Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
News Page 14

Olive Oil Hunter News #172

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Salmon Bowl Recipe (Made Simple), Spotlight on Sesame Seeds, Thawing Frozen Fish, Why Wild Seafood is Best, and Counting Your Biological Age

Americans still don’t eat enough fish, and the challenge of finding quality fresh seafood is one of the reasons. My DIY salmon bowl recipe is a great way to get the goodness of salmon plus as many veggies as you’d like to include. Read on to see why frozen is actually preferred—unless of course you live near a fishing dock! Then find out about advances in measuring biological aging, a metric that makes your chronological age less important.

Salmon Bowl Made Simple

  • Salmon Poke Bowl Salmon Bowl Made Simple

    Poke bowls are still very popular, but it’s not always easy to buy the sushi-grade tuna needed to make your own. This variation includes sautéed chunks of salmon instead of ahi. The technique is also great if you like tuna but prefer it cooked. I’ve suggested many veggies to fill up your bowl, but have fun choosing other ingredients—be guided by what’s most fresh at your market.

    Ingredients

    For the fish:

    • 1 pound skinless salmon fillet, wild caught if possible
    • 1 tablespoon regular or reduced-sodium soy sauce 
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use

    For the spicy mayo:

    • 1/4 cup best-quality mayonnaise
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon sriracha, or to taste

    For the spicy bowls:

    • 3 cups cooked quinoa or brown or white rice
    • 1 large cucumber, diced
    • 3 scallions, trimmed and sliced into small pieces on the diagonal
    • 1 cup shelled edamame 
    • 2 large avocados, cubed or cut into thin slices
    • 2 tablespoons black or white sesame seeds or a mix
    • Optional: red onion rings, sliced tomatoes, shredded carrots, chopped red cabbage, enoki mushrooms, and other fresh veggies of your choice

    Directions

    Step 1

    Using a sharp knife, cut the salmon into 1-inch chunks. Add to a glass bowl with the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss well and set aside for 30 minutes.

    Step 2

    Make the spicy mayo: In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise and the olive oil until well blended, then mix in the sriracha; set aside.

    Step 3

    Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the rest of the olive oil and the salmon chunks. Sear on all sides, using tongs to turn the pieces. When cooked through, remove the pan from the heat.

    Step 4

    Assemble the ingredients in four deep bowls: Center equal amounts of the cooked grains, then top with the vegetables and then the salmon chunks. Use a fork to drizzle on the spicy mayo, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

    Makes 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Black and White Sesame Seeds

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Black and White Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are more than a colorful and crunchy garnish—they can be pressed to make the Asian staple sesame oil, both the plain and toasted varieties, and whipped into the Middle Eastern treats tahini and halvah. Importantly, these little seeds pack a big punch when it comes to nutrients, so consider sprinkling them on more than poke bowls and sushi rolls.

Sesame seeds are rich in fat; protein; minerals like iron, calcium, copper, potassium, and manganese; vitamins like A and E and B vitamins; and fiber. Among their phytochemicals are lignans, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Because more of these nutrients, including their lignans, are in the hull, always choose unhulled sesame seeds. Black ones almost always come with the hull intact, but you’ll have to look carefully to find unhulled white ones. 

Black and white sesame seeds have some taste differences, with the black ones being slightly crunchier and more bitter. I like to mix the two because this creates visual appeal and different taste sensations.

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Thawing Frozen Fish 

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Thawing Frozen Fish 

Frozen tuna steaks

Fish that’s caught in faraway waters and flash-frozen at sea often retains more of its nutrients and flavor—you’ll often see the words “previously frozen” on thawed fish at markets, a potential good sign. If you’re buying fish still frozen, make sure it’s frozen solid when you purchase it. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge, not on a countertop, to preserve that freshness—defrosting it in a cold fridge also helps inhibit the growth of any harmful bacteria. To do it properly, take it out of its packaging and put it on a plate or tray lined with a few sheets of paper towels or on a rack over the plate with paper towels. Just before cooking, rinse under cold water and pat dry. 

