What stops you from starting a healthier lifestyle? Do you believe you have to give up on delicious foods? Are you worried you have to turn down restaurant invites?

Those worries are real but thinking that healthy food means bland and boring couldn’t be further from the truth. Let’s take pizza as an example 🍕.

The lady on the cover photo is Sophia Loren. She is one of the most famous European beauty icons of the 20th century. I am sure because of her Italian origins, she grew up on pizza and pasta—and look at her waistline.

What I am trying to say is, whether pizza benefits your health or not, depends on the choice of ingredients and food prepping methods (and of course how much you eat). You don’t need to sacrifice your favourite foods to look healthy and stunning.

Italy isn’t just the home of beautiful women (actress Monica Bellucci is another example) but also of centenarians—people who live well over 100 years 👵. Italians eat pizza guilt-free and why wouldn’t they? It’s tradition and culture.

Traditionally prepared pizza base is full of rejuvenating spermidine and is devoid of gluten because it’s fermented for 24 h. Tomato sauce is full of lycopene, an anti-inflammatory molecule. Cheese is another fermented food that aids a balanced gut microflora.

If you pair that with a salad 🥗 like Europeans traditionally do, you don’t just have a delicious meal, you add true nutritional value for your well-being and beauty.

I made the meal you see on the other slides in 70 minutes ⏱️ (including the prep time for the dough a day ahead and washing dishes) and you can too.

And if you head out with friends, the family-owned Italian place is likely better than the pizza chain.

There is no room for guilt in a beautiful life.

Which beauty icon would you like to have pizza lunch with (dead or alive)?