Italian Tutors

Our Italian Tutors.

Our tutors are our greatest asset and we are proud to collaborate with a team of highly professional and efficient individuals. To be able to teach for Parliamo Italiano, all candidates undergo a rigorous selection procedure.

All our teachers are native Italian speakers. Being a native speaker doesn't make you a language teacher so we make sure that all our Italian tutors have been instructed with the latest techniques in Italian language training.

They are all qualified language trainers, degree educated and have significant teaching experience. Many of our tutors have dedicated their professional life to teaching while others have found their vocation while living in a foreign country. Their academic backgrounds are varied and interesting and may include an MA in Teaching Italian as a Foreign Language or degrees in Psychology, Drama, Law, Business Studies, Translation, Art or Journalism for example.

All have something in common: they love teaching their mother tongue and have been instructed to do so using modern teaching techniques in a friendly, efficient and fun way. Unlike many other organizations we keep in constant touch with our teaching force to ensure they are providing our clients with the best service.

We hold monthly meetings for all our tutors to discuss and exchange new ideas and improve their teaching.
We also provide our teachers with materials to ensure they are using the latest textbooks and methodology available.

Most importantly, apart from the key part academic background plays in the selection process, we make sure by having a long and personal interview with each one of them, that we also choose the most likable, personable and professional teachers in Houston and McAllen. We are very happy to work with them and our students benefit from learning in a friendly and professional environment.

The Teachers:

Ermanno.
I am an Italian mother tongue, experienced and qualified teacher. My name is Ermanno and I come from Genova, in Liguria. I have been living in United States for the last 25 years. I live in McAllen (Texas). I spend half of my time in McAllen, the other half in Houston.

Teaching is the career that gives me most enjoyment and reward, and the feedback I receive on a regular basis (from students and colleagues) tells me that my enthusiasm for teaching Italian is passed on to my students.

I enjoy teaching, maybe because it is one of those jobs that can be really rewarding. Teaching and learning are both a very intimate experience. As learners we expose to others our legitimate will to succeed, to grow, to live and our fear to fail; as teachers we need to put ourselves to test, to see if we are able to share our knowledge, if we are able to reach out people and we know that the learners are often able to assess our teaching skills, as much as we have a clear idea of their knowledge of the subject.

I think that once a good relationship between teacher and student has been established, one can achieve a lot. I believe in commitment, but even more in a true passion for the subject. I consider mistakes a blessing to better spot the learner's problem area and devise a teaching method that may suit the learner best. I use to prepare lessons in advance but I am flexible to switch to any issue the learner may come up with I aim at giving any student, at any level the chance of making the most of his vocabulary and grasp of the language, even beginners could benefit from a cycle of lessons just to travel to Italy, exchange pleasantries with the locals, be able to read signs in public places, order a meal in a restaurant (attended mainly by locals and therefore where it's more unlikely to find a menu in English as well) and so on. As to learners at intermediate or advanced level, I could help speed up your progress. Learners with a level of proficiency may enjoy conversation about a range of topics, such as current affairs, culture, history of art, politics.

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Renzo.
As an Italian living in America, being able to help people learn my native language makes me really proud. I adopt an interactive way of teaching, using both grammar rules and audio lessons.

Italian is my first language and I love teaching it!I know it might seem a difficult language but we will try to make it easy and to enjoy studying it. I am a journalist and I have been teaching Italian here in Houston since January 2010 in different environment, I really enjoy sharing my language and culture with other people!  

I am a passionate instructor who enjoys both using language as a tool and helping students reach their goals in their respective language of study. I have experience in private tutoring, small group instruction, large group instruction, and all age groups. I am currently a full time teacher with availability after school hours.

Online Italian Language Classes.

​Online Language Courses (Skype).
Standard Lesson Length: 45 minutes.

LESSONS. One-to-one tuition online via Skype:
USD 13.00 per 45 minutes lesson.
USD 16.00 per 1 hour lesson. ​

Online Italian Conversation Classes.

​Online Conversation Classes (Skype).
Standard Lesson Length: 45 minutes.

CONVERSATION. One-to-one tuition online via Skype:
USD 10.00 per 45 minutes lesson.
USD 12.00 per 1 hour lesson. ​

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Parliamo Italiano! Italian Language & Culture

Parliamo Italiano!

