{"id":51551,"date":"2026-07-17T10:26:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.frantoiomuraglia.mom\/functional-diet-and-cooking-evo-oil-as-an-ally-for-health-with-sara-farnetti\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T10:38:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:38:44","slug":"functional-diet-and-cooking-evo-oil-as-an-ally-for-health-with-sara-farnetti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frantoiomuraglia.mom\/en\/functional-diet-and-cooking-evo-oil-as-an-ally-for-health-with-sara-farnetti\/","title":{"rendered":"Functional Diet and Cooking: EVO Oil as an Ally for Health, with Sara Farnetti"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The functional diet looks at how food interacts with the metabolism; functional cooking<\/strong><\/strong> brings it to the table every day. Together with Dr Sara Farnetti, an expert in functional nutrition and longevity, we have produced three videos that show how to turn simple dishes into instruments of health,<\/strong> with polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oil at the centre.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

Eating pasta at dinner helps you sleep better.<\/strong> It sounds like the opposite of everything we have been taught, and yet it is one of the principles of the functional diet. It is not about counting calories or going without, but about understanding how each food speaks to our body.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

This is the philosophy we share with Dr Sara Farnetti, with whom we have produced a series of videos dedicated to functional cooking. Two simple recipes, a conversation about oil, and one clear idea: food, chosen and cooked well, is the first act of daily care. And quality extra virgin olive oil plays the leading role. <\/p>\n\n

What Is the Functional Diet?<\/h2>\n\n

The functional diet<\/strong> is a nutritional approach that focuses not on calories, but on how foods interact with the metabolism and the organs. The goal is balance<\/strong>: choosing and combining foods according to their function, so that every meal becomes an instrument of wellbeing and prevention. <\/p>\n\n

In the functional diet, food is information.<\/strong> Every food, once eaten, sends signals to the liver, the gut, the brain. Quality matters, not just quantity. As Dr Sara Farnetti often says, “too much amounts to too little<\/em>“: the body seeks balance, and it is in balance that true health is achieved. It is a method different from diet understood as deprivation, and different too from the Mediterranean diet, the dietary model of our own region<\/a>, because it starts from the workings of the individual organism. <\/p>\n\n

And Functional Cooking?<\/h2>\n\n

Functional cooking is the daily practice of the functional diet. It means that how you cook matters, not just what you bring to the table. The same raw ingredient, treated with different techniques, can change its effect on blood sugar, on digestion, and even on sleep. <\/p>\n\n

This is where theory becomes concrete action. Cooking pasta al dente, cooling rice, finishing a dish raw with a good oil: small choices that change the function of a plate. With Dr Sara Farnetti, we wanted to show this through two videos, where each recipe is also a small lesson in health. <\/p>\n\n

Who Is Sara Farnetti, and Why Does She Work with Frantoio Muraglia<\/h2>\n\n

Dr Sara Farnetti is an expert in functional nutrition and has worked for years in the fields of prevention and longevity. She studies the metabolism and the impact of foods on the body, building personalised programmes. “For years I have worked in prevention and healthy longevity, and that is why I talk about oil,” she explains. “But not all oil is the same: only a high-quality extra virgin olive oil truly allows us to gain health.” <\/p>\n\n

This is precisely where our paths meet. Her idea of the daily care of the body resembles our daily care of the land and the olive trees. For five generations<\/a> we have harvested our olives early to capture the maximum of polyphenols, because we believe that a great oil is born from respect for the plant. Two different crafts, the same attention to quality and balance. <\/p>\n\n

Wholewheat Spaghetti at Dinner: The Carbohydrates That Help You Sleep<\/h2>\n\n

A plate of wholewheat spaghetti at dinner can promote rest. Complex carbohydrates help tryptophan reach the brain, where it becomes serotonin and then melatonin, the sleep hormone. Chosen wholewheat and slow-dried, they are more filling and keep blood sugar under control. <\/p>\n\n

This is no heresy, but a mechanism explained even in medical literature: according to Humanitas<\/a>, carbohydrates at dinner help tryptophan reach the brain, where it is transformed into serotonin and melatonin. Dr Sara Farnetti’s recipe is simple: wholewheat spaghetti al dente, cherry tomatoes, basil, and extra virgin olive oil warmed in the pan. Thanks to its high polyphenol content, our intense fruity oil also has a high smoke point<\/strong>, so it holds up well to cooking the tomatoes. The final emulsion binds everything together and brings the dish into harmony with the liver’s nocturnal work. <\/p>\n\n

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