You have three options for quality when buying olive oil. but you probably aren’t aware of them. Let’s fix that with a simple analysis: First Option: Virgin Olive Oil Extra Virgin (EVOO.) Derived from first pressing of fresh olives with acidity less than 0.8 Virgin olive oil, not extra virgin. Derived from first pressing but acidity is higher than 0.8   Be careful if/when you see “Virgin Olive Oil” on the label. It’s not the highest quality. Third and much lower class of virgin olive oil contains more than 2% acidity. It’s not fit for human consumption. Second option: Refined or “L ..read more

Longevity is a hot topic these days and for a good reason…we have a lot of “catching up” to reverse the negative effects of industrial lifestyles…that’s great for adults….But, what about starting out right with small children so they don’t have to reverse poor eating habits? Here’s something we can do to make a difference early on for infants and toddlers….introduce the child to real food while showing adults how easy (and delicious it is) to prepare. The book is the work of two years of effort and collaboration with a pediatrician, board certified nutritionist (me) and an Italian Nonna that b ..read more

Do the Foods You Eat Contain the Following? An easy checklist to use for daily food choices – Choose as many of the following that you can each day. Is the food choice anti-inflammatory? It should have antioxidant capability – red, orange, yellow, purple, green, etc. Does the food choice contain fiber? Whole grain intact/not ground to flour for ex. Oats, whole grain wraps, bean or legume? Does the food contain water? No water – it’s probably processed food Is the food choice nutrient dense and calorie low? Fruits, vegetables, beans, greens Is the food choice fruit? Berries are great Is t ..read more

The Italian diet in its truest form is both highly nutritious and delicious.  An extra bonus in this video is Ann’s description at the end about how Italians produce olive oil – most of the time from their own home grown olives! Learn more about high quality extra virgin olive oil here. Find out if you really know what’s in that bottle of olive oil! The post Nutritional Value of the Italian Diet: Such High Quality and So Delicious! appeared first on Whole Health Longevity ..read more

Hello; What does a nutritionist do? A very interesting question. I’ve been a full-time nutritionist for 10 years now it’s been an amazing journey, one that I will take for the rest of my life because I just love what I do. I want to tell you five things that I do as a nutritionist. I don’t know what all nutritionists do but I can tell you what I do as a nutritionist.   I am Carol Amendola D’Anca, board certified nutritionist private practice and doing many many other things. I have an 18-minute video with pictures  but if that’s too long for you I can tell you in just a few minutes ..read more

Here are five things to expect (or not expect) when staying at a hotels in Italy. Know these before you go.  If you’re going to be staying at a tourist destination with a high-end hotel, maybe a chain just like in the United States (I won’t mention them we all know who they are) the experience will be pretty similar to how it is in the United States.  But if you are going to be going to a place that has more of the authentic feel smaller towns in Italy boutique hotels small hotels that are owned by families there will be some differences that will really change your experience, but ..read more

Authentic Italy Spring 2022 Travel Itinerary The Magnificent Cilento and Amalfi Coasts of Italy! There are many ways to visit Italy but experiencing authentic Italy can be rare. If boarding a bus at dawn each day, seeing tourist attractions and returning home exhausted is not what you are looking for, then this travel itinerary is for you.   With this in mind you can experience Italy with a well-traveled guide – Me – Italian speaking citizen of Italy! Spring 2022 features a visit to the amazing Cilento Coast of Italy located south of Naples in the region of Campania. This magnif ..read more

Photo credit: Giovanni D’Anca How to grow and harvest garlic is easy. Once you get a couple of the basics down it’s just a matter of knowing when the plant the garlic and when to harvest it. This year I videotaped everything from the beginning to the end of the process. Just click the link below: https://youtu.be/lOtqJk-UCfk Registered dietician nutritionist, Carol Amendola D’Anca, is licensed in the state of IL (164.006080) and certified as a nutrition specialist. Additionally, she holds a master’s degree in nutrition from Rosalind Franklin University of Health and Science/The Chicago Medic ..read more

If you are looking for a “”plant based cooking class near me” this couldn’t be any closer than your own kitchen.  This course is made available to my readership because I believe that great plant based cooking classes should include more than recipes. Cooking does not have to be a science or an art, but it should be a craft that you can continually build upon.  Additionally, to bulid upon that craft we need to be thinking beyond the recipe. Thinking Beyond the Recipe As the founder of “The Academy for Delicious Plant Based Cooking” I have taught cooking classes for years. T ..read more

Being Neapolitan is In My DNA I confess; I have an ongoing love affair for decades with the city of Naples. It is said that Naples leaves its mark on those who visit, and my love for Naples is indelibly marked on my very existence. Being “Neapolitan” is literally in my DNA for as far back as I can trace and until we were transplanted to the U.S. when my grandparents emigrated, expecting their first child, my mother, who was born a few months after arriving in the U.S. What We Lost I always felt badly that the rest of my mother’s family in Italy was left behind, but I have come to realize we in ..read more