Italian Language & Culture

http://www.saporital.com/

Impariamo l'Italiano.

Impariamo l'Italiano!

http://www.impariamoitaliano.com/

Impara l'Italiano con noi.

Impara l'Italiano con noi.

http://www.oneworlditaliano.com/index.htm

Noi Parliamo Italiano.

Noi Parliamo Italiano! 

http://parliamoitaliano.altervista.org/

Italian Wine

Wines

The Mediterranean Diet

Myths, Facts, and Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet

When you think about Mediterranean food, your mind probably goes to pizza and pasta from Italy, or hummus and pita from Greece, but these dishes don’t exactly fit into any healthy dietary plans advertised as “Mediterranean.” The reality is that a true Mediterranean diet consists mainly of fruits and vegetables, seafood, olive oil, hearty grains, and other foods that help fight against heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, and cognitive decline. It’s a diet worth chasing; making the switch from pepperoni and pasta to fish and avocados may take some effort, but you could soon be on a path to a healthier and longer life.

What is a “Mediterranean diet”?

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Pizza, gyros, falafel, lasagna, rack of lamb, and long loaves of white bread: all these foods have become synonymous with what we call “Mediterranean.” We picture huge, three-hour feasts with multiple courses and endless bottles of wine. But over the past 50 years, Americans and others have altered the idea of Mediterranean fare, ramping up the calories and unhealthy fat at the expense of the region’s traditional fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seafood, olive oil, dairy, and a glass or two of red wine. What was once a healthy and inexpensive way of eating back then is now associated with heavy, unhealthy dishes that contribute to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, mood disorders, and other health problems.
After World War II, a study led by Ancel Keys of the Mayo Foundation examined the diets and health of almost 13,000 middle-aged men in the US, Japan, Italy, Greece (including Crete), the Netherlands, Finland, and Yugoslavia. Remarkably, well-fed American men had higher rates of heart disease than those in countries whose diets had been restricted by the deprivations of war. It was the men of Crete, arguably the poorer people of the study, who enjoyed the best cardiovascular health. This was due to physical labor and their unique food pyramid.
The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid is based on the dietary traditions of Crete, Greece, and southern Italy circa 1960 at a time when the rates of chronic disease among populations there were among the lowest in the world, and adult life expectancy was among the highest, even though medical services were limited.
Aside from eating a diet consisting mainly of fresh and homegrown foods instead of processed goods, other vital elements to the Mediterranean diet are daily exercise, sharing meals with others, and fostering a deep appreciation for the pleasures of eating healthy and delicious foods.

Health benefits of a Mediterranean diet

A traditional Mediterranean diet consisting of large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, fish and olive oil—coupled with physical activity—reduces the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. More specifically:
Protecting against type 2 diabetes. A Mediterranean diet is rich in fiber, slowing down digestion and preventing huge swings in blood sugar.
Preventing heart disease and strokes. Refined breads, processed foods, and red meat are discouraged in a Mediterranean diet, and it encourages drinking red wine instead of hard liquor, which have all been linked to heart disease and stroke prevention.
Keeping you agile. The nutrients gained with a Mediterranean diet may reduce a senior’s risk of developing muscle weakness and other signs of frailty by about 70 percent.
Reducing risk of Alzheimer’s. Researchers speculate that the Mediterranean diet may improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels and overall blood vessel health—all factors that may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
Halving the risk of Parkinson’s disease. In a diet containing high levels of antioxidants that prevent cells from undergoing a damaging process called oxidative stress, the risk of Parkinson’s disease is practically cut in half.
Increased longevity. When there is a reduction in developing heart disease or cancer, as in the case when you follow a Mediterranean diet, there is a 20% reduced risk of death at any age.

Myths and facts of a Mediterranean diet

Following a Mediterranean diet has many benefits, but there are still a lot of misconceptions on exactly how to take advantage of the lifestyle to lead a healthier, longer life. The following are some myths and facts about the Mediterranean diet.

Myth 1: It costs a lot to eat this way.

Fact: If you're creating meals out of beans or lentils as your main source of protein, and sticking with mostly plants and whole grains, then theMediterranean diet is less expensive than serving dishes of packaged or processed foods.

Myth 2: If one glass of wine is good for your heart, than three glasses is three times as healthy.

