My Thoughts on an Italian Diet so far

There is a small concern with athletes here in Italy over the content of their diet and whether or not it is good for them to lose weight or gain muscle. I'll quickly go over some basic areas of foods here in order to clear any confusion.

First, pasta is never bad. This is going to be high quality carbohydrates perfectly suited to give energy for activities. The more whole the wheat, the better it will be for long lasting energy and for losing weight due to a higher fiber count. Stick with tomato based sauces over fattier oils and sauces and you are looking at a great meal. Try adding veggies to the pasta. Just pan fry some of your favorites (mushrooms, peppers, onion, zucchini, etc.) and add them to the pasta at the end. Adding a bit of liquid can get all the tasty cooked bits in the pan adding flavor to your pasta.

Second, pizza seems to be pretty bad in some people's minds over here. I would agree only slightly. Pizza is going to be high in fat, but it also provides a good source of dairy (vitamin D, Calcium) and vegetables (depends on what you gt on top). If you pay attention to what is going on the pizza, you can make a healthy option instead of a greasy gut-buster. Ways to make the pizza a little healthier for losing weight would be to use napkins to blot away the fat sitting on top of the pizza. Try a pizza with seafood on it to get some high quality protein.

Third, cafe! It is delicious over here, and I am starting to absolutely love it! It is in a nice small amount so it doesn't fill up the stomach too much. Plus it provides a nice concentrated amount of caffeine. With cafe you need to be careful about a couple things. Don't add too much sugar, try to cut back. When adding cream, add only a small amount as well because this is really just fat. Also, as a reminder, caffeine can increase your appetite. Be careful because it may make you want to eat more because of caffeine's effect on the body. Stick with cafe after the meal is over and you should be just fine!

I hope this clears up a couple of things for my Italian friends. Also, take the information to heart back home in the states! Color up your pasta, add some fun and healthy options to that pizza, and give espresso a shot instead of coffee next time!