• Healthy Italian

Red Wine
How is it that the Italians can eat a diet rich in cheese and buttery sauces and still suffer less heart disease than Americans? The answer to the famous Italian paradox, say nutritionists, is Red wine. The skins of the grapes used to make red wine contain supercharged antioxidants known as polyphenols, including one called resveratrol, which boosts HDL cholesterol (the good kind). Polyphenols, according to the latest research, may also inhibit the production of endothelin 1, a peptide that contributes to hardening of the arteries.

Tomatoes
Several studies have linked the cooked tomatoes in ketchup, soups and sauces to a reduced risk of prostate cancer and other cancers of the digestive tract. Tomatoes contain lycopene, probably the most powerful antioxidant among the carotenoids, the compounds that turn fruits and veggies deep orange. It is so good at mopping up free radicals that Lycopene outperforms the best-known carotenoid of them all, beta-carotene. It is readily released from tomatoes by cooking and — good news for Pizza lovers — it's most easily absorbed when a small amount of oil is added. Like your tomatoes raw? That’s good too. They can be a valuable source of vitamin C.

Spinach
Spinach is loaded with iron and folate, a B vitamin considered so important that it is now routinely added to flour. Folate not only prevents neural-tube defects in babies but also lowers blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that irritates blood vessels and is linked to heart disease. Just as impressive, spinach contains two phytochemicals, lutein and zeaxanthin, that seem to ward off macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. One cup of spinach contains just 41 calories and no fat, so you needn’t worry about any unsightly bulges in your forearms or anywhere else. Don’t like spinach? Try kale, Swiss chard or collard greens.

Broccoli
The fact is, broccoli is one mean green. It boasts a fistful of phytochemicals, including sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, that may detoxify cancer-causing substances before they have a chance to cause harm. In women, indole-3-carbinol may turn the estrogen associated with breast cancer into a more benign form. A number of studies have linked regular consumption of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli to a reduced risk of breast, colon and stomach cancers. Broccoli is a rich source of beta-carotene, fiber and vitamin C (1 cup contains more C than an orange). The best way to unleash the nutrients is by cooking light and chewing hard.

Garlic
Oh, that stinking rose! What makes garlic — and your breath — smell so bad is precisely what makes it so healthful. The odor factors are sulfur-based compounds known as allyl sulfides. Studies show that the sulfides can reduce cholesterol and may make the blood less sticky. Garlic also has antibacterial and antifungal powers. To release garlic’s potent compounds, you need to smash, mash or mince it. Cooking it for a long time or at a high heat may destroy its beneficial substances.