The Manual of Healthy Longevity & Wellbeing by Luigi Fontana, MD, Ph.D., who is considered an expert in aging and longevity. Dr. Fontana presents his healthy lifestyle plan, which is not solely on weight loss, as “a long-term investment in lifestyle interventions that optimize your metabolic and immune health to help avoid the most common chronic illnesses and prolong your life.”
Dr. Fontana’s book is based on his more than 20 years of research and clinical practice. He has divided his book into sections on nutrition for longevity, exercise, and wellbeing. He presents over 80 Mediterranean-inspired recipes.
Three we like are:
Pomegranate and Greens Salad
Dr. Fontana notes, “Pomegranate seeds are powerful antioxidants … Antioxidants help remove free radicals, protect cells from damage, and reduce inflammation.”
Orecchiette with Rapini or Kale
“Dark leafy greens are considered great sources of healthy antioxidants, folic acid, vitamins, and fiber. Rapini is a favorite in the Mediterranean.
Tuna Steaks with Grilled Capsicum and Edamame Salad
“Edamame are whole, immature soybeans, and some studies have shown that soybeans may lower circulating cholesterol levels,” Dr. Fontana said.
Capsicum is otherwise known as a bell pepper and is regarded for its nutritional benefits of vitamins A and C.
Not only are these recipes and all of the ones featured in Dr. Fontana’s book healthy, but they are delicious too!
Tuna Steaks with Grilled Capsicum and Edamame Salad
Makes 4 servings
- 10 ½ oz. tuna steaks
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 10 ½ oz. long red or green capsicums (bell peppers)
- 3 ½ oz. edamame
- ½ large jalapeño chili, or ½ small hot red chilir
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely sliced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce
- 2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
- Wasabi, to taste
- 1 ¾ oz, slivered almonds, to serve
Marinate the tuna in the orange juice for 60 minutes. Turn the fish after 30 minutes.
In the meantime, heat a chargrill pan or barbecue chargrill plate over a high heat and grill the capsicums for 10 minutes, turning frequently, until they’re blistered and tender. Peel the skin off and remove the seeds before chopping them into small dice.
Boil the edamame for 5 minutes in plenty of water. Drain and place in a small bowl with the jalapeno. Add the olive oil, parsley, garlic and lemon juice. Stir well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
In another small bowl, mix the soy sauce with the sliced onion and a tiny piece of wasabi. Mix well.
Remove the tuna steaks from the orange juice. Heat a nonstick frying pan with a lid over a medium heat. Place the steaks in the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for up to 20 minutes, or until just cooked through (depending on the thickness of the steaks). Remove from the pan and brush with the soy sauce mix and set aside to cool.
To serve, break the tuna into bite-sized chunks and place in a serving dish, add the capsicum, edamame and jalapeño along with the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with almonds.
Recipes excerpted with permission from Manual of Healthy Longevity & Wellbeing: A Three Step Plan by Luigi Fontana published by Hardie Grant Publishing, March 2023. Hardcover.
