I do not believe in format diets. Our genes differentiate us as much as our tummies do. We may like the same things but our bodies may react differently to them.

It is important to notice our reactions to food, how they make us feel, how they affect our energy and every day performance.

Fodmap, Low GI, Paleo, IBS, Nut free, Coeliac diets are among the hundreds of diets we have access to these days.

I find very interesting to create a line between those diets who look and sound similar but are actually not to be confused between themselves.

Fructose free and Diabetic friendly diets are an example of those plans who may have traits in common but may not be inter changeable with one an other.

Fructose free diet is related to my last post, and also largely known as FODMAP diet, with guidelines that can be adapted to the level of intolerance experienced by the single individual.

It is mostly an elimination diet which than it is followed to a reintroduction of specific groups of foods based on the results the patient has experienced.

Diabetic diets are instead formulated mostly on those foods who discourage the insulin reaction in the blood stream.

Low GI DIETS help those who suffer from Diabetes, High cholesterol or simply help to reduce each one’s intake of sugar, processed grains and other “high glycemic foods” in order to reach a healthier weight.

The glycemic index is a tool that’s used to indicate how a particular food affects blood sugar (or glucose) levels.

The definition of the glycemic index (GI) is “a measure of the blood glucose-raising potential of the carbohydrate content of a food compared to a reference food (generally pure glucose, or sugar).”

Foods are assigned a glycemic index/glycemic load number that can be compared to pure glucose, which serves as the benchmark for all other foods.

Pure glucose has a glycemic index number of 100, indicating that it’s very rapidly broken down into glucose once eaten and then either sent to cells to be used for energy, saved in the muscles as glycogen for later use or stored inside fat cells when there’s a surplus.

All foods containing glucose, fructose or sucrose (various forms of carbohydrates or sugars) can be classified as high GI, moderate GI or low GI.

The glycemic index values of all foods range from 0–100:

• High GI = 70 to 100
• Medium GI = 50 to 70
• Low GI = below 50

Whenever we eat any type of carbohydrate, whether it’s pure table sugar or a cup of fresh vegetables, the molecules in the food are broken down as they’re absorbed, which impacts blood glucose levels and insulin release.

All carbohydrates cause release of the hormone insulin from the pancreas, which has the job of picking up and sending glucose that’s present in the blood throughout the body to be used or stored away.

How drastically and quickly a carbohydrate causes this process to happen depends on how quickly its glucose is broken down; some carbs that are low on the glycemic index (like veggies and 100 percent whole grains, for example) and cause a smaller and more gradual rise in blood glucose, while carbs that have a high glycemic score (like soda and white rice) cause rapid glucose absorption and high insulin release.

Carbohydrates of all kinds are the main dietary source of glucose, but not all carbs are created equal.

For example, good choices include brown or wild rice, sweet potatoes, sprouted ancient grains, legumes, and beans, while poor choices include ANY soft drink (even diet versions), confectionary food and ice cream.

Choosing low glycemic foods can help prevent persistently high insulin levels, which are associated with health problems like type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and obesity.

Identify what is your current over all feeling, your energy level, your fitness and your weight is a key element to establish what diet plan will serve your purpose better and more efficiently.

Today’s eating resembles a lot to a obstacle race, where we are trying to avoid foods we love and always ate and that are now bothering us, making us feel uncomfortable and limiting our food choice and enjoyment.

From gluten free to vegan diet to low GI and paleo, the choices are more and more numerous. Fructose seems to be the new thing people seem to react negatively to.

FODMAPs is an acronym (abbreviation) referring to Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. These are complex names for a collection of molecules found in food, that can be poorly absorbed by some people. When the molecules are poorly absorbed in the small intestine of the digestive tract, these molecules then continue along their journey along the digestive tract, arriving at the large intestine, where they act as a food source to the bacteria that live there normally. The bacteria then digest/ferment these FODMAPs and can cause symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), that include abdominal bloating and distension, excess wind (flatulence), abdominal pain, nausea, changes in bowel habits (diarrhoea, constipation, or a combination of both), and other gastro-intestinal symptoms.

Bad news for most, to be more concise.

What can be done?

First of all, have patience and visualise what categories of FODMAP foods you are going to deal with.

A few examples of food sources high in each of the FODMAPs are listed below. This list is not complete, and is subject to change as new data becomes available regarding the FODMAP content of foods.

