BRAIN FOOD - OLIVE OIL

  
 

A teaspoon of olive oil a day during pregnancy makes for smarter children, according to Italian researchers. The effects of this “green gold” on a developing fetus are many, from a healthier liver and cleaner arteries to stronger cell membranes, and can add up to a 30% increase in intelligence. “Olive oil isn’t just a condiment, it’s a food,” said Giorgio Calabrese, an Italian professor and nutritionist. “Our studies have shown that is an important element for health, not only contributing to intelligence but also prevent tumors, reducing risk of heart attack and improving cholesterol levels.”

Those of us who missed out on a Mediterranean diet in the womb can still benefit from regular consumption of olive oil. A study by the University of Bari found that elderly people with a diet high in the monounsaturated fatty acids contained in olive oil had and maintained higher cognitive skills than those who did not. During the nine years of the study, researchers studied over 700 people between the ages of 65 and 85, and found that followers of the Mediterranean diet, where 29% of total calories were fat from olive oil, scored highest on cognitive tests and maintained that advantage over the years.

Source: National Italian American Foundation

 

  
     
 
COUNT DOWN TO TORINO 2006
  
 

In less than two years, all eyes will be focused on Turin, Italy. Located in Italy’s Piedmont region, the city known for its production of Fiat automobiles will host the 20th Olympic Winter Games in 2006. Officials report that the logistics of the event are coming together and building projects are on schedule. A 5-meter-high Torino 2006 Countdown Clock was unveiled this winter in the city’s Piazza Castello. Italians will be called on to offer an enthusiastic welcome to the thousands of athletes, journalists, volunteers and fans that will attend the games.

The Olympics begin February 10, 2006, and during the 17 days of competition, 2,550 athletes representing 80 countries will vie for 82 gold medals (246 medals overall) in 15 disciplines: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping, Nordic combines, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, bobsledding, luge, skeleton, curling, ice hockey, speed skating, short track, and figure skating. There will be three Olympic Villages (Torino, Bardonecchia, and Sestriere) and the sporting events will take place at eight venues (Bardonecchia, Pinerolo, Pragelato, Cesana-Pariol, Cesana-San Sicario, Sauze d’Oulx, Sestriere, and Torino).

With nearly 100 different building projects, Turin looks like one big construction site. “We are making progress at three times the speed normally associated with construction work,” the Agenzia Torino’s director general, Mimmo Arcidiacono, said. “It’s not that we’ve accomplished a miracle, but rather this has been the fruit of meticulous planning,” he said. The opening and closing ceremonies will take place in the renovated Stadio Comunale in Turin. The Palavela in Turin, a building originally designed for the celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the unification of Italy, will be renovated to host figure skating and short-track speed skating events. Ice hockey will take place in a new indoor stadium, the Palasport Olimpico, which will be built in Santa Rita, located in south Turin. The speed skating oval will be built in Turin from scratch, will hold 8,000 spectators, and will be equipped with a refrigerated ice.

According to Piedmont Regional President Enzo Ghigo, the Torino 2006 Olympic Games will create 20,000 new jobs.

Source: National Italian American Foundation.

  
     
     
     

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