For Your Best Health: Seafood: Why “Wild” Wins Hands Down

For Your Best Health

Seafood: Why “Wild” Wins Hands Down

Research done at the University of Cambridge in the UK offers more insight into why farmed salmon isn’t as nutritious as wild salmon or other wild-caught fish, like mackerel, anchovies, and herring—even though these same varieties are often used in farmed salmon feeds. These oily fish contain essential nutrients including calcium, B12, and omega-3s, but they don’t transfer over in the same amounts when fed to farmed salmon.

By analyzing the flow of nutrients from the edible species of wild fish used as feed, which also included sprat and blue whiting, to the farmed salmon they were fed to, scientists found that farmed salmon production leads to an overall loss of essential dietary nutrients. Quantities of calcium were over five times higher in wild feed fish fillets than in farmed salmon fillets; iodine was four times higher; and iron, omega-3s, vitamin B12, and vitamin A were over 1.5 times higher. Wild feed species and farmed salmon did have comparable quantities of vitamin D. Zinc and selenium were actually higher in the farmed salmon than in the wild feed species due to other salmon feed ingredients—a real mark of progress in the salmon sector, said the researchers.

Another interesting point is that you can get key nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, in smaller portion sizes of wild fish than in farmed Atlantic salmon. 

“What we’re seeing is that most species of wild fish used as feed have a similar or greater density and range of micronutrients than farmed salmon fillets,” said lead author David Willer, PhD, of the zoology department at Cambridge. “While still enjoying eating salmon and supporting sustainable growth in the sector, people should consider eating a greater and wider variety of wild fish species like sardines, mackerel, and anchovies, to get more essential nutrients straight to their plate.” He goes on to say that eating more wild feed species directly could benefit our health while also reducing aquaculture demand for finite marine resources.

“Marine fisheries are important local and global food systems, but large catches are being diverted toward farm feeds. Prioritizing nutritious seafood for people can help improve both diets and ocean sustainability,” said senior author James Robinson, PhD, of Lancaster University, also in the UK.

Fitness Flash: Forget the Calendar: What Counts Is Your Biological Age

Fitness Flash

Forget the Calendar: What Counts Is Your Biological Age

University of Pittsburgh researchers have uncovered blood-based markers that allow them to predict a person’s biological age—how fast a person’s cells and organs age regardless of their birthdate. The new research, published in Aging Cell, points to pathways and compounds that may underlie biological age, shedding light on why people age differently and suggesting novel targets for interventions that could slow aging and increase health span, the length of time a person is healthy.

“Age is more than just a number,” said senior author Aditi Gurkar, PhD, assistant professor of geriatric medicine at Pitt’s School of Medicine and member of the Aging Institute, a joint venture of Pitt and UPMC. “Imagine two people aged 65: One rides a bike to work and goes skiing on the weekends, and the other can’t climb a flight of stairs. They have the same chronological age, but very different biological ages. Why do these two people age differently? This question drives my research.”

To answer it, Dr. Gurkar and her team compared 196 older adults whom they classified as either healthy or rapid agers by how easily they completed simple walking challenges. Because walking ability is a holistic measure of cardiovascular fitness, physical strength, and neurological health, other studies have shown that it’s the single best predictor of hospitalization, disability, functional decline, and death in older adults. Healthy agers were 75 years or older and could ascend a flight of stairs or walk for 15 minutes without resting, and the rapid agers, who were 65 to 75 years old, had to rest during these challenges.

According to Dr. Gurkar, this study is unique because the rapid agers were chronologically younger than the healthy agers, allowing the researchers to home in on markers of biological, not chronological, aging, unlike other studies that have compared young adults with older people.

To define a molecular fingerprint of biological aging in blood samples from participants, they performed metabolomics, the analysis of metabolites, or molecules that are produced by chemical pathways in the body, with blood samples from the two groups.

“Other studies have looked at genetics to measure biological aging, but genes are very static: the genes you’re born with are the genes you die with,” said Dr. Gurkar. “We chose to look at metabolites because they are dynamic: They change in real time to reflect our current health and how we feel, and we have the power to influence them through our lifestyles, diet, and environment.” Healthy and rapid agers showed clear differences in their metabolomes, indicating that metabolites in the blood could reflect biological age.