• Excess Fructose: Honey, Apples, Mango, Pear, Watermelon, High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Fructans: Artichokes (Globe), Artichokes(Jerusalem), Garlic (in large amounts), Leek, Onion (brown, white, Spanish, onion powder), Spring Onion (white part), Shallots, Wheat (in large amounts), Rye (in large amounts), Barley (in large amounts), Inulin, Fructo-oligosaccharides.
• Lactose: Milk, ice cream, custard, dairy desserts, condensed and evaporated milk, milk powder, yoghurt, soft unripened cheeses (eg. ricotta, cottage, cream, marscarpone).
• Galacto-Oligosaccharides (GOS): Legume beans (eg. baked beans, kidney beans, bortolotti beans), Lentils, Chickpeas
• Polyols: Apples, Apricots, Nectarines, Pears, Plums, Prunes, Mushrooms, sorbitol (420), mannitol (421), xylitol (967), maltitol (965) and isomalt (953)

Usually this is how a dietician approaches fructose intolerance:

Phase 1

The first phase of the Low FODMAP Diet generally involves the strict restriction of all high FODMAP foods for 4-6 weeks. The dietitian will help identify these foods and will suggest alternatives to ensure the diet is nutritionally adequate. Each of the symptom response over this period should be noted, and a review appointment with the dietitian will then provide guidance on the second phase.

Phase 2

The second phase is where foods that were restricted in the first phase are reintroduced gradually and the diet is liberalised to suit each individual.

This is where the type and amount of FODMAPs that can be tolerated by the individual are identified so that their longer term diet can be established. It is very important to determine the level of FODMAPs that can be comfortably tolerated, so that the prebiotic effects of FODMAPs can be enjoyed and the diet is not overly restricted.

The dietitian will provide guidance on the reintroduction process to help minimise symptoms and to ensure maximum variety is achieved in the diet. The end result should be a long term diet that is lower in the problematic FODMAPs for the individual than were originally consumed, but is not as FODMAP-restricted as the first phase of the diet.

It is a long journey, only by awareness, patience and desire to try new thing we can get to great outcomes.

These are among my favourite websites about Fodmap and its variations:

https://www.monashfodmap.com
https://rmdietetic.com/the-best-low-fodmap-resources/

Pictures of fresh, organic, brightly coloured food make me so happy! We had lots of fun yesterday taking all the photos for my new website. When I cook, I cook for the love of the food and how good food makes your body feel. I love to see my clients happy and full of energy after they’ve eaten my food.

Yesterday morning when my photographer friend Matthew from Matthew Eastgate Photograpy started taking the photos I felt really excited. I had prepared some of my clients’ favourite dishes that morning – Raspberry and Pomegranate Muesli, Rainbow Salad, Cherry and Pistachio GF Cake, Pearl Barley Salad, Buckwheat Croquettes and my Buckwheat Pancakes Stack – and then we took the photos straight away. When I saw the first ones, it reminded me that colour is so important in food. The bright reds of the raspberries and pomegranates in the Muesli, so many fresh colours in my Rainbow Salad and the green of the salad against the warm oranges of the Buckwheat Croquettes.

Matthew also took some cheeky photos of me, too, so that was fun! I hope you enjoy this sneak peek of some of Matthews’ wonderful photos before I launch my new website very soon… Remember please follow me on Instagram and Like me on Facebook!

Much love – Ciao Lucia!

I have been a private chef for over 7 years now. Before I was a chef who loved to entertain friends and family with new discoveries, unpredictable recipes and to use all was available at the local fruit shop. Today was a day where a lot of my intentions were put into action, fotos were taken, content was edited, things just moved forward into this amazing adventure that my life as chef and a healthy eater is.

My friend Matthew from @eastgate_photo came over to take some shots of me and some of my most popular dishes, under the supervisor of my marketing manager Megan Elliot, who offered her knowledge and beautiful kitchen to create more memories and stories to share with all those who appreciate my dedication and commitment in what I have chosen as a profession.

Working as a private chef means planning, shopping, cutting and chopping but it is also a process of knowledge shift which can become a tool of self and health improvement.

Today was a day of shooting, plating, tasting, laughing and hardworking.

Today was another day of expressing the deep meaning of being a private chef, which is an amazing journey through my clients palate, food choices and also amazing kitchens 🙂

When choosing the food you eat, you are making a great decision and the outcome will be how you feel after you eat one food rather than another.

I grew up eating what the seasons had to offer. With my dad being an oncologist, no processed food or non seasonal foods were ever available in the house. This did not mean we grew up deprived or away from the pleasure of eating. Being Italian means food is not necessarily a source of fuel for the body but also en enjoyment and a pleasure worth to share.

Eating seasonally is the key to absorb the goodness of fruit and vegetables, picked and ripped to the right point, which retains their properties and nutrients.

By eating out of season we may satisfy a craving but we do not serve the purpose of nourishing the body the way it deserves.

Pesticides and genetic modifications alter the chemistry of our food, weakening the healing power of the food itself.

It is therefore fundamental to stick to the natural cycles of food and also to alternate the sources of nutrients we pick from.

When eating we reach to a wide ranged of macro and micro nutrients and those will tick all the boxes of our nourishment and daily intake of vitamins, fats, protein and carbohydrates.

By swapping pre packed, industrial food with natural one we do not just increase the quality of what we eat but also the way we feel.

The ph of our body and its acidity will also benefit by the ingestion of foods that comes from the earth, and by checking the labels of what we consume will easy clarify doubts and uncertainties related to our food choices.

Having one to two days a week where we eat non animal products can also positively affect our wellbeing and results into a more sustainable lifestyle for the environment too.