The Slow Food Movement originated in Italy.  It is no surprise then that Italians rank one of the highest countries in terms of longevity. Italians live to be a whopping 83 years old!

This longevity can be attributed to many factors but one of these factors certainly is Italian food and meals. Here are five easy ways to eat simple and healthy Italian food and maybe just maybe increase your longevity:

1. USE HIGH QUALITY EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. Italians use high quality extra virgin olive oil in almost everything they eat.  I say high quality because on the market there is everything and anything with the high quality label. This type of olive oil is not cheap. If you are getting a 5$ bottle (1 liter)  of oil, chances are it is not high quality. If it is Italian, make sure it is actually made in Italy and not just bottled there.  Also make sure you keep your olive oil  away from heat. Olive oil needs to be stored in dark bottles and in cool places in order for it to keep its healthy antioxidants.  It is better to buy small quanties at a time.

2. EAT RAW VEGETABLES.  The more the vegetables are cooked, the more they lose their  important nutrients and vitamins. In fact, it is best to opt for fresh and eat them as soon as you can. The more they are in your refrigerator the more they lose their nutrients. Yes, I know who has time for this? Well, make it a habit of purchasing lots of vegetables at one time and then making sure you eat veggies with every meal. Some favorites of my Italian friends: cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, tomatoes.

3. CONSUME AND USE GARLIC IN MEALS FREQUENTLY.  I  was told by my older Italian friends that eating 2 cloves of raw garlic in the evening is a sure way of keeping away colds and illnesses. But I said "It will keep away everyone around me too." The answer they say is chewing 2 coffee beans afterward. It's worth a try.

4. EAT LEGUMES. Italians consume many legumes of all types. Lentils, peas, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, soybeans. These can be cooked in even 15 minutes time. Strain, add some salt and a bit of that extra virgin olive oil. Instant healthy meal.

5. AVOID PROCESSED FOODS, CONDIMENTS, FAST FROZEN MEALS.  These are huge no no's for Italians. 

TWO MORE AS FREEBIES:

6. EAT A HOME COOKED MEAL THAT IS EASY, SIMPLE AND HEALTHY (I WILL INCLUDE SOME OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES IN AN UPCOMING POST)

7. DARK CHOCOLATE. YES OF COURSE "WITHOUT EXAGGERATION" AS SOME ITALIAN FRIENDS NOTED.

For more easy to follow recipes and how to simplify your life through the Italian lifestyle get my ebook with resources and audio:

I did not realize I was living a fast paced life until I received certain signals from others around me in Italy. When I began to look around me, I realized I was multi tasking, stressed and definitely not living the Tuscan lifestyle I had envisioned. In fact I was even more restless in Italy then I had been in Los Angeles. After many years of observing and researching the Italian lifestyle, I learned and am learning the steps to live slower and simpler. 

I would say the first step to slowing down is knowing it is time to make some changes. The following are the five ways to know you need to slow down:

1. You speak fast.  Often times you do not let others finish speaking and you interrupt them. While speaking you are thinking about the next thing you have to do.  You are not attentively listening to the other person.

2. You walk fast.  You walk fast even if it is not for exercise purposes.  You don't know how to stroll. You are always in a hurry.

3. You multitask. You are constantly doing more then one activity at a time. You have not finished one thing before you start another. You multitask also in thoughts. You are doing one thing but thinking of another.

4. You eat fast and have poor eating habits.  You don't sit down at a table and slowly consume your meal. You usually do not chew your food at least 20 times before swallowing. You do not eat healthy meals. You don't take the time to drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.  You eat or drink standing up, on the go, or at your desk.

5. You cannot just BE. You find it difficult to just sit still and relax. You cannot be without an electronic gadget (computer, television, phone,etc). You become fidgety.

