Dining at the fountain of youth

How to cook up an anti-aging menu? Moments Restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona, Spain, developed the recipe: combine the skills of Michelin-star chef Carme Ruscalleda with the knowledge of Dr. Manual Sánchez, head of the Anti-aging Unit Clinic Planas of Barcelona. Dr. Sánchez says, “Once they were introduced to anti-aging foods, many patients continued the program at home but dining out was a challenge.”

Chef Ruscalleda’s remedy is neo-traditional Catalan cuisine, with choices that rotate every two weeks. “The quality and freshness of the ingredients we use is vital,” she says of the food. Healthy dishes such as artichoke mini pizzas with Joselito ham and buckwheat macaroni with scallops and vegetables blend seasonal ingredients with science-based nutrition information, promising to help diners slow the aging process and restore internal body balance. Recommended wine pairing: a red which has the high-antioxidant power of resveratrol. Basic science holds that foods low in saturated fats and high in Omega 3 fatty acids (like seafood), antioxidants (from vegetables) and tannins (abundant in red wine) protect against cancer, heart disease and other age-related health problems.