10 FOOD COMMANDMENTS OF RESPONSIBLE EATING OVER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS. EXPERT ADVICE FROM THE GRANA PADANO NUTRITIONAL CENTER TO LIMIT INTAKE OF CHOLESTEROL AND SATURATED FATS DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON

It is unthinkable to give up traditional Christmas dinners, but you can “limit the damage” caused by overeating, by reducing the use of fats in cooking and following the ten simple but effective commandments, proposed by the experts of the Grana Padano Nutritional Center. The Center conducts a permanent survey on nutritional errors and lifestyles with the participation of 2300 dieticians, general practitioners, medical specialists and pediatricians, led by the scientific committee.

Data from the Center reveal that Italians follow the “Mediterranean diet” less and less and average a 30% more intake of saturated fats. This is the reason why we must be extra careful over Christmas holidays. During the holiday season the tendency is to forego exercise and be more indulgent towards food, not realizing that these habits negatively influence cholesterol and saturated fats values in the blood.

Moderation is strongly suggested, especially for men who, according to the Center intake more cholesterol and saturated fats than women. On the average men eat 350 milligrams of cholesterol a day when the daily intake should be not more than 250 mg, while women’s intake is 250 mg. Men also eat 35 grams of saturated fats a day, while women only 27 grams.

The Nutritional Center also reveals that men have different eating habits than women, especially regarding cold cuts. Men eat cold cuts five times a week, which is too high for a healthy diet. Cold cuts should be eaten a maximum of three times a week.

“Our bodies produce some cholesterol,” explains Dr. Michela Barichella, President of Adi Lombardia (Italian dietetic association), “depending on genetic factors, age and sex, which are non modifiable factors while other causes depend on eating habits and lifestyle. There are simple ways to lower “ bad” cholesterol in the blood: following a diet that includes starchy foods and fibers, like bread, grains, and vegetables; healthy, low calorie substitutes for high fat foods and physical exercise.

Of course, people with high cholesterol levels have to be more cautious than others because it is a risk factor for heart diseases. You don’t have to give up everything, but you do have to follow the suggestions in the Commandments”.



Focus – The 10 commandments for a healthy and responsible diet over the holidays

1 - Always have a pitcher of water, either still or sparkling on your Christmas table; limit the amount of alcohol and alcoholic beverages.

2 - If you must prepare sautéed vegetables, instead of using butter or oil, use white wine to sauté garlic and onion (alcohol evaporates when cooked) or low fat broth.

3 - Cook meat, fish, and vegetables preferably by steaming, grilling or baking. Avoid fried foods.

4 - Use extra virgin olive oil raw and measure with a spoon instead of pouring it directly onto foods from the bottle. To limit the use of extra virgin olive oil, use vinegar (even balsamic) or lemon.

5 - Eat fish instead of meat and choose recipes that call for vegetables, whole grains and legumes.

6 - Limit the amount of cold cuts, elaborate appetizers and fatty cheeses, especially in the preparation of dishes.
7 - Use salt sparingly to season food and instead use aromatic herbs and spices to enhance flavors.

8 - Instead of desserts, offer colorful fruit compotes or fruit sorbets made with water (no cream or milk).

9 - Do physical exercise, especially aerobics. Walk to where you want to go (wear appropriate shoes when the streets are icy!) and take the stairs instead of the elevator.

10 - It’s normal, of course, to want to eat “forbidden” food during the holidays! Here’s the golden rule: enjoy high-calorie foods only at Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinner; for the rest of the holiday season, follow a proper, healthy diet.

The information sheet – The Grana Padano Nutritional Center: survey on nutritional errors and lifestyles
The Center was established in 2004, thanks to the commitment of the Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano in collaboration with IMP (Italian Federation of Pediatricians) and SIMG (Italian Society of General Medicine). Since early 2005, it has been monitoring the dietary habits of the Italian population using special questionnaires that doctors and pediatricians have administered to their clients. In 2007, dietitians and other medical specialists joined the study. The survey is not conducted by interviewers but by health professionals who carry out the survey on their patients for health and educational purposes. The history data is collected and processed in observational epidemiological data, which is then revealed to the greater public. To date, the study has involved 1377 General Practitioners, 644 pediatricians and 219 dietitians who have given out 23.659 food history questionnaires to 7006 in children and 16.653 adults.

The Scientific Board

Dr. Maria Letizia Petroni heads the multidisciplinary Scientific Board. (She is specialized in internal medicine and an expert in nutrition, clinical nutrition and obesity. She is the author of over 61 publications in international scientific journals, head of research for the Ministry of Health and lecturer of Nutrition and Dietetics at several Italian universities). The board also includes Dr. Michela Barichella, president of ADI of Lombardy and chief medical officer of the dietetic service, Icp, at the CTO (orthopedic trauma center) Hospital in Milan; Professor Claudio Maffeis (Professor of Pediatrics, University of Verona) a pediatrician specialized in child obesity; Professor Sergio Coccheri (Professor of Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Bologna) a cardiologist and angiologist; Davide Festi, Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Bologna and Professor Alessandro Lubisco, Professor of Statistics at the University of Bologna.

The goals

- To educate the respondent on dietetic habits and suggest a proper lifestyle as primary prevention, as indicated by the Ministry of Health program “Earning Health”.

- To obtain a quality evaluation of Italians’ nutritional habits, as well as other habits, including smoking and physical activity.

- Provide the family doctor with an operational tool to facilitate the nutritional history of patients.
- Identify the main nutritional mistakes Italians make and spread the culture of healthy food.

Data collection <

Data is collected with the aid of an electronic questionnaire that assesses the frequency of weekly or monthly intake of certain foods. It selects and “weighs” the content of specific nutrients. The amount of food reported to the doctor is processed by software built specifically for this study, which by calculating the amount of nutrients in each food evaluates how many nutrients were obtained from the diet. The software also calculates the deviation from standard values of daily requirements by age and sex, and gives advice on food choices that the individual can follow to correct nutritional errors. It also allows the physician to suggest customized behavior depending on the clinical picture of the interviewee.

Software update

Since 2007 the software used to collect data has been improved, allowing doctors to record information on patients’ nutritional habits as well as their way of life including physical activity, sedentary activities (watching TV, using computers, playing electronic games) and their smoking habits. Thanks to the updated software it is also possible to record the height, weight and abdominal circumference of the patients.