Healthy couple climbing stairs

Dr. Gurkar and her team next identified 25 metabolites that they termed the Healthy Aging Metabolic (HAM) Index. They found that the HAM Index was better than other commonly used aging metrics, such as the frailty index, gait speed, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test, at distinguishing healthy and rapid agers. To validate their new index, the researchers analyzed a separate cohort of older adults from a Wisconsin-based study. The HAM Index correctly predicted whether individuals could walk outside for 10 minutes without stopping with accuracy of about 68%.

“We took a very different cohort of people from a different geographical region, and we saw the same metabolites were associated with biological aging,” said Dr. Gurkar. “This gives us confidence that the HAM Index can truly predict who is a healthy ager versus a rapid ager.”

Using an artificial intelligence model that can predict potential drivers of biological traits, the team identified three main metabolites that were most likely to promote healthy aging or drive rapid aging. In future research, they plan to delve into how these metabolites and molecular pathways that produce them contribute to biological aging and explore interventions that could slow this process. Dr. Gurkar is also planning more research to evaluate how the metabolome of younger people shifts over time. Eventually, she hopes to develop a blood test that could estimate biological age in young adults or predict those who might go on to develop diseases of aging.

“While it’s great that we can predict biological aging in older adults, what would be even more exciting is a blood test that, for example, can tell someone who’s 35 that they have a biological age more like a 45-year-old,” Dr. Gurkar said. “That person could then think about changing aspects of their lifestyle early—whether that’s improving their sleep, diet or exercise regimen—to hopefully reverse their biological age. Today, in medicine, we tend to wait for a problem to occur before we treat it. But aging doesn’t work that way—it’s about prevention. I think the future of medicine is going to be about knowing early on how someone is aging and developing personalized interventions to delay disease and extend health span.”

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

Olive Oil Hunter News #171

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Wilted Spinach Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette Recipe, Spotlight on Spinach, The Great Egg Debate Continues, and How Sleep Patterns Influence Health

Spinach salad is a perennial favorite, simple to prepare, satisfying, and chock-full of nutrients. Wilting the spinach before composing the salad was a foodie trend back in the 1970s (the fixings included mandarin orange segments, a nod to the value of eating a food containing vitamin C at the same meal as spinach to better access the green’s iron). My update adds the tasty crunch of hazelnuts. You’ll be intrigued by a new report that suggests fortified eggs may not pose the cholesterol risks of regular eggs. I’m also sharing the latest research on the perils of poor sleep—motivation to improve the quality of your shut-eye.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

  • Wilted Spinach and Mushrooms Wilted Spinach Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

    Fast-forward 50 years from wilted spinach salad’s debut to this version that offers all the benefits of olive oil in the dressing and the prep. Rather than bothering with croutons, try toasted slices of whole-grain bread for its hearty appeal.

    Ingredients

    For the vinaigrette:

    • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
    • 1 tablespoon shallot, peeled and finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    For the salad:

    • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 small red onion, chopped 
    • 4 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced 
    • 8 ounces baby spinach, rinsed and patted dry
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced 
    • 2 medium- or hard-boiled eggs (your preference) quartered
    • 1 ounce hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
    • Optional: 2 slices whole grain bread, toasted and brushed with olive oil

    Directions

    Step 1

    Make the vinaigrette: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, and thyme. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Step 2

    Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the red onions; sauté over medium heat until soft. Push them to the outside of the pan and add the mushrooms in one layer; cook until the edges have browned, then flip and brown on the other side. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl. 

    Step 3

    Add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the hot pan along with the garlic and the spinach, adding the spinach by handfuls—as one batch starts to wilt, push it to the side and add another, stirring quickly. It should only take 2-3 minutes to do it all. 

    Step 4

    Arrange the spinach in two large bowls and top with equal amounts of onions, mushrooms, eggs, and hazelnuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. If desired, add a slice of toast to one side of each bowl.

