no fat (about 1%), and the carbohydrates contained in it (about 70%) provide our body with a huge amount of energy: about 60% of it comes from carbohydrates, so a person feels a sense of satiety, eating pasta much less than other food;
– pasta contains a lot of useful substances: B vitamins, starch, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and iron;
– pasta contains vegetable fiber-having absorbent properties, it can absorb harmful slags and remove them from the body, which almost does not absorb the fiber itself; in addition, fiber slows down the production of sugar during digestion, and also helps to eliminate dysbiosis;
– pasta also contains tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted in the body into the hormone serotonin-the key to our good mood, so if you like pasta, you are not in danger of depression.
However, macaroni also has its negative sides:
– high carbohydrate content makes pasta very high in calories;
— when cooked incorrectly, pasta loses most of the nutrients that were in it;
– highly cooked pasta made from refined flour can have glycemic indices (an indicator of the effect of food on blood sugar levels) in the region of 70, which leads to an insulin peak;
— if you fill pasta with animal fats, you get a deadly harmful food.
In order for the body to benefit, you need to buy pasta only from durum wheat: they have a very low glycemic level, unlike pasta from soft varieties, where the glycemic level tends to the indicator of sweets. In addition, durum wheat has significantly more protein than soft wheat, and the presence of sufficient protein in the food prevents, in particular, the development of cellulite. In addition to the composition indicated on the package, pay attention to the cooking time — for medium-thick pasta, it should be at least ten minutes. All “instant” brands like ramen are simply dangerous for your health!
Pasta is better to eat in the morning — you will provide yourself with energy for the whole day, and the amino acid tryptophan contained in them will smooth out the negative effects of the inevitable stress and facilitate going to bed in the evening. If you eat pasta late at night, then be sure to minimize the calories, the amount of which increases greatly from sauces added to the dish, especially if they are sauces of industrial production.
Well, you need to cook pasta exactly as the Italians advise: the most useful degree of readiness is really al dente or “on the tooth”, when the very middle of the product remains slightly undercooked and firm.
And if you follow all the necessary conditions, you can really sit down on the pasta diet developed by Sophia Loren, which, by the way, does not consist of pasta alone! Bon Appetit!