SOUL. Italian’s Secret Sauce.
The most frequently asked question since becoming a Nutritional Sciences major in 2010: what diet should I follow? The research has been clear for decades on the “healthiest” diet: the Mediterranean Diet. Lauded for its emphasis on fiber from vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, as well as healthy fats (olive oil, nuts) and use of meat as more of condiment vs star of the dish. Health outcomes are clear in both randomized controlled trials and time-tested health outcomes in Mediterranean countries: how they eat works.
Studying the Mediterranean Diet via papers and diet analysis at Cornell University proved the point. Yes, the Med diet rocks.
After spending my first Fall in Italy on an organic farm in Tuscany, I realized there was something much more to this diet than the nutritional breakdown I had been given throughout my studies. Though, I could not quite put my finger on it. It went beyond the fact that the food in Italy was fresh and had more flavor. What was the Italian secret sauce?
A 2024 paper outlined so clearly what we research-based, reductionist Americans miss. It is more than just the nutrients. It is the atmosphere and spirit in which Italians enjoy food.
Topics of conversation I often hear in the US: did you hit your macros today? How many calories do I need to consume to lose weight? Do you have low-fat or dairy-free creamer? I was doing so good on my diet… then I totally binged.
Topics of conversation I often hear in Italy: the flavor of this salami is so incredible! I traveled to [insert Italian town here] to try their specialty dish - it was amazing! My grandmother still cooks for the whole family on Sundays and it’s an all-day affair. Have you tried this cheese? It’s the specialty of the region.
The word that this research puts so aptly to the Italian approach to their “diet” (aka, lifestyle), is conviviality and commensality. Conviviality pertaining to the quality of being friendly, lively, and commensality as the practice of eating together. The author states,
“Conviviality and pleasure play a role in contributing to food’s health benefits yet are often overlooked ... This emphasis on the enjoyment of meals distinguishes the Mediterranean diet from other dietary traditions.”
And they highlight the differences in mentality with the more Western diet:
“In contrast, the Western diet and lifestyle are often characterized by fragmented eating patterns, leading to an overall low nutritional quality: the prevalence of individualized, fast-paced eating habits in Western societies has been linked to a decline in commensality and diminished conviviality, contributing to adverse health outcomes.”
I will be the first to admit that while I eat very high quality food, breakfast is eaten alone, standing up and a bit stressed as I get myself out the door for clinic. Lunch is eaten over the course of a compressed ten-minutes out of a glass Tupperware between patient visits at my desk. And dinner is reheated from a batch cook I did on Sunday, and likely eaten alone. I know I am missing some key ingredients to the Italian secret sauce of the Mediterranean diet.
It is something I so admire about the Italian culture: eschewing the convenience culture for - no, we take a lunch break to come together and eat as a family. How much I would enjoy that over eating at my desk. The intangibles and unmeasurables are, in my opinion, just as important ingredients as the actual food itself in any diet. The Italians are just a culture stubborn enough to not let go of these timeless and valuable values.
Enjoy farm-to-table meals with me this Fall in a convivial and communal manner, and immerse yourself in the full Mediterranean lifestyle experience and learn how and what you can take back home. Learn more about the retreat here.
Citations:
Bernardi, E., & Visioli, F. (2024). Fostering wellbeing and healthy lifestyles through conviviality and commensality: Underappreciated benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.), 126, 46–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2024.03.007