    Makes 2 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Spinach-maximizing its nutrients

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Spinach: Maximizing Its Nutrients

Fresh spinach

It’s no secret that, as a leafy green, spinach is a healthy food. What is less well known is that your body will better process two of its key nutrients, iron and calcium, when the spinach is cooked. That’s because it also contains oxalic acid, which blocks the minerals’ absorption unless the oxalates are broken down under high-heat cooking. If your recipe doesn’t include sautéing, another option is to plunge the spinach into boiling water for 60 seconds and then right into a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking process and keep it a brighter green. 

To get more of the iron when eating spinach raw, add a vitamin C food, like orange segments, to your meal. 

Your body absorbs more folate and lutein when eating spinach raw, so varying your prep is a good idea.

More reasons to eat spinach: It’s also rich in vitamins K, C, A, E, and B6 as well as folate and riboflavin and in the minerals manganese, magnesium, copper, and potassium. It has many carotenoids, among other antioxidants, to protect cell health and guard against inflammation. 

Quick Kitchen Nugget: A better type of frozen spinach

Quick Kitchen Nugget

A Better Type of Frozen Spinach

When fresh isn’t available, frozen can be a good substitute. The key to more flavorful frozen spinach is to select leaf spinach rather than chopped spinach. The leaves go through a lot less processing, translating to better taste and less freezer burn. Of course, look for pure spinach—no added salt or any other ingredients.

For Your Best Health: An Avocado a Day…

For Your Best Health

The Next Round in the “Are Eggs Healthy?” Debate

Because eggs contain some saturated fat, which is linked to higher cholesterol levels, there’s been much research on finding the right number of eggs to eat per week to help keep cholesterol in line. Results from a prospective controlled trial presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session offer positive news for egg lovers. One hundred and forty patients with or at high risk for cardiovascular disease were enrolled in the PROSPERITY study and divided into two groups to assess the effects of eating 12 or more fortified eggs a week versus a non-egg diet (fewer than two eggs a week) on HDL and LDL cholesterol and other key markers of cardiovascular health, including lipid, cardiometabolic, and inflammatory biomarkers and levels of vitamins and minerals. At the end of the four-month study period, cholesterol levels were similar in the two groups.

“We know that cardiovascular disease is, to some extent, mediated through risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased BMI, and diabetes. Dietary patterns and habits can have a notable influence on these, and there’s been a lot of conflicting information about whether or not eggs are safe to eat, especially for people who have or are at risk for heart disease,” said Nina Nouhravesh, MD, a research fellow at the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina, and the study’s lead author. “This is a small study, but it gives us reassurance that eating fortified eggs is OK with regard to lipid effects over four months, even among a more high-risk population.”

Dr. Nouhravesh and her team looked specifically at fortified eggs as they contain less saturated fat and have additional vitamins and minerals such as iodine; vitamins D, B2, 5, and 12; selenium; and omega-3 fatty acids. All the participants were 50 years of age or older (the average age was 66 years), half were female, and 27% were African American. All had experienced one prior cardiovascular event or had two cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased BMI, and/or diabetes. 

Participants had in-person clinic visits at the start of the study and visits at one and four months to take vital signs and have bloodwork done; phone check-ins occurred at two and three months. People in the fortified egg group were asked about their weekly egg consumption, and those with low adherence were given additional educational materials.

Fresh eggs

Results showed a -0.64 mg/dL and a -3.14 mg/dL reduction in so-called good HDL cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol, respectively, in the fortified egg group. While not statistically significant, the differences suggest, according to the researchers, that eating 12 fortified eggs each week had no adverse effect on blood cholesterol. In terms of secondary endpoints, researchers observed a numerical reduction in total cholesterol, LDL particle number, another lipid biomarker called apoB, high-sensitivity troponin (a marker of heart damage), and insulin resistance scores in the fortified egg group, while vitamin B increased.

