Italian food culture is popular all around the world. Everyone likes a brief taste of Italian food culture, however, for those of you considering to stay longer, and maybe even set down fresh roots, you might find your lifestyle and diet starting to change in some unexpected, wonderful ways.
Your Health Tubers talked to 4 expats who have fully embraced new lifestyles in order to see what they thought were the main changes you will notice you are starting to live like an Italian.
Italian Food Culture: Easy Ways to Live a Healthy, Happy Life
Italian culture is steeped in the food, music, arts, architecture, and family. A major center of the Renaissance culture and home of the Roman, Italian culture has flourished for centuries.
Italian cooking has influenced food culture all around the world and is look at as a form of art by many. Pasta, cheese, and wine are a significant part of Italian meals.
For Italian people, food is not just nourishment – it’s life.
Today, numerous people around the world are following the Mediterranean Diet, which is ranked the best plant-based diet for 2016 1 . This well-balanced diet is a great part of the Italian food culture and is truly beneficial for the overall health.
Tips to Follow:
- You only use local produce
The wealth of local food markets and stalls is one of Italy’s greatest assets. The best way to explore the tastes of Italy is to try making them yourself and spend more time in your kitchen. That means regular trips to the local farmers, butchers, and fishmongers. Cooking at home, visiting your local grocery store, choosing fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, can also help you relieve stress and fight depression.
- You’re eating more – but snacking less
Italian people eat with a much different schedule to the likes of the Americans or British. Eating in moderation and having dinner at 10.00 pm might seem daunting at first, particularly with the regularity of 4-course mealtimes – but your body will gradually adjust to the larger servings and you will find yourself cutting down on snacks.
- You develop a sweet tooth
You are going to develop a taste for the sweeter side of Italian cuisine with the grander meals – that’s for sure. With a plethora of sweet bread, cakes, desserts, and pastries, you will be finding it so hard to say no and the flavor will linger so long, you will try to recreate it again at home.
- You’re drinking more coffee
It’s impossible to escape the coffee culture that is so popular in Italy. However, nowadays scientists proved that caffeine cannot cause cancer (as it was speculated) – in fact, it can be quite beneficial for our health 2 .
As an Italian, I can say that any small chat or meeting is another opportunity for a drink, and recurrent visits to a local or highly recommended espresso bar will no doubt edge you to the most elaborate stuff on their menus.
Even if you are not a coffee drinker if you visit this country, you’ll soon know macchiatos from espressos, along with (importantly) which drink to order at specific regions and in different parts of Italy.
Try “bringing Italian coffee in your home” – buy a traditional coffee maker, known as Moka pot, and find some time during the day to spend it with your husband/wife or family by having a good coffee time, chatting and enjoying Italian homemade espresso.
- You’re in touch with your artistic side
These are a great relationship between engagement with the creative arts and our health. The health benefits of music engagement, expressive writing, visual arts therapy, and movement-based creative expression are really impressive for relaxing, reducing stress, and fighting depression 3 .
With Italy’s rich history of love of the opera, picturesque landscape, and renaissance art, it should not be too hard for you to try your hand at something creative, or simply visiting some cultural event. Without realizing it, the culture and art of Italy can carry you away, even if it’s something as simple as dancing or singing more often!
You do not have to be perfect – however, as you let your feelings out more freely when out in the open, do not be afraid to look inward and express yourself creatively.
Conclusion:
Italian food culture has a huge influence on many cousins all around the world, and many times it is considerate as a lifestyle. If you like Italian culture and cuisine this can be an ideal way for you to accept and try a healthy way of living that is truly beneficial for your health.
