If you need to shed a few extra pounds, this season also focus on purple cabbage. "It provides very few calories (30 per 100 g), but its nutrients have interesting slimming properties", he assures , nutritionist and homeopath in Livorno, Pisa and Grosseto. With his advice we understand how to make the most of its benefits.
Better raw or steamed
"Of all the varieties of cabbage, the purple cap is the most effective in promoting weight loss because it is rich in anthocyanins, that is the pigments on which its color depends: stimulate the metabolism and they allow to eliminate the storage fat from the organism », explains the expert. «But be careful: they are heat-sensitive substances, so it is better to consume it raw or steamed».
Blood sugar under control
Another advantage lies in the fact that 100 g of the vegetable contains about 3 g of fibers. “These substances also have the ability to satiate for a long time and regulate blood sugar levels ”, continues Dr. . «If you consume cabbage in combination with carbohydrates such as those in bread or pasta, you reduce their impact on blood sugar. And this is essential in order not to gain weight: the glycemic surges, in fact, cause a greater secretion of insulin by the pancreas, with sudden attacks of hunger and consequent accumulation of fat in the adipose cells ».
Then try the purple cabbage in the prescription proposed below by Andrea Marzoli, chef of Locanda Girolomoni in Isola del Piano (Pesaro-Urbino).
Spaghetti bio with cabbage purple hood
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 280 g of Senatore Cappelli ancient wheat spaghetti
- 100 g of purple cabbage
- 10 cloves of garlic
- 5 salted capers
- 1 anchovy in oil
- Chilli powder to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Sale q.b.
Finely slice the cabbage and soak it in ice water. Desalt the capers. Clean and de-cored the garlic, cut it into strips, fry it in a pan until it has taken on a nutty color and, finally, place it on a sheet of absorbent paper. Cook the pasta in abundant salted water, drain it when al dente and finish cooking by tossing it in the oil in which you fried the garlic, along with the anchovies, the beaten capers and a pinch of chilli powder. Finally, decorate with the garlic flakes and crispy cabbage.