“While this is a neutral study, we did not observe adverse effects on biomarkers of cardiovascular health and there were signals of potential benefits of eating fortified eggs that warrant further investigation in larger studies as they are more hypothesis generating here,” Dr. Nouhravesh said, explaining that subgroup analyses revealed numerical increases in HDL cholesterol and reductions in LDL cholesterol in patients 65 years or older and those with diabetes in the fortified egg group compared with those eating fewer than two eggs.

Note that what you eat with your eggs counts: buttered toast and bacon and other processed meats are not heart-healthy choices. As always, Dr. Nouhravesh said, it’s a good idea for people with heart disease to talk with their doctor about a heart-healthy diet.

It’s important to point out that this was a single-center study with a small size and reliance on patients’ self-reporting of their egg consumption and other dietary patterns. It was also an unblinded study, which means patients knew what study group they were in, which can influence their health behaviors, and it was funded by Eggland’s Best, a company that offers eggs from cage-free and pasture-raised/free-range hens.

Fitness Flash: How your sleep pattern influences your health

Fitness Flash

How Your Sleep Pattern Influences Your Health

Poor sleep habits are strongly associated with long-term chronic health conditions, according to decades of research. To better understand this relationship, researchers led by Soomi Lee, PhD, associate professor of human development and family studies at Penn State’s College of Health and Human Development, identified four distinct patterns that characterize how most people sleep and how they correlate to overall health. Results were published in Psychosomatic Medicine.

Using a national sample of adults from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, they gathered data on approximately 3,700 participants’ sleep habits and chronic health conditions across two time points 10 years apart. The data included self-reported sleep habits, including sleep regularity and duration, perceived sleep satisfaction, and daytime alertness, as well as the number and type of chronic conditions they had.

With that information, the researchers identified these four different sleep patterns:

  • Good sleepers with optimal sleep habits across all data points

  • Weekend catch-up sleepers with irregular sleep, specifically short average sleep duration, but longer sleep times on weekends or non-workdays

  • Insomnia sleepers with sleep problems related to clinical insomnia symptoms, including short sleep duration, high daytime tiredness, and a long time to fall asleep

  • Nappers with mostly good sleep but frequent daytime naps

The MIDUS study may not represent the entire population, researchers said, as it primarily comprises healthy adults, but they still found that more than half the participants were insomnia sleepers or nappers, both suboptimal sleep patterns. Additionally, being an insomnia sleeper over the 10-year period was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. Results also showed that people were unlikely to change their sleep pattern over the course of the 10 years, especially the insomnia sleepers and nappers. 

“These results may suggest that it is very difficult to change our sleep habits because sleep health is embedded into our overall lifestyle. It may also suggest that people still don’t know about the importance of their sleep and about sleep health behaviors,” Dr. Lee said. “We need to make more efforts to educate the public about good sleep health. There are sleep hygiene behaviors that people could do to improve their sleep, such as not using cell phones in bed, exercising regularly and avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon.”

While the sleep patterns were seemingly not age-related, researchers found that older adults and retirees were more likely to be nappers. They also found that those with less education and those facing unemployment were more likely to be insomnia sleepers.

According to Dr. Lee, the fact that phase of life and economic conditions can influence long-standing sleep patterns suggests that societal and neighborhood influences—including economic stressors and access to health resources—may have significant effects on individual health and, in this case, sleep habits.

The researchers added that their findings strongly suggest the need for programs and interventions to promote healthy sleep and sleep habits and that such programs should not be one-size-fits-all but rather should be targeted based on a variety of factors, including the risk of chronic conditions and socioeconomic vulnerability.

“Sleep is an everyday behavior,” Dr. Lee said. “Sleep is also modifiable. So, if we can improve sleep almost every day, what outcomes might we see after several months, or even several years? Better sleeping habits can make many significant differences, from improving social relationships and work performance to promoting long-term healthy behaviors and healthy aging.”

According to the CDC, these good habits can help improve sleep health:

  • Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, weekends included.

  • Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and at a cool, comfortable temperature.

  • Keep all electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones, out of your bedroom.

  • Skip large meals, caffeinated drinks, and alcohol before bed.

