As part of Canada Nutrition Month, the Italian Embassy in Ottawa – in collaboration with the School of Nutrition Sciences of the University of Ottawa – organised the event Food, Nutrition, and Health, focusing on the link between nutrition – with a specific focus on the Mediterranean diet – health and wellbeing. Around one hundred guests including students, professors and researchers from the University’s Faculty of Science, as well as representatives of Canadian institutions in the sector and members of the diplomatic corps in Canada, attended the event.
The proceedings were opened by two internationally renowned Italian researchers, namely Stefania Maggi, Director of Research at the National Research Council (CNR) and current President of the Fondazione Dieta Mediterranea, and Antonella Amato, Professor of Physiology at the University of Palermo. They focused on the positive impact of the Mediterranean diet on the population’s wellbeing, also in terms of preventing ageing and cognitive decline. Following this, Chef Cristian Lepore held a showcooking session in which he explained how the ingredients at the basis of the Mediterranean diet can be combined in various ways to obtain healthier recipes, while maintaining the taste that makes them famous worldwide.
The event ended with an exhibition of scientific posters, including one created by the Embassy on the Mediterranean diet, Italian food and Italian sounding.
