The creator of the Real-Food Diet, Laura Pensiero, is the owner of the Gigi Trattoria restaurant in Rhinebeck, New York . She also is a registered dietitian and former culinary coordinator at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Wellness and Prevention Center.
the-real-food-diet The Oprah Magazine named Pensiero one of five “amazingly gifted and giving food professionals”. Her Real-Food Diet which is outlined in her book – Hudson Valley Mediterranean: The Gigi Good Food Cookbook -focuses on eating real food that is fresh and seasonal while avoiding foods that contain additives and preservatives.
Pensiero acknowledges that many people are struggling with excess weight but she says that just telling people to eat healthier foods doesn’t work either. She believes that feeling satisfied and well nourished is critical for successful weight loss and in her opinion Mediterranean-style cooking offers the most enjoyable way to achieve this.
Of utmost importance is to avoid making any drastic changes in your diet. If you eliminate the foods you love you will suffer unnecessarily and end up feeling deprived. Instead Pensiero suggests that you try putting more healthy food on your plate.
She offers simple ways to achieve this goal such as adding a colorful vegetable to a familiar stew, starting dinner with a great salad or replacing mashed potatoes with a whole grain pilaf.
A great deal of emphasis is placed on eating locally and seasonally. She says that locally raised food harvested at the peak of ripeness tastes better and the pleasure of eating will be increased.
Recommended Foods
Fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, yogurt, goat cheese, ricotta, eggs, chicken, grass-fed meat, whole wheat bread, rice, peanut butter, walnuts, almonds, honey.
