Writing - Paraphrasing

One of the greatest challenges in teaching writing skills is paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing means writing the same things using different words such as nouns and verbs synonyms as well as linkers and connectors.  When paraphrasing, it is important to keep the original meaning and to present it in a new form. Basically, you are simply writing something in your own words that expresses the original idea.    

Let's see  how it works and...mind the colours!

( courtesy of Prof. S. Antonioni - excerpts taken from "Between Courses" ed. Hoepli  ) 

RED=nouns and verbs synonyms

BLUE= linkers and connectors

VEGETARIAN DIETS

Vegetarian diets are usually associated to/connected to/linked to the philosophy of living in harmony with nature.

There are different kinds of vegetarians: vegans, lactovegetarians, ovovegetarians and fructarians.

1. Generally speaking VEGETARIANS usually eat vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts and seeds.

Moreover they prefer eating fresh food and avoid processed or canned food.

2. On the other hand Strict vegetarians or VEGANS avoid eggs and dairy products and eat everything raw.

3. Whereas Less strict vegetarians or LACTOVEGETARIANS consume also milk and milk products.

4. OVOVEGETARIANS include eggs in their diet.

5. For what concerns FRUCTARIANS, they  eat only the ripe fruits of plants or trees such as: fruits, nuts and seeds.

They will eat only what falls or would fall naturally from a plant so leafy or root vegetables are not allowed.

There is a wide variety of fructarians: - some do not eat grains,

• others eat seeds and some cooked foods,
• finally some consume pulses such as beans and peas.

In conclusion the vegetarian diets are considered as healthy because they are rich in vegetables fibre and poor in animal fats.

Furthermore they reduce the risk of heart diseases and some types of cancer.

Yet/ However they may lack essential aminoacids contained in animal products which may be replaced/substituted by combining foods such as peas and rice or beans and pasta.

For this reason traditional old dishes such as “risi e bisi” or “pasta e fagioli” contain a combination of carbohydrates and vegetable proteins.

MACROBIOTICS

The macrobiotic diet (from the Greek “macro” which means “large or long” and

“bios” which means “life”)involves/ is based on the following habits: 

- eating grains,

-avoiding processed or refined food 

- chewing food thoroughly

Therefore the diet includes: - well-chewed whole cereal grains, especially brown rice,

• vegetables, beans, legumes and miso soup,
• fish, seafood, seeds, nuts, nut butters, seasonings, sweeteners, fruits and beverages.

Macrobiotics follow the principle of balance called yin and yang.

In other words according to macrobiotics

some foods, classified as yin, are stimulating for example sugar, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, refined flour products, very hot spices, drugs, chemicals, commercial milk, yoghurt and soft cheese,

while some foods, classified as yang, have a stagnating effect for example poultry, eggs, meat and refined salt.

Foods that create a balance between yin and yang are: whole grains

vegetables

beans

sea vegetables

fruits

nuts and

seeds.

For this reason they are highly recommended.

Macrobiotics cannot be considered as vegetarians because their diet includes eating meat, (even) though in small quantities, while/whereas in the vegetarian diet meat is completely prohibited.

THE FOOD PYRAMID

The food pyramid is based on five major food groups: 1. cereals,

2. vegetables and fruits

3. meat and fish

4.cheese

5. fats and sugars.

The pyramid highlights/point out/stresses the proportions of the food intake so that

the foods at the base of the pyramid can be eaten in larger quantity while/whereas

the foods at the top of the pyramid have to be eaten with moderation.

The target/the aim/the goal of the food pyramid is to correct the mistakes of our eating habits because

the food pyramid fosters/promotes/encourages the principles of a healthy diet: 

 1. variety

  2. balance and

 3. moderation.

First everyone should vary the diet because all the five major groups meet nutritional needs, then everyone should balance the diet because nutritional needs vary according to age,

gender and

physical activity

finally everyone should a. eat with moderation and

b. control the total amount of - fat,

- saturated fat,

- cholesterol,

- salt,

- sugars and

- alcohol.

THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

The Mediterranean diet is linked to/connected to/related to Italy’s cultural and gastronomic traditions.

The climate and the environment of the Mediterranean area are favourable to the cultivation of products on which the diet is based.

These products are:

• cereals
• pulses
• olives
• vegetables
• fruits

For this reason/as a result/as a consequence the Mediterranean diet and the food pyramid share the same basic principles

that are: 
1. variety 
 2. balance

3. moderation.

For centuries the Italian diet was based on/was characterized by/was featured by  vegetables and diary products.

But after the World War II, during the period of the economic boom, the Italians

-changed their eating habits,

-began to consume mainly meat, animal fats and sugars and

-started to eat too much.

The results/the outcomes were: overweight and “affluence diseases” such as 

- heart diseases

- hypertension

- diabetes

- obesity 

- gout

Yet/However dieticians hold that/state/claim/ these diseases are less frequent in countries which adopt/privilege/foster the Mediterranean diet.

They find/think that this diet is healthy because it offers/is based on a large variety of food and is

rich in essential nutrients.