  • Get some exercise during the day—it should 

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

Olive Oil Hunter News #170

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Horiatiki Salad Recipe and The MIND Diet for Brain Health: More Benefits of Olive Oil

I’m a huge fan of both Greek and Middle Eastern salads, the ingredients of which are not only delicious but also mainstays of the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, a way of eating designed for brain health. It’s an offshoot of the super-healthy Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Why the distinction? Because the latest research on the MIND diet shows it can slow aging as well as reduce dementia risk. Add this to the list of the benefits of olive oil—it’s one of the super foods that MIND suggests including every day.

Horiatiki: The Sequel!

  • Dark chocolate and raspberries Olive Oil Hunter News #224

    Very Berry Chocolate Bars Recipe, Spotlight on Dark Chocolate, The Differences Between Dark and Milk Chocolate, Melting Chocolate in the Microwave, Outdoor Exercise and Air Quality

    Healthy foods aren’t only about whole grains and vegetables. Some can satisfy a sweet tooth, too. That’s because foods like berries and dark chocolate have a wide category of nutrients called flavonoids. Read about newly discovered benefits in the first research piece I’m sharing…then indulge in one of these chocolate bars! With summer upon us, it can be enjoyable to exercise outdoors, but air quality could be a concern. The tips below will help you make smart choices.

    Very Berry Chocolate Bars

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Lentils

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

    The Differences Between Dark and Milk Chocolate

    Each type of chocolate has its fans, with some people loving both. But for the better nutritional profile, dark is the winner. First, it tends to have less sugar, though there are sugar-free versions of both. Second, dark chocolate is vegan friendly since it doesn’t contain any milk solids—it’s naturally dairy free. Another edge: it has up to two or three times the antioxidants called flavanols, a type of flavonoid, found in milk chocolate (see For Your Best Health below to learn why that matters). This is thanks to its higher percentage of cocoa solids or cacao, so always look for labels that give this information. There’s no FDA-mandated minimum of cocoa solids for dark chocolate, but many makers list this along with a description of the chocolate’s flavor profile, which is important for bakers. Those cocoa solids also give dark chocolate a much richer flavor than milk chocolate. 

    Dark and milk chocolate bars
    Quick Kitchen Nugget: Making Lentils in Advance

    Quick Kitchen Nugget

    Melting Chocolate in the Microwave

    This is an easy way to melt chocolate without using the stovetop: Place three-quarters of the needed amount in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on the 50% setting for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time, checking between bursts. When the chocolate has melted, add the reserved chocolate to the bowl, let it sit for a minute, then fold it together with a spatula. As the additional chocolate melts, it will also bring down the temperature of the microwaved chocolate.

    Note: Chocolate melts better when it’s in smaller pieces. If you don’t want to have to chop up a block of chocolate, buy coin-shaped wafers from brands like Valrhona, Callebaut, and Guittard. Save chocolate chips for cookies because they’re made to not melt completely.

    For Your Best Health: The Mediterranean Diet for IBS 

    For Your Best Health

    Flavonoid-rich Foods for Health

    Flavonoid-rich foods for health

    A recent study led by researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, Edith Cowan University Perth (ECU), the Medical University of Vienna, and Universitat Wien in Austria found that increasing the diversity of flavonoids in your diet—from foods like cocoa, tea, apples, and grapes as well as blueberries, strawberries, and oranges—could help prevent the development of health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and neurological diseases and offers the potential of living longer. Published in Nature Food, the study tracked over 120,000 participants from 40 to 70 years old for more than a decade.

    ECU research fellow, first author, and co-lead of the study Benjamin Parmenter, PhD, made the initial discovery that a flavonoid-diverse diet is good for health. “Flavonoid intake of around 500 mg a day was associated with a 16% lower risk of all-cause mortality, as well as a ~10% lower risk of CVD, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory disease. That’s roughly the amount of flavonoids that you would consume in two cups of tea.”

    Dr. Parmenter added that those who consumed the widest diversity of flavonoids had an even lower risk of these diseases, even when consuming the same total number of milligrams. For example, instead of just drinking tea, also enjoy berries, chocolate, and apples.

