-1667063203460.jpeg--nutrimenti_e_oncologia__il_corso_di_medea_per_un_alimentazione_alleata.jpeg?1667063203604 "Nutriments and oncology, the MedEa course for an allied diet")
CREMONA – The orchard and the vegetable garden, the hill with aromatic herbs and the centenary vine (with white grapes the juice is made), the rose garden named after the late founder and president Donatello Misiani and his wife Ermanna Manara.
MEDea housein via Cà del Ferro, at 9.35 am this morning. Maurizio Lanfranchi, vice president of the association founded in 2003, is preparing a delicious juice in the kitchen. Recipe? “Fennel, cucumber, two types of apple, the Golden and Granny Smith, ginger, lime juice and lemon.” Everything is blended, poured into a bowl and served in small glasses.
His wife Mira, born in the kitchen, extraordinary cook also for passion, she has prepared a bread that «one slice leads to another» by how good it is. Recipe? «Flour with seven cereals. The bread is stuffed with dried fruit – almonds, walnuts – dehydrated fruit – figs, mango – and there are also apples with cinnamon ». And, then, the bars: «The base is dark chocolate. Above, dried fruit and candied fruit ».
For four Saturdays in October (the last one today), Mrs. Mira cooked the recipes of the nutritionist Beatrice Carli which together with Margherita Ratti, oncologist at the Maggiore hospital, at the MeDea headquarters he held the course: «Nutrimenti». Subtitle: «Oncological nutrients». Oncologist and nutritionist gave the participants (about twenty) the tips, the dietary indications that are aimed at helping to deal with the discomfort caused by the disease and the side effects of the treatments. And it was a success.
MEDeA house in via Cà del Ferro in Cremona
THE IDEA OF THE COURSE
The idea for the course came some time ago to the vice president Lanfranchi who arrived in Medea in 2010, one of the souls of the association together with his wife Mira.
«The nutritionist Beatrice that I already knew – explains the vice president – had the intention of doing something for MEDea as a volunteer. Hence, the spark. We talked about it in the council “and among the directors is Alberto Ferrari. Thus was born the course on nutrition: a mixture of professionalism and humanity.
«The first lesson was on the general elements of nutrition – says the oncologist Ratti -, the second on the effects of the toxicity of chemotherapy (weight loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), the third on the management of adverse events aided by food. WHO indications recommend eating 5 portions of vegetables a day, then seasonality and proximity between producer and consumer is important. Eating fruit and vegetables is important, but they must be combined with proteins: legumes, eggs. La Mediterranean diet is the basis: it has a good part of carbohydrates, but, for example, also of dried fruit that we forget. The oil, the parmesan cheese are fantastic ».
«The first side effect is the weight loss of muscle mass which is what is needed for tone and to help the body fight cancer. – underlines the nutritionist Carli -. Fundamental is theantioxidant nutrition to counteract the free radicals that the therapy produces: the therapy is toxic on the one hand and beneficial on the other. We teach how to eat. It is necessary to create a pleasant diet, supporting the muscle mass. We have also proposed dishes that are beautiful to look at, colorful to demonstrate that food can be tasty. Of course, it is necessary to enter into the patient’s case, to meet tastes. The other key aspect is the absorption of food. It is necessary to study the bioavailability of food, to do a sort of research into what the absorption of an intestine that is perhaps battered can be ».
From wholemeal risotto “with fresh turmeric, aromatic herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary, chives, oregano) black cabbage”, to ravioli Snack: “Avocado and salmon, chives from the garden”, to “smoked clearing with berries juniper and, above, fresh cherry tomatoes ». These are the tasty recipes that Mrs. Mira prepared during the four lessons.
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The garden of MEDeA
Given the success of the course, it will repeat itself next year. Meanwhile, the program includes a cosmetics course with aromatic herbs from the MEDeA home garden, a forge of ideas, whose mission is: “Working for a society free from the fear of cancer, in which a diagnosis of cancer is for each person only a transitory moment in the history of their life. We are driven by a passion for research and innovation, to give everyone access to high quality care, provide a concrete benefit to our community and new hopes for the future ».
