Hello to all the readers of the blog "Oh My Foody Stories", my name is Antonella Mingolla but everyone has called me Punkina (little punk) since I was 13 years old. The village in southern Italy where I was born and raised has always been close to me and for this reason, as soon as I had the opportunity, I decided to run away, choosing the English capital, London, as my destination. I have been living in this splendid metropolis for 11 years now, which gave me the opportunity to realize my dreams. Today I am a Visual Merchandiser, Fashion Stylist and Event Organizer.


Link with legumes
Even before I left, I made an important choice in my diet: I became a vegetarian. It was first of all an ethical choice and not at all painful given that in any case the Mediterranean diet followed until then was full of poor dishes linked to the peasant world. It was a bit like following my grandmother's teachings, eating what you had at home and that the vegetable garden produced. London, for its part, has opened its doors to the kitchens of the world: Thai, Indian, Vietnamese before were just exotic names that in a small village in southern Italy I could search for on the globe. Over the years I have noticed how abundant proteins and fats of animal origin have had a direct effect on my metabolism. From the earliest times, the elimination of meat has brought me several benefits, I was less burdened at the end of a meal and often much more relaxed than in my carnivore period. There was also an improvement in intestinal regularity that I did not previously have. Today, about 14 years after that choice, I have perfect blood tests and in particular the values ​​related to cholesterol despite being a hereditary dysfunction. This is mainly because I try to better balance my diet by making legumes among the various foods the protagonists.


Alternative proteins
Eating meat at my grandparents' house has always been considered a luxury, a moment of celebration because 60/70 years ago there was no economic possibility to do it often. Instead of meat, proteins were taken from legumes: broad beans, peas, lentils, green beans, beans, chickpeas, there was an embarrassment of choice and cultivation was direct. That's why today more than ever my motto has become “Fave & Leaves”. It has to do with the name of a typical dish of the culinary tradition of my country "fave e fogghje" but also indicates the need and the possibility of a solution in abandoning a diet that today is still based on animal exploitation and the relative waste of resources that could give a much larger slice of the population to survive.

See you soon!