    “We have known for some time that higher intakes of dietary flavonoids, powerful bioactives naturally present in many foods and drinks, can reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s,” said study co-lead professor Aedín Cassidy, PhD, from the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s. “We also know from lab data and clinical studies that different flavonoids work in different ways—some improve blood pressure, others help with cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation. This study is significant, as the results indicate that consuming a higher quantity and wider diversity has the potential to lead to a greater reduction in ill health than just a single source.”

    Professor Tilman Kühn, PhD, a co-lead author, noted that the importance of diversity of flavonoid intake hadn’t been investigated until now, making this study very significant, as the findings align with the belief that eating the rainbow is invaluable for maintaining good health. “Eating fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors, including those rich in flavonoids, means you’re more likely to get the vitamins and nutrients you need to sustain a healthier lifestyle,” he said.

    The first-ever dietary guidelines for flavonoids were released recently, but this research goes one step further. “Our study provides inaugural evidence that we may also need to advise increasing diversity of intake of these compounds for optimal benefits,” Dr. Parmenter said.

    “The results provide a clear public health message, suggesting that simple and achievable dietary swaps, such as drinking more tea and eating more berries and apples for example, can help increase the variety and intake of flavonoid-rich foods, and potentially improve health in the long term,” Dr. Cassidy added.

    Fitness Flash: Outrunning Alzheimer’s?

    Fitness Flash

    Outdoor Exercise and Air Quality

    According to experts at ACE (American Council on Exercise), a leading certifier of fitness professionals, it’s important to know your local air quality before you go outside to exercise. When the air quality is bad, it can put your overall health at risk, cause increases in resting and exercise heart rate and blood pressure, worsen asthma, and decrease lung function and oxygen-carrying capacity. This is because, in part, your body’s natural air-filtration system process is less effective when you breathe through your mouth and more pollutants reach the lungs. This is true regardless of the cause of bad air quality, including wildfires, pollen, and even heavy traffic. 

    ACE has these suggestions:

    • Understand the risk-reward balance between physical activity and air pollution. On some days, it may be safer to bring your workout indoors or at least reduce the intensity at which you work out.
    • Pay attention to the air-quality index in your area. You can check it daily at airnow.gov. 
    • Be mindful of when and where you exercise. Avoid heavily trafficked roads at peak commuting times, for instance. Look at pollen reports before you go out if you’re sensitive to this allergen.
    • Consider wearing a face mask. It will keep you from inhaling allergens and pollutants without impacting your performance.

    Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

  • Dark chocolate and raspberries Very Berry Chocolate Bars

    Olive oil enhances dark chocolate by adding a fresh, slightly herbal taste. Raspberries and pistachios add layers of flavor and texture. Tip: Blueberries and almonds are another great combo.

    Ingredients

    • 3 ounces raspberries 
    • 8 ounces dark chocolate discs or pieces, preferably 70% cacao
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
    • 1 ounce shelled, unsalted pistachios

    Directions

    Step 1

    Rinse the raspberries and pat dry with paper towels; set aside.

    Step 2

    Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl placed over simmering (not boiling) water, stirring with a silicone whisk or spatula until fully melted. Carefully remove the bowl from the heat and place on a towel or hot pad on your counter. A few pieces at a time, add in the rest of the chocolate. This tempers it, or brings it down in temperature, so that the finish of the chocolate bars will be shiny. (If you have an instant-read thermometer, the chocolate on the stove should reach about 118°F and go down to 90°F after you add in the rest.) Stir in the olive oil until fully incorporated.

    Step 3

    Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Pour out the tempered chocolate in three sections and use an offset spatula to smooth each one out to a 4-by-3-inch rectangle (don’t worry about being too exact). 

    Step 4

    Sprinkle equal amounts of raspberries and pistachios on each bar. Let the chocolate harden in a cool spot for two or more hours, then use a spatula to transfer to a glass container. Store in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days. 

