After 50 years, this summer vegetable with 25 calories per 100 g becomes a slimming ally: its pectin traps fats and sugars, its swelling flesh calms heavy hunger.
After the age of fifty, staying in shape can sometimes be a headache: the metabolism slows down, the hormones go into overdrive and the silhouette changes without really having decided. Good news, the solution may already be on our summer shelves. This sun-drenched vegetable, often confined to ratatouilles and generous gratins, has everything to establish itself as a slimming reflex after the age of fifty.
If the quest for well-being sometimes leads to restrictive and frustrating diets, the solution is actually hidden in the composition of this vegetable treasure, which only has 20 to 25 calories per 100 grams. But its real advantage is not only this lightness. This discreet champion is rich in pectin, a soluble fiber which, upon contact with water, forms a sort of gel in the stomach. This gel “traps” some of the fats and sugars from the meal and slows their absorption, while prolonging the feeling of satiety.
This champion of lightness is none other than eggplant, whose appetite suppressant effect is increasingly appealing to those who want to eat their fill without feeling guilty. At a time when estrogen fluctuations can disrupt hunger signals and cause sudden cravings, its main asset is precisely its richness in fiber. Its spongy flesh swells in the stomach, fills the plate for very few calories and helps avoid the snacking trap, without ever imposing the slightest deprivation.
Its benefits don’t stop at the scale. Its beautiful purple color indicates the presence of nasunin, an antioxidant which helps protect cells from aging, a precious ally when the years accumulate. Its fibers also support transit that is sometimes lazier with age, while its richness in water contributes to hydration which the skin and the body need more than ever after the age of fifty.
You still have to cook it intelligently. Because eggplant has a well-known fault: a real sponge, it drinks oil when cooking and can see its calorie balance soar in a frying pan that is too greasy or when frying. To take advantage of its qualities without spoiling them, it is better to focus on gentle cooking: roasted in the oven with a simple drizzle of olive oil, grilled, or steamed before being crushed into a light caviar flavored with garlic and lemon. We also keep our skin, where a good part of the fibers and antioxidants are concentrated. It is by revisiting our way of cooking this great summer classic that we get the most out of it, and that we transform a simple meal into a real gesture of lightness.
