Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
She was very active, but she wasn't a day laborer. She owned an Italian shoe company. Her diet was very important to her and included heavy:
black coffee
red wine
dark chocolate
olive oil
yogurt
tomatoes
fish
spinach
I try to emulate her diet. There is great longevity on that side of my family (my aunts, uncles, etc. lived to be 100 or close to it with virtually no illnesses) and they all ate like this. It is diet, exercise, AND genes. There have been quite a few studies about the people from this area of Italy and how diet contributes to their longevity. I still think black coffee helps and now a new AARP and NIH study supports that.
I really think it's due to everything ELSE on the diet up there besides coffee - those are very healthy things to eat. We consume a lot of that ourselves, however, coffee is limited to decaf, and only a cup or two in the am, not even every day. It is very acidic, and we can't have caffeine due to health issues. No way I believe coffee is any kind of "health food" but I'm of the opinion that for healthy people a moderate amount doesn't affect things one way or another.
I think people underestimate the health benefits of coffee.
p.s. My Italian grandma lived to 100 (1900 - 2000) and drank espresso all day! Italians drink a lot of coffee and they live a long time - I think there is a connection. It's not just the olive oil / Mediterranean diet.
kudos to you and keep drinking that java! i roast my own from green beans -- my choice of country origin. i drink at least as much as you and probably is the only reason i've been around so long with such fantastic health.
I really think it's due to everything ELSE on the diet up there besides coffee - those are very healthy things to eat. We consume a lot of that ourselves, however, coffee is limited to decaf, and only a cup or two in the am, not even every day. It is very acidic, and we can't have caffeine due to health issues. No way I believe coffee is any kind of "health food" but I'm of the opinion that for healthy people a moderate amount doesn't affect things one way or another.
i'll say it's due to everything but the fish. think mercury and all the other trash they contend with. no fish for me. nor dead animals, thanks.
I loved my coffee and easily drank 6 cups a day for years. Eventually though it wrecked havoc on my adrenal glands. Once that happened I quit drinking coffee for a couple of years. These days I drink decaf with an occasional splash of regular.
And I'm Italian, too. I would love to hear more about Italian Espresso habits . ..
She drank black espresso throughout the day (not sure how many cups). I remember her using an old aluminum coffee pot on the stove top. I have always used a coffee press, but I know they tend to leave more oil in the coffee which is not as healthy. I have been thinking about converting to the Italian style pot. But I'm not sure if they would filter out any more of the oil?
Also, my grandmother usually had a shot of sambuca with her espresso after dinner...LOL. She would have a glass of red wine with dinner and then espresso with sambuca after. I think she may have done this daily as she believed it was very healthy for the system... So maybe the sambuca is the real health secret!
i'll say it's due to everything but the fish. think mercury and all the other trash they contend with. no fish for me. nor dead animals, thanks.
Yes, I love fish but need to be careful due to the mercury levels. I have a card I carry in my wallet that lists the lower mercury fishes. I try to keep to less oily fishes that are "wild-caught" but it can get tricky. I am always quizzing the fishmonger about the origins of their fish.
I forgot to add garlic to my grandma's list of health foods. She ate a lot of garlic every day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by emmapeel
k i roast my own from green beans -- my choice of country origin. i drink at least as much as you and probably is the only reason i've been around so long with such fantastic health.
That is very cool... I would love to learn how to do that. I have tried to convince a relative in Hawaii to plant a coffee tree for me but he tells me it is too much work for so little coffee. I would love to be able to roast my own coffee though. I'll look into that. It must taste so much fresher.
Last edited by GoCUBS1; 05-28-2012 at 05:50 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
