The Florence Florentine love: piccoli peccati di gola che possono fare bene al cuore.

Si avvicina l'inverno e con il freddo anche la voglia di coccolarsi un po'. E chi l'ha detto che qualche peccato di gola non faccia bene anche alla salute?

La cioccolata si sa e' uno di questi. Ho studiato il potere benefico del cacao con il mio team a Yale. 

Un pochino di cioccolato ha effetti benefici sul cuore determinando effetto positivo sulla funzione endoteliale grazie agli anti ossidanti in esso contenuti. Per non parlare del triptofano, importante precursore della serotonina, un neurotrasmettitore fondamentale per il mantenimento dell'umore.

Si allora a Cioccolato e cacao. Ricordo ancora la mia prima maestra  che parlava del lusso di bere la cioccolata calda il sabato mattina in famiglia. Adesso invece di cioccolata siamo circondati, ce n'e' davvero per tutti i gusti  e per tutte le tasche. Ma considerando che il cioccolato e' anche un alimento ricco di calorie e' piu' importante scegliere la qualita' rispetto alla quantita'.

Cioccolato fondente senza o con pochissimo zucchero aggiunto: il migliore. 

Firenze nasconde delle piccole botteghe dove e' possibile trovare dell'ottima cioccolata.

Pochi giorni fa non ho resistito ed eccomi in Piazza Pitti in nuovo negozio, Oronero,  aperto da due sorelle che hanno fatto della loro passione un lavoro. Tea e Tisane altamente selezionati provenienti da tutto il mondo, ma soprattutto dalla Via del Te' e da Damman Freres ( Una garanzia). Cioccolato delle migliori marche, anche quelle che non si trovano MAI. Ce n'e' davvero per tutti i gusti anche per chi vuole qualcosa di sfizioso, ma non puo' consumare prodotti contenenti glutine. 

C'e' poi la la cioccolata artigianale. 

Consigliato da un amico PURISTA del cioccolato sono andata a provare anche il cioccolato di Andrea Bianchini in via de Macci . Anche questa una bottega nascosta. Divertente vedere il laboratorio alle spalle e sentire il profumo di cioccolata gia' dalla strada.

Storico e con atmosfera un po' nord Europea, Hemingway, dove la cioccolata si puo' anche bere insieme ai dei gustosi pasticcini..... Ottimo per un sabato pomeriggio freddo e piovoso.

E qui la lista continua con una new entry in via Portarossa , l'Arte del Cioccolato, piu' che di bottega parlerei di Botique , ottimo cioccolato e confezioni regalo splendide.

Altri consigli sono piu' che benvenuti.

Qui i contatti.... Enjoy!

Oronero
Piazza Pitti , 1r. 50125 Firenze. 
(+39) 055.2302473
http://oronero-firenze.blogspot.com/

Arte del Cioccolato 

via Porta Rossa, 7/R - 50123 - Centro storico

 055-217136

www.artedelcioccolato.it/html/index.htm

La Bottega Del Cioccolato Di Bianchini Andrea

via de' Macci, 50, 50122 Firenze055 200 160

http://www.andreabianchini.net/ab/

Hemingway

Piazza Piattellina, 9 50124 Florence, Italy055 284781

www.hemingway.fi.it/

The Science behind....

David L. Katz, Kim Doughty, and Ather Ali. 
Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. November 15, 2011, 15(10): 2779-2811

The Florence Florentines love: IL CAPPUCCINO.

My lovely Sunday in Florence...

After my run/fast walk I have a rite. Reading the Sunday newspaper drinking a good Cappuccino.
Dairy should be avoided especially in winter to avoid runny nose, the production of mucus and to prevent Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) , but it's nice to have one once in a while.
And now back in Florence I enjoy it even more.

The best cappuccino need to have an amazing coffee and a great foam. The quality of the foam play a big difference and not everyone is able to do it.

There are many caffetterie where they serve fantastic cappuccino, but my top 5 are the following.  Together with the cappuccino they serve very tasty Italian style croiassant. My advise : have your cappuccino @ the bar. It's really nice talking with the bar tender who is preparing your cappuccino!

Gilli. Great coffee shop in piazza della Repubblica. I love it because I get a taste of Florence and it's really international.
Gualtieri: Tiny, little place close to Porta Romana. The Croissants are amazing.
Cibreino: If Cibreo is considered one of the best restaurant in Florence, the little Cibreo, Cibreino, knows how to do the cappuccino. The quality of the coffee is really high. No doubt about it.
Giorgio: Soffiano... It's not so easy to find it, but once you discover Giorgio it's difficult not to come back. Especially in spring time  they have one of the best Schiacciata alla Fiorentina ever.
Querci: What a pleasure to have breakfast @ Querci after a night shift.... Doctors working  in Careggi know it very well. It's always crowded every day of the week and on Sunday.  Try to imagine why...


