Quicker than a whip, my Nanny can still beat me at Scrabble and finishing crossword puzzles. Moreover, it is amazing how she can recount a story from 1942 like it had just happened yesterday. As a senior citizen, my grandmother Virginia Rossi is very blessed to have a sharp mind, but what is even more incredible is that she is 95 years old! I often wonder how she has managed to remain so healthy and live so long, and I think I have found the answer — it lies in her heritage.
My grandmother is one hundred percent genuine Italian. Her parents immigrated to America from Italy and unsurprisingly, Italian customs are a big part of my Nanny’s life. Of course, two very important aspects of Italy are the cuisine and wine.
Italian food has always been a personal favorite of mine and it is not hard to understand why most of the big family gatherings on mom’s side have centered around Italian dishes. I can vividly remember rushing into my grandmother’s kitchen with my brother and cousins and immediately confronting the alluring smell of homemade pizza filling our noses.
My Nanny makes the best homemade pizza and gnocchi. She taught my brother and me at a young age how to roll the gnocchi just right, and even though the process is long and messy, the end result was always tasty. One would think Italian food is not a very healthy choice, but that is if it is not homemade and has shortcuts (such as pre-made tomato sauce).
Most Italians like to make their sauces with completely fresh ingredients free of added sugar and salt. The Italian diet consists primarily of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, fresh meat, fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, and pasta — all essential foods for a well-balanced diet. Italian cuisine is actually good for you if you take the time to prepare it naturally with no shortcuts and hence, this approach likely contributes to why my grandmother has stayed healthy over the years.
And now the wine. Recent studies have indicated that wine can reduce the risk of heart disease, some cancers, and even slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. Since grapes are grown practically everywhere in Italy, wine is an essential industry to Italians. Ergo, the second part to my Nanny’s longevity is that she sometimes drinks a little wine with dinner.
However, do monitor how much wine you drink a day because too much can negate the health benefits. Men are only supposed to drink no more than two glasses per day and women are supposed to drink no more than one per day. A glass is defined as five ounces of red or white wine. These moderate amounts of alcohol have been documented to raise your good cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and also to thin your blood.
Additionally, the non-alcoholic parts of wine known as phytochemicals, such as flavanoids and resveratol, act as antioxidants to prevent cellular damage to the body. Resveratrol is a key part to staying healthy because it has been shown to stop blood clotting and plaque formation in arteries and can create powerful anti-thrombotic agents that can potentially improve cardiovascular health and lower the risk for coronary heart disease.
Furthermore, resveratol was found in animal studies to reduce tumor prevalence by affecting the varying stages of cancer development. It is important to note that red wine contains more resveratol than white wine, and wines made in cooler climates have an increased amount of resveratol as well. But, be careful. Wine may increase your levels of triglycerides, which can lead to a problem such as diabetes. Wine may also increase your risk of breast cancer, headaches and weight gain.
I sure hope that I have my grandmother’s genes, but just in case, I’m going to take a page from her book and continue on my family’s traditions of creating delicious healthy homemade Italian meals and drinking wine in moderation.