By Joyce Jih 
Photo courtesy of FUA

Healthy living is the latest lifestyle trend sweeping across the world, and with good reason. Making healthier decisions doesn’t take much effort and can lead to better, more wholesome lives. Two professors at the Florence University of the Arts shared their thoughts on healthy living. Professor Karen Giacobassi advocates balance and moderation, while Professor Umberto Gori is a fan of simple and fresh ingredients.

KAREN GIACOBASSI ON EATING 35 DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS PER WEEK

Tell us about yourself.

KG: I grew up in the United States and majored in sports medicine as an undergraduate. I spent a summer studying abroad in Italy and just fell in love with the country, and I moved here shortly after. This semester, I’m teaching a FUA course called “Nutrition in the Sports Industry.”

What do you hope students gain from your course?

KG: I want students to gain a thorough understanding of food and nutrition and exercise principles so they will be better able to develop healthy eating and exercising behaviors. It’s rewarding to see eager students share information from other studies in class, and to have all students expand on their current knowledge.

What are real world applications related to nutrition?

KG: I was first able to cultivate my passion for nutrition while working at the Pritikin Longevity Center. Pritikin is a month-long live-in program that gives participants the knowledge and power to live healthier through exercise, stress management, nutrition, and cooking classes. My students also receive a hands-on cooking lesson with Chef Andrea Trapani, Executive Chef of Apicius and Official Chef of the Florentine soccer team. Chef Trapani works with the team doctor to ensure that the food is safe and healthy, and players are getting the nutrition they need to play their best.

Any tips for healthy living?

KG: Eat 35 different ingredients per week. This is easiest when you vary meals and incorporate fruits and vegetables from the rainbow of colors.

What’s your favorite food?

KG: An unexpected favorite is black cabbage. It’s great comfort food when made into bruschetta with olive oil, salt, and garlic.

UMBERTO GORI ON OLIVE OIL AND
NON-SATURATED FATS

Tell us about yourself.

UG: I grew up in a small village north of Florence, where I was the youngest child in a family that produced artisan textiles. I studied modern foreign languages and literature with a major in German and minors in English and Hungarian at the University of Florence. Everyone in my family cooks, so I grew to appreciate food and culture from an early age. I teach Italian food and culture classes at FUA; I’m currently teaching a course called “The Mediterranean Diet: A Guide to Healthy Living.”

What do you hope students gain from your course?

UG: A student once told me that I have been a good teacher because I opened a window for her, and thereby gave her a chance to see a whole new view for her to explore on her own. I want to share my passion for food and wine through sharing the historical and cultural value food and wine possess, and I hope to stimulate an interest that will carry on after the semester is over.

Why the Mediterranean diet?

UG: Well, I grew up on it and it’s very good. It’s a combination of many cultures that have crisscrossed for centuries. Mediterranean food is quite healthy because the main fat in this diet is olive oil, which is rich in non-saturated fats. Olive oil, along with moderate wine consumption, can lead to better health and lower cholesterol and blood pressure; cultures based on olive oil have been shown to have a smaller prevalence of heart disease.

Is this a diet everyone can follow?

UG: I think so, yes. The Mediterranean diet is really more of a lifestyle. Cooking fresh, natural ingredients in a simple way requires daily trips to the market, but always results in a pleasurable meal. It takes an effort to maintain, but it’s worth it.

Any healthy living tips?

UG: Use olive oil and eat unprocessed food. But don’t eat too much food either!

What’s your favorite food?

UG: It’s not my favorite exactly, but I would love braciole alla livornese for dinner tonight.