Fact: Moderate amounts of red wine (one drink a day for women; two for men) certainly has unique health benefits for your heart, but drinking too much has the opposite effect. Anything more than two glasses of wine can actually be bad for your heart.

Myth 3: Eating large bowls of pasta and bread is the Mediterranean way.

Fact: Typically, Mediterraneans don't eat a heaping plate of pasta the way Americans do. Instead, pasta is usually a side dish with about a 1/2-cup to 1-cup serving size. The rest of their plate consists of salads, vegetables, fish or a small portion of organic, grass-fed meat, and perhaps one slice of bread.

Myth 4: If you follow the traditional Mediterranean diet then you will lose weight.

Fact: Those living on Greek islands don’t enjoy good cardiovascular health just by eating differently; they walk up and down steep hills to tend to their garden and animals, often living off what they can grow themselves. Physical activity plays a large role.

Myth 5: The Mediterranean diet is only about the food.

Fact: The food is a huge part of the diet, yes, but don't overlook the other ways the Mediterraneans live their lives. When they sit down for a meal, they don't sit in front of a television or eat in a rush; they sit down for a relaxed, leisurely meal with others, which may be just as important for your health as what's on your plate.

Myth 6: All vegetable oils are the same, and equally good for you.

Fact: Things aren’t that simple. There are basically two types of unsaturated vegetable oils: Firstly, traditional, cold-pressed oils such as extra virgin olive oil and peanut oil that are rich in monounsaturated fats and have long been used in the Mediterranean diet. Cold-pressed oils are made without the use of chemicals or heat to extract the oil.
Secondly, there are modern processed oils such as soybean oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil and vegetable oil. These oils are industrially manufactured—usually from genetically modified crops in the U.S.—using high heat and toxic solvents to extract the oil from the seeds.
Some nutritionists feel that this industrial processing can damage the oil and transform the fatty acids into dangerous trans fat. Their high omega-6 content can also unbalance the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s that are crucial to good health.

How to make the change

If you’re feeling daunted by the thought of changing your eating habits to a Mediterranean diet, here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Eat lots of vegetables. Try a simple plate of sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and crumbled feta cheese, or load your thin crust pizza with peppers and mushrooms instead of sausage and pepperoni. Salads, soups, and crudité platters are also great ways to load up on vegetables.
• Change the way you think about meat. If you eat red meat, have smaller amounts and opt for “organic, grass-fed” whenever possible to avoid the antibiotics, hormones and GMO feed associated with industrially raised meat. Put small strips of organic, free-range chicken on your salad, or add small amounts of meat to a whole-wheat pasta dish.
• Always eat breakfast. Fruits, whole grains, and other fiber-rich foods are a great way to start your day, keeping you pleasantly full for hours.
• Eat seafood twice a week. Fish such as tuna, salmon, herring, sablefish (black cod), and sardines are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and shellfish like mussels, oysters, and clams have similar benefits for brain and heart health.
• Cook a vegetarian meal one night a week. If it’s helpful, you can jump on the “Meatless Mondays” trend of foregoing meat on the first day of the week, or simply pick a day where you build meals around beans, whole grains, and vegetables. Once you get the hang of it, try two nights a week.
• Use good fats. Extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, sunflower seeds, olives, and avocados are great sources of healthy fats for your daily meals.
• Enjoy dairy products such as natural cheese, Greek or plain yogurt. Research shows that eating whole-milk dairy products is linked to less body fat and lower levels of obesity. This may be because full-fat dairy makes you feel fuller, faster, and keeps you feeling satisfied for longer, thus helping you to eat less overall. Choose organic or raw milk products if possible.
• For dessert, eat fresh fruit. Instead of ice cream, cake or other baked goods, opt for strawberries, fresh figs, grapes, or apples.

What to do about mercury in fish

Despite all the health benefits of seafood, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of pollutants, including the toxic metal mercury. These guidelines can help you make the safest choices.

• The concentration of mercury and other pollutants increases in larger fish, so it’s best to avoid eating large fish like shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel.
• Most adults can safely eat about 12 ounces (two 6-ounce servings) of other types of cooked seafood a week.
• Pay attention to local seafood advisories to learn if fish you’ve caught is safe to eat.
• For women who are pregnant, nursing mothers, and children aged 12 and younger, choose fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury, such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, or catfish. Because of its higher mercury content, eat no more than 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.