To learn more about taking the steps to living a slower and simpler lifestyle get my ebook 
"Living the Italian Lifestyle: A Self-improvement Program for Living a Slower, Simpler, More Fulfilling Life Anywhere"

What is minimalist dressing? Why do I need to master it? How will this tiny change in my life grant me loads of free time? Minimalist dressing is dressing by removing the superfluous or constitutes a style that uses pared down essentials. The Italians have always used this concept and they not only look impeccable but probably don't spend hours trying to figure out what to wear. There are only three requirements: the clothes must be clean; the clothes must be in good condition; the clothes must fit properly.

Ok. Here are the top 10 ways to dress like a minimalist Italian woman and free up your time:

1. Use monocolors.  In other words your outfit should be of the same color even with different tones of the same color. For example, in one outfit,  trousers and the blazer can be dark brown, while the blouse can be lighter shades of brown.  Socks and shoes should also be brown. 

2. Wear footwear that has the same style of the outfit. If you are wearing a conservative pantsuit, you should not be wearing athletic shoes.  Instead you should opt for moccasins, loafers, pumps or dressy shoes.

3. Keep accessories down to a minimum. I am not saying you should eliminate the accessories but use good taste. You should not be piling on necklaces or bracelets. Usually one nice accessory is all it takes.

4. Stick with classic colors. Yes it is true that trends call for pastels one season or fluorescent colors the next but minimalist dressing is really pairing down and staying with the classic, yet chic colors of black, brown, grey, red, white, navy blue. 

5. De clutter your closet and leave only a small collection of high quality pieces that you like, fit you well and that you actually wear frequently.  Hint: if you haven't worn a piece in the last year, it's time to let it go.

6. Have your own style. You can dress with the minimalist concept but still have your own style. This may be using form fitting outfits, layers, long skirts, short skirts, jeans, whatever.

7. Build your wardrobe one piece at a time, focusing on quality items that last a long time. 

8. Do not impulse shop.  Buy only pieces that will match or fit in with other pieces you already own and wear.

9. Know what styles flatter your body.  Once you know what is the most flattering, stick with it. 

10. Rotate your outfits. This alone will save you hours of time and stress especially in the morning when you are squeezed for time. If you are dressing with the minimalist style no one is going to notice that you wore that black blazer two days ago if you now put a grey blouse under it and add a different necklace. You can wear the same pants or skirt as long as they are clean and ironed. 

For more information on dressing simply and living simply get my ebook with resources :

Genuine Italian Pizza Dough

The following is one of my many simple recipes taken from my ebook "Living the Italian Lifestyle." 

The secret to a good pizza is making genuine Italian pizza dough. Can this only be learned through years of experience? Absolutely not. All you need is the right formula, the correct ingredients, and a good working oven. You can literally make the dough in five minutes time. 

            Lucia's Genuine Italian Pizza Dough and Pizza


The cooking time is 20 minutes. This recipe makes approximately 2 medium-size pizzas.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Dough
3 full cups of flour (type 0)
1 cube of fresh yeast
Lukewarm water (1 cup approx)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Dash of salt

Topping
Tomato sauce or peeled tomatoes (1 can or 16 oz)
Olive oil (3 tablespoons)
Dash of salt
Dry mozzarella (1 pound)

Butter for greasing pizza pans

Heat 1 cup of water with the fresh yeast. The water should be only lukewarm and not hot. Use a fork to break up the yeast as best as possible in the water.

In a mixing bowl, add flour and make a hole in the middle where you will then add the water and yeast mixture slowly, working the flour first with a fork and then slowly with your hands. The mixture should be sticky and not dry. If it is dry, add more lukewarm water. If it is too wet, add more flour. The consistency is key. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to help knead the dough. Leave it in a ball in the same mixing bowl and cover with a clean damp kitchen towel.

Let rise at least 1 hour, but 2 hours is best.

After dough has risen, you should knead it some more by putting some olive oil on your fingers to work it.

Butter the pizza pan and then drizzle flour on it. You can now shape the dough on the pan. Use a bit of olive oil to help you shape it, making sure it does not tear. The dough should be thin but not so thin as to tear. 

