Want To Live To Be 100? — Follow the Campodimele Diet

Denise and Mark had just arrived from London. She told me they were coming to see me. There was no need to prepare lunch as we were going to eat in Campodimele (150 km south of Rome) the village of eternal youth!

Campodimele is situated in the middle of the Aurunci Mountains. It is only 22 km from where I live and it takes about 30 minutes by car. I had never heard of it and Denise was amazed.

When I did my homework just before they arrived I discovered some incredible facts about Campodimele:-

• Life expectancy is 95 for both men and women. The local hospital closed because not a single patient had been admitted over the last 10 years!
• Compare this to the average for Italian men which is 77.5 and for women is 83.5. Italian averages are higher anyway than EU countries (75 for men and 82 for women) because of the Mediterranean Diet.
• But Campodimele goes much further as we can see from the statistics above. One WHO expert, Dr. Pietro Cugini, says it is not just diet and environment (about 70%) but also the people have a genetic makeup which accounts for about 30% of their longevity. This also gives them very low levels of cholesterol.
• Ideal altitude of the village — 650 meters above sea level. That makes it pleasantly cool in hot summers while avoiding very low temperatures in winter.
• Most of the residents work the land so they get plenty of exercise and spend a lot of time in the open air. They are up early to tend their plots and olive trees.

As soon as Denise arrived she pressed Tracey Lawson’s book, A Year in The Village of Eternity into my hand.

“You must read this, but not now- we are off to enjoy a longevity lunch!”

Our lunch in Campodimele

The village only has about 670 inhabitants and there are two or three restaurants to choose from.

The people in Campodimele eat very little meat which is probably another reason why they live so long. However, boar stew is popular with them and it was on the menu when we went there.

Their diet follows the Mediterranean one but there are some differences which I will explain as we go along.

These are the dishes that were on the menu that day.

Starters

We were offered a “Mountain Starter” with some salami and ham plus mushrooms, truffles, and courgettes (all locally grown, of course.)

First course

We opted for the “zuppa di cicerchie” which is basically a bean soup. Beans are a great source of fiber, protein, and minerals. These “cicerchie” beans are grown here and they are a local specialty.

Think of a richer and earthier chickpea and you are getting close. There is also some historical evidence that these beans were originally brought from the Middle East. The waiter showed us the dried beans and they have an irregular shape, almost square, rather than round.

Denise chose the “laina” pasta which is homemade from durum semolina wheat. It is served with various pasta sauces such as local mushrooms or with a ragu (meat sauce) made with lamb with seasoned ricotta (cottage cheese), or a simpler tomato sauce. The local ones here are called “torpedino”. These are smaller and more oblong in shape but I love their taste which is more acidic and sweeter than the usual tomatoes.

Second course

There was a fantastic choice which ranged from boar, rabbit, sausages, tripe, and beef. There was also fish, mainly “baccala”(codfish) which came with various bean, lemon, asparagus or potato sauces.

We chose the wild boar stew. If you are vegan or vegetarian, you might want to choose from the beautiful range of vegetables on offer:-

• Asparagus
• Eggplant
• Courgettes
• Porcini wild mushrooms
• Salad greens
• Rocket
• Radicchio (chicory)

All these are grown using only nutrient-rich manure. They are boiled for a short time and served on their own or with the local olive oil.

Dessert

There was a great choice ranging from fresh local fruit in season (oranges, grapes, peaches, apricots). Freshly cooked sweet tarts with fruit or chocolate or a delicious “pannacotta” (cooked cream) with lemon and lime. There was also a cheesecake with citrus fruits and a rather special lemon tiramisu.

While chatting with the restaurant owners, we discovered some more secrets to their longevity.

• They sometimes like to drink the water the vegetables are boiled in because this is so much richer in nutrients and minerals. Compare that to water in plastic bottles!
• No shortage of fresh herbs as they grow their own thyme, basil and parsley.
• They make their own extra virgin olive oil. It looks a bit cloudy.

They don’t have to rely on fatty meat produced in industrial agriculture to get their protein. They have an endless local supply of protein in their own locally produced ham, nuts, beans, snails, lamb, chicken and wild boar. You cannot get more organic than that. This is the great advantage of living in a small village and having your own land or plot.

• They like their own cheese which is made from non-pasteurized goat’s milk and traditionally fermented.

The natives of Campodimele eat a wide range of organic food and they are getting all the benefits of these nutrient-rich foods. The results are for everyone to see as they are all living long and healthy lives.

All we can do is try to eat a Campodimele style diet which has got the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Lots of vegetables and whole-grain cereals and bread with a dash of extra virgin olive oil when we like.

Let’s face it. We will never do better than the natives of Campodimele unless we actually go and live there as Tracey Lawson did.

As Denise and Mark left for Naples, she wagged her finger at me and said,

Now don’t forget to do your homework!