Quick start to a Mediterranean diet

The easiest way to make the change to a Mediterranean diet is to start with small steps. You can do this by:

• Sautéing food in olive oil instead of vegetable oil.
• Eating more fruits and vegetables by enjoying salad as a starter or side dish, snacking on fruit, and adding veggies to other dishes.
• Choosing whole grains instead of refined breads, rice, and pasta.
• Substituting fish for red meat twice per week.
• Enjoying dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yoghurt.

Instead of this:	Try this Mediterranean option:
Chips, pretzels, crackers and ranch dip	Carrots, celery, broccoli and salsa
Chips, pretzels, crackers and ranch dip	Carrots, celery, broccoli and salsa
White rice with stir-fried meat	Quinoa with stir-fried vegetables
Sandwiches with white bread or rolls	Sandwich fillings in whole-wheat tortillas
Ice cream	Pudding made with whole or skim milk

Adapted with permission from Harvard Health Letter: July 2013, a newsletter published by Harvard Health Publications.

How to Lose Weight on the Mediterranean Diet

Weight loss is an important issue for many people (and perhaps you) in the world today. You may be looking for a way to lose some weight and think that the Mediterranean diet is the way to go. Choosing a Mediterranean diet isn’t going to be a traditional “diet” or a quick fix.

Rather, it’s a series of healthy lifestyle choices that can get you to your weight loss goal while you eat delicious, flavorful foods and get out and enjoy life. Sounds much better than counting calories and depriving yourself, right?

With that description in mind, you need to focus on a few must-haves with the Mediterranean lifestyle in order to lose weight successfully. You have to pay attention to lifestyle changes, manage your calorie intake through balancing food choices and controlling portions, and increase your physical activity.

Focus on lifestyle changes

The focus of the Mediterranean diet is on your entire lifestyle. Paying attention to lifestyle changes, such as changing your portion sizes and exercising regularly, is the only way to see long-term results. Weight-loss diets come and go, and most can help you lose the weight, but they aren’t something you can live with long term.

The Mediterranean diet helps you pay attention to your individual lifestyle, including the types of foods you eat, the portion sizes you consume, your physical activities, and your overall way of life. You can incorporate these changes into your daily life and create long-term habits that bring you not only weight loss but also sustained weight loss.

• Set realistic, practical, and measurable goals.
• Quit diets once and for all.
• Make time in a fast-paced lifestyle.
  When incorporating the Mediterranean diet into your lifestyle, your first goal is to try to slow down. Look at all you have on your (figurative) plate and see whether you can start to say “no” to some things so you can free up time for yourself.
• Create small changes that stick.
  Look at small goals you can integrate into your daily life and do it.

Consider calories without counting them

Calories are one of the most important concepts of weight loss. Basically,calories are the amount of energy in the foods you eat and the amount of energy your body uses for daily activities. Your body constantly needs energy or fuel not only for daily activities such as cooking, cleaning, and exercising but also for basic biological functions (like, you know, breathing).

Everyone has a different metabolic rate that determines how quickly he or she burns calories and depends on factors such as age, genetics, gender, and physical fitness level.

At the end of the day, you can’t lose weight if you eat more calories than you burn through daily activity and exercise. To lose weight, you have to create a calorie deficit, but you can do so without actually knowing how many calories you burn. All you have to do is make small changes to your lifestyle, such as reducing portion sizes and exercising more, to reduce your calorie intake.

• Eat more to lose weight.
  Unlike many weight-loss diets, a Mediterranean style of eating lets you have more food on your plate while still taking in fewer calories. Eat far more low-calorie vegetables and fewer high-calorie meats and grains. As an added bonus, these lower-calorie foods also help you feel more satisfied with your meal instead of feeling deprived.
• Take portion size into account.
  Paying attention to portion sizes is a far better way to decrease your calorie intake than counting calories. Portion sizes in the Mediterranean are different than they are in the United States, which is one reason folks in the Mediterranean region tend to manage their weights more effectively.
• Watch your fat calories.
  The Mediterranean diet also allows you to keep track of the calories you get from fat. Although people on the Mediterranean coast eat slightly more fat than is recommended in the United States (35 percent of their calories come from fat, versus the U.S. recommendation of 30 percent), they consume different types of fat, such as the healthy fats from olive oil.
• Increase the activity you love.
  Exercise is an important component to weight loss and health, especially with the Mediterranean diet. You have to use up some of your calorie intake as energy, or those calories will store as fat. Exercise allows you to not only burn calories but also strengthen your heart, manage stress, and increase your energy level.