Minni is really nice but it's closed on Sunday! 

The Florence Florentines love: BAKERIES.

Today,while I was walking in Santo Spirito and San Frediano,  I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the real Florence. The Florence of Florentines.
Old women talking in front of a big door, the organic market, the fragrance of fresh baked  bread.
It's incredible how many hidden places you can find in such a small city. Or better to say they are hidden for tourists not for  Florentines.

We know where to buy our bread, the best  supermarkets , where  to find small restaurants , where you can find incredible real food for 10 Euros. We know  the pharmacies where is possible to find homeopatic remedies, small shops
for  bicycles, fresh Mozzarella coming from Puglia, where to do Gyrotonic or yoga.
WE , the Florentine,  have all this information. We have our own places and shops. They are real , nothing fancy , but for this reason they are special. Now after more than one year abroad I see it more then ever.  I know it's not directly related to health, but it makes  me feel good.

For this reason I would like to share with you  this precious information....

I hope it will help you to see Florence with new eyes.

Today it's the turn of Bakeries.

While in US I terribly missed bread. I know that bread is the enemy number one for every type of diet, but a good slice of fresh Tuscan bread with a little bit of olive oil is great. It makes your soul and spirit smiling.

Fresh bread, with no additive or added sugar -  REAL BREAD -.


 My favorites  are

1) Forno Becagli in Borgo Ognissanti: try the schiacciata and the Pizza.
2) Forno in via della Caldaie in between via della Chiesa and Via Sant'Agostino . The owners is great. Every day he bakes fresh schiacciata after 4pm.
3) Forno Pugi - an institution- is reknown for bread, pizza and Focacce.....
4) Forno Giglio close to Piazza Beccaria
5) Forno Pierguidi The quality of bread is great. They also cook fresh cheek peas and lasagne.

And who knows, we may see each other in one of these small, tiny shops....

Juices... Cleans&Co.

I have always been a big fan of fresh juices.

A carrot, apple and lemon juice is the perfect vitamin cocktail to start the day.

I still remember an old school internal medicine doctor suggesting to his patients to prepare juice after they spent a few days in the hospital: "Have a juice everyday. That's the best thing you can do to prevent disease and to maintain your healthy, vibrant body".

Probably better than many prescriptions and multivitamins, the fresh pressed juices have now become a big fashion movement.

Stay healthy, cleanse yourself, give your skin a new shine, detox your body. In New York, like Florence and San Paulo, bars, health stores and coffee shops are finally selling them. There’s the classic, the energizer with Ginger, the green one, the one for the liver, and what about the one to boost your immune system? The last one I had in NY was perfect after my yoga class!

I personally love them and always tell patients and friends to drink them.

They are tasty, healthy and fulfilling. 1 serving (1 glass ) usually runs between 100 to 150 calories. That's the perfect calorie intake for a snack. Fruit and vegetables will offer you bio available vitamins.

Now the big movement seems to be the juice cleansing.

Companies sell juice programs online that are becoming more and more popular. For example Blueprint cleanse www.blueprintcleanse.com, IZo Cleanzewww.izocleanze.com and Organiz Avenuewww.organicavenue.com. These are kinder, gentler — and seemingly saner — alternatives. The new cleanses contain about 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day; there is generally a nut-milk component for fat and a little protein, and vegetable juices for vitamins, minerals, and live enzymes.

BUT be careful! This extreme juice detox program is not meant for all: many people are undiagnosed diabetics, and these cleanses can cause spikes and dangerously crash blood sugar levels. In addition, even if you have nothing wrong with you, this kind of cleansing can put a lot of stress on your body. Your body wants and expects food. And as with most crash diets, which is really what this is, your body thinks it’s starving. It doesn't know when it’s going to get more food so it lowers your metabolism. If you do this enough, it can lower your metabolism permanently. So, as with most things, juicing should be done in moderation. To lose and maintain your weight permanently you don't need to go to the extreme. If approached with balanced sensibility, drinking juices can help you to control your calories intake and keep you healthy!

Here one of my favorite:

1/2 cup Apple Juice Fresh Unsweetened

1/4 cup Raw Beet Juice

1tbs Ginger Juice (Naturally pressed)

1/4 cup Fresh carrot juice

1/2 whole yellow lemon fresh squeezed

Directions I used my home juicer. In order to get the amount specified, you need to juice approximately 2 small apples , 3 medium size carrots, 1/2 c canned small beets, an inch of ginger root and half of a lemon.

So get a juicer, buy some fruit and vegetables and.... use your fantasy or a juice recipe book and ENJOY!