Next, spread the tomato mixture (tomato, olive oil, salt) on the dough evenly.
Lastly, evenly scatter grated mozzarella cheese over pizza. Drizzle with very little olive oil (always extra virgin olive oil).

Bake in oven at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until crust is golden color.  Enjoy.

I really was not aware that my restless and anxious feelings were mostly caused by myself and by my attitude. I believed that "outside factors" were the cause of most of stress.  I realized after many many years that the Italians around me had the same stresses that I had and many had much worse situations to deal with. How then I asked myself are they able to be so resilient? I wanted what they had and I was on a quest to find it.

In my program "Living the Italian Lifestyle...Anywhere," I discuss how the first step to living a slower and simpler life is by doing an honest self assessment. There are worksheets one can print or download and spaces where you judge how you do certain activies as walk, talk, eat, exercise, sleep, and many more. When I did my own assessment I was amazed how my anxiousness translated into almost every area of my life. It affected how I communicated with my children, how I ate, how my thought patterns were. It was a huge eye opener for me and really showed me how I needed to take steps to change things.


Certain things made me realize it was time to slow down. When my youngest child was a toddler he made me notice that I was multitasking and it was a no no. I was helping him put on his sweater while he was still putting on his pants. He basically told me I was making him fast, which translated was I was making him nervous. Not only was I making him nervous but I was teaching him what not to do.


Another bad habit of mine that showed me I needed to slow down was that I was impatient when others would talk. I found myself interrupting with an answer even before the other person finished the question. Bad.


I burned soup because I was multitasking. How do you burn soup? Well you leave the water in the pot so long that it just dwindles away until you have a burning pot on your hands.


Another obvious sign was I was constantly checking emails, social media sites and online newspapers. Here again one of my children was smart to point out that mommy is always on her phone so why cannot he always be on his nintendo?  The online newspaper reading was not only frequent but would create mental baggage that would upset my sleep.

There were so many signs that I needed to slow down and that I was causing this situation not any outside source. It was then that I began to look at the Italians and really analyze some of the ways they approach life and the slower Italian lifestyle.

I am no cleaner then the next person but I have learned that doing certain things will save me loads of time. Decluttering is one of those tasks which may seem daunting but if you do it correctly will not only be a source of peacefulness but will also in the long run free up your time.

If you think about it you realize that clutter is a worldwide problem. All of our neighbors across the globe deal with this issue. You deal with it at home, in your automobile, at your office, everywhere.

Italians may have the heads up on clutter just because homes in Italy tend to be smaller and lack built in closets. Garages are smaller and many do not have garages. So space is limited meaning you just cannot physically stock up on things.  After years in Italy I realized I would have to do away with all those things I just don't need or use because frankly there was no space for them and because they translated into heaviness and busyness.

I decided I would declutter in one day. This is how I did it and this is how you can do it:

I took on one small area at a time. For me it was my kitchen. I took three large bags : one was the recycle bag, one was the donate bag and one was the throw away bag.  I then went through all the visible shelves and took off everything that was not necessary to cooking. I eliminated : 
-all those knick knacks that collect dust and grease 
-decorative bowls that cannot be used for food because of possible lead poisoning
-tickets to past events I had kept as momentoes*
-tea set I had bought in China (possible lead poisoning)
-gadgets I had never used 

I then went into the drawers and did the same. I was on a mission. Here I eliminated stained table covers, place mats, cloth napkins.
I then finished off with the pantry. Here I went wild and eliminated all those expired items that were just sitting there.

The kitchen was done and it took less then 30 minutes. 

I took  my same mission to the bathroom, the living room, the bedrooms. I finished the entire house in one marning and one part of the same afternoon. I spent a maxium of 3.5 hours total.

You can declutter in one day. I did it. I suggest that you do it in parts. For instance do one room and then go take a break and do something else. Go outside. Then pick up and do another room. This way it will be less daunting and even enjoyable. 

The real joy comes at the end when you look around and really feel lighter!

* I suggest that you take a picture of a momento and then eliminate it. It is not the thing that gives us great memories but the good feelings we get when we look at it.