Suppress your appetite

Eating a Mediterranean style diet is not only great for your health but can also work as a natural appetite suppressant to help manage your weight. When you eat the right balance of plant-based foods and healthy fats, your body works in a natural way to feel satisfied. Because you’re full, you’re not tempted (at least, not by your stomach) to snack on high-calorie junk food a short while after your last meal.

• Load up on fiber.
• Turn on your fullness hormones.
  The Mediterranean diet is naturally high in low-glycemic foods, those carbohydrate-containing foods that illicit a lower blood sugar spike. Low-glycemic foods may just help kick on your fullness response. Appetite is controlled by an intricate dance of hormones that trigger the feelings of hunger and fullness.

Control food cravings

Food cravings occur for many reasons, whether they’re physiological, psychological, or a combination of both. For instance, having a stressful day at work may lead to food cravings. Unfortunately, no one-size-fits-all-answer exists to deal with food cravings, but you can do a few things to manage them more effectively.

• Avoid blood sugar spikes.
  • Make sure you don’t skip meals or wait longer than 5 hours to eat. Eat a meal or snack every 3 to 5 hours. Eat when you are hungry instead of waiting until you have extreme hunger.
  • Eat protein-rich foods and a bit of fat. Include foods such as fish, beans, nuts, or eggs with a fat with each meal to help slow down your digestion
  • Eat high-fiber, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes with each meal and snack. You don’t have to eat these foods all at once, but including some combination of them at meals and incorporating a fruit, veggie, or whole grain with your snacks is a good idea.
• Manage your stress hormones.
  You can accomplish this by exercising, getting enough sleep, drinking water, practicing deep breathing, meditating, and relaxing. For example, if you are getting ready for a stressful meeting, take a few moments to do some deep breathing. Simply take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds, and let the air out. Keep repeating for as long as you can. Even a few minutes can help.
  

Harvard Studies Determined the Best Diet For Weight Loss

A Mediterranean diet yields a number of health benefits, and it's been recently confirmed to be the best for weight loss. Based on five Harvard Medical studies, this diet is the most effective for shedding pounds in comparison to a low-fat diet, a low-carb diet, and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) diet. Heavy in fruits, vegetables, grains, olive oil, and beans, and low in meat, dairy, and eggs, the Mediterranean diet is also beneficial for your heart, eyes, and brain function.

Nine-hundred-ninety-eight overweight trial participants who lived on the Mediterranean diet for a year lost between 9 and 22 pounds. Both the low-carb and ADA diet had similar results, while those on the low-fat diet lost between 6 and 11 pounds. Although the article doesn't determine a single diet that's ultimate for weight loss, it does conclude that the Mediterranean diet would be the closest option because of its heart-healthy benefits.

Whether or not these findings convince you to change your ways, try at least incorporating this diet for days you want to eat clean.

The Mediterranean Diet

Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan

The heart-healthy Mediterranean is a healthy eating plan based on typical foods and recipes of Mediterranean-style cooking. Here's how to adopt the Mediterranean diet.

If you're looking for a heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean diet might be right for you. The Mediterranean diet incorporates the basics of healthy eating — plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps even a glass of red wine — among other components characterizing the traditional cooking style of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

Most healthy diets include fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and limit unhealthy fats. While these parts of a healthy diet remain tried-and-true, subtle variations or differences in proportions of certain foods may make a difference in your risk of heart disease.

Benefits of the Mediterranean diet

Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease. In fact, an analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of death from heart disease and cancer, as well as a reduced incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends the Mediterranean diet as an eating plan that can help promote health and prevent disease. And the Mediterranean diet is one your whole family can follow for good health.

Key components of the Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet emphasizes:

• Eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
• Replacing butter with healthy fats, such as olive oil
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
• Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month
• Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week
• Drinking red wine in moderation (optional)

The diet also recognizes the importance of being physically active, and enjoying meals with family and friends.

Focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains

The Mediterranean diet traditionally includes fruits, vegetables and grains. For example, residents of Greece average six or more servings a day of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.

Grains in the Mediterranean region are typically whole grain and usually contain very few unhealthy trans fats, and bread is an important part of the diet. However, throughout the Mediterranean region, bread is eaten plain or dipped in olive oil — not eaten with butter or margarine, which contains saturated or trans fats.

Nuts are another part of a healthy Mediterranean diet. Nuts are high in fat, but most of the fat is healthy. Because nuts are high in calories, they should not be eaten in large amounts — generally no more than a handful a day. For the best nutrition, avoid candied or honey-roasted and heavily salted nuts.

Choose healthier fats

The focus of the Mediterranean diet isn't on limiting total fat consumption, but rather on choosing healthier types of fat. The Mediterranean diet discourages saturated fats and hydrogenated oils (trans fats), both of which contribute to heart disease.

The Mediterranean diet features olive oil as the primary source of fat. Olive oil is mainly monounsaturated fat — a type of fat that can help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels when used in place of saturated or trans fats. "Extra-virgin" and "virgin" olive oils (the least processed forms) also contain the highest levels of protective plant compounds that provide antioxidant effects.

Canola oil and some nuts contain the beneficial linolenic acid (a type of omega-3 fatty acid) in addition to healthy unsaturated fat. Omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides, decrease blood clotting, and are associated with decreased incidence of sudden heart attacks, improve the health of your blood vessels, and help moderate blood pressure. Fatty fish — such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon — are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish is eaten on a regular basis in the Mediterranean diet.

What about wine?

The health effects of alcohol have been debated for many years, and some doctors are reluctant to encourage alcohol consumption because of the health consequences of excessive drinking. However, alcohol — in moderation — has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease in some research studies.

The Mediterranean diet typically includes a moderate amount of wine, usually red wine. This means no more than 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine daily for women of all ages and men older than age 65 and no more than 10 ounces (296 milliliters) of wine daily for younger men. More than this may increase the risk of health problems, including increased risk of certain types of cancer.

If you're unable to limit your alcohol intake to the amounts defined above, if you have a personal or family history of alcohol abuse, or if you have heart or liver disease, refrain from drinking wine or any other alcohol.

Putting it all together

The Mediterranean diet is a delicious and healthy way to eat. Many people who switch to this style of eating say they'll never eat any other way. Here are some specific steps to get you started:

• Eat your veggies and fruits — and switch to whole grains. A variety of plant foods should make up the majority of your meals. They should be minimally processed — fresh and whole are best. Include veggies and fruits in every meal and eat them for snacks as well. Switch to whole-grain bread and cereal, and begin to eat more whole-grain rice and pasta products. Keep baby carrots, apples and bananas on hand for quick, satisfying snacks. Fruit salads are a wonderful way to eat a variety of healthy fruit.
• Go nuts. Nuts and seeds are good sources of fiber, protein and healthy fats. Keep almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts on hand for a quick snack. Choose natural peanut butter, rather than the kind with hydrogenated fat added. Try blended sesame seeds (tahini) as a dip or spread for bread.
• Pass on the butter. Try olive or canola oil as a healthy replacement for butter or margarine. Lightly drizzle it over vegetables. After cooking pasta, add a touch of olive oil, some garlic and green onions for flavoring. Dip bread in flavored olive oil or lightly spread it on whole-grain bread for a tasty alternative to butter. Try tahini as a dip or spread for bread too.
• Spice it up. Herbs and spices make food tasty and can stand in for salt and fat in recipes.
• Go fish. Eat fish at least twice a week. Fresh or water-packed tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring are healthy choices. Grill, bake or broil fish for great taste and easy cleanup. Avoid breaded and fried fish.
• Rein in the red meat. Limit red meat to no more than a few times a month. Substitute fish and poultry for red meat. When choosing red meat, make sure it's lean and keep portions small (about the size of a deck of cards). Also avoid sausage, bacon and other high-fat, processed meats.
• Choose low-fat dairy. Limit higher fat dairy products, such as whole or 2 percent milk, cheese and ice cream. Switch to skim milk, fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese.

Parliamo Italiano! - Italian Language & Culture

Practice and Learn Italian Online....