    Yields 3 bars

  • Summer lentil salad Olive Oil Hunter News #223

    Summer Lentil Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Lentils, The Mediterranean Diet for IBS and Outrunning Alzheimer’s

    Lentils are the unsung heroes of the legume family—high in protein and fiber along with other nutrients and fast to cook. They’re the perfect replacement for rice in summer salads and side dishes. They also fit right into the Mediterranean diet, a way of eating that could be a welcome change from the FODMAP diet for people living with IBS, according to a new study. I’m also sharing research that takes a deeper dive into exercise as a weapon in the war against Alzheimer’s.

    Summer Lentil Salad

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Lentils

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

    Let’s Hear It for Lentils

    High in fiber, vitamin C, and other antioxidants, strawberries also deliver potassium, folate, and magnesium. But they also have a tendency to get moldy when moisture gets trapped between the berries, especially in typical clamshell plastic containers. A simple storage trick is to unpack them as soon as you get home and transfer them, unwashed, to a paper towel-lined glass container—line them up upside down, leaving a bit of room between them, and store in the fridge, uncovered, suggest the experts at the Utah State University Extension. Wash them just before hulling (a curved grapefruit knife works great) and blot dry with fresh paper towels.

    dried lentils
    Quick Kitchen Nugget: Making Lentils in Advance

    Quick Kitchen Nugget

    Making Lentils in Advance

    With 22 grams of protein in every cup of cooked French lentils, these nutrient-dense nuggets are great to have in the fridge, ready to sprinkle on green salads, add to other side dishes, or have as a satisfying snack drizzled with olive oil. Once you’ve cooked up a batch, drain them and let them come to room temperature. Transfer to a glass container and pop into the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to one week.

    For Your Best Health: The Mediterranean Diet for IBS 

    For Your Best Health

    The Mediterranean Diet for IBS 

    IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, affects an estimated 4 to 11 percent of all people, and most prefer dietary interventions to medication. Many try following the low-FODMAP diet, according to researchers at Michigan Medicine. It improves symptoms in more than half of patients, but it’s restrictive—it cuts out so many foods that people find it hard to follow. Previous investigations from these researchers, who were looking for more acceptable versions, led to their “FODMAP simple” diet, which only restricts the food groups in the FODMAP diet that are most likely to cause symptoms. Still, because any type of restrictive diets can be difficult to adopt, Michigan Medicine gastroenterologist Prashant Singh, MBBS, and his colleagues decided to look at a completely different alternative, the Mediterranean diet. 

    Many physicians are already behind the Mediterranean diet because of its benefits to cardiovascular, cognitive, and general health. With so many advantages, they wanted to see whether it could also bring IBS symptom relief. “In addition to the issue of being costly and time-consuming, there are concerns about nutrient deficiencies and disordered eating when trying a low-FODMAP diet. The Mediterranean diet interested us as an alternative that is not an elimination diet and overcomes several of these limitations related to a low-FODMAP diet,” said Dr. Singh.

    The Mediterranean Diet for IBS 

    For the pilot study, 20 participants, all of whom were diagnosed with either IBS-D (diarrhea) or IBS-M (mixed symptoms of constipation and diarrhea), were randomized into two groups. For four weeks, one group followed the Mediterranean diet and the other followed the restriction phase of a low-FODMAP diet.

    The primary endpoint was an FDA-standard 30 percent reduction in abdominal pain intensity after four weeks. In the Mediterranean diet group, 73 percent of the patients met the primary endpoint for symptom improvement versus 81.8 percent in the low-FODMAP group. Though the low-FODMAP group experienced a greater improvement measured by both abdominal pain intensity and the IBS symptom severity score, the Mediterranean diet did provide symptom relief with fewer food restrictions.

    “This study adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that a Mediterranean diet might be a useful addition to the menu of evidence-based dietary interventions for patients with IBS,” said William Chey, MD, chief of gastroenterology at the University of Michigan, president-elect of the American College of Gastroenterology, and senior author of the research paper.

    Researchers found the results of this pilot study encouraging enough to warrant future and larger controlled trials to investigate the potential of the Mediterranean diet as an effective intervention for patients with IBS. They believe studies comparing the long-term efficacy of the Mediterranean diet with long-term outcomes following the reintroduction and personalization phases of the low-FODMAP diet are needed.

    