This is the easy and effective way for anyone to practice speaking Italian in partnership with an experienced, qualified online Italian teacher on Skype.

Parliamo Italiano! http://www.saporital.com

Homemade Limoncello

Homemade Limoncello.

If you have ever been to Italy, you'll instantly know about Limoncello. Lemons seem to be one of the important staples in the food of Sorrento. The most famous product is Limoncello. Every store or restaurant has it’s unique or favorite brand of Limoncello for sale or to taste. It is wonderful as a palate cleanser or as an after dinner drink. Limoncello is the generic name for an Italian citrus-based lemon liqueur that is served well chilled in the summer months. Limoncello is now considered the  national drink of Italy and can be found in stores and restaurants all over Italy. 

Keep your bottles of Limoncello in the freezer until ready to serve. The ingredients are simple and few, and making a batch doesn't require much work, but you'll need some time. In most recipes, Limoncello must steep for (80) eighty days. 

History: It has long been a staple in the lemon-producing region along the Italian Amalfi Coast in Capri and Sorrento. The Amalfi Coast is known for its citrus groves and narrow winding roads. Authentic Limoncello is made from Sorrento lemons, which come from the Amalfi Coast. Families in Italy have passed down recipes for this for generations, as every Italian family has their own Limoncello recipe.

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It has taken me far too long to discover how amazing — and how astoundingly easy — it is to make my own limoncello. I had this hazy idea that limoncello must be a closely guarded secret kept by a sect of weathered Italian grandfathers with wooly driving caps and secretive, knowing smiles. Just me? Well, it turns out all you need to make truly incredible limoncello are some good lemons, a bottle of stiff vodka, and just a little patience.

Limoncello is smooth and sweet with an intense lemon flavor. It can be sipped on its own, mixed into sparkling water, or shaken into cocktails. Limoncello can range from very sweet to super tart and citrusy — as the maker of the limoncello, that's something that you get to decide. Lucky you.

To make it, we're simply infusing lemon peels into vodka. No distilling or secret ingredients required. After letting the peels and vodka mingle for anywhere from a few days to a month, it's strained, mixed with sugar syrup, chilled — and just like that, we have the limoncello that many of us fell in love with on our first sip years ago.

What Alcohol to Use?
If you have the option, 100 proof vodka or even higher-proof grain alcohol is the very best to use for making limoncello. This will extract more and better lemon flavor from the peels, and makes a smoother, less cloying limoncello.

This said, 80 proof vodka is also fine to use — it's also easier to find and less expensive than 100 proof. If you use 80 proof vodka, you won't need to add as much sugar syrup after infusing the vodka.

What Lemons to Use?
Standard lemons are just fine for making limoncello, though I do recommend buying organic lemons. Since non-organic lemons are usually coated with wax, you'll get a better extraction from organic lemons. Plus, alcohol will pull everything from those peels, including any pesticides or insecticides used on the lemons.

If you have access to them, Meyer lemons make a superb limoncello. You can also branch out into other citrus fruits like grapefruits, oranges, and tangerines.

We're only using the lemon peels for this project. I've found it easiest to remove the peels with a vegetable peeler, but you can also use a microplane or a zester. Just try to get the skin alone and as little pith as possible. With the leftover lemons, you can make a batch of lemonade!

How Long to Infuse?
Infuse your lemon peels and vodka for at least 4 days or up to a month. Most of the lemon flavor is extracted in those first few days, but you'll also get a stronger, bolder flavor the longer you let it sit.

How Much Sugar?
Start with a simple syrup made of 1 cup of sugar dissolved in 1 cup of water — start here whether you used 100 proof or 80 proof vodka. Add this to the infused vodka, taste, and add more simple syrup to taste.

You can play with the ratios of water to sugar here, all the way up to 4 cups of water with 4 cups of sugar and anything in between. More water will dilute the alcohol base, making a less alcoholic, milder, and smoother-sipping liqueur. More sugar will make a sweeter limoncello.

Is It Safe?
Absolutely! The alcohol prevents any mold or other bacteria from growing on the fruit. Once strained, the limoncello can be kept in the freezer for at least a year, and likely much longer. If your limoncello is over a year old, discard it if it tastes off or you see any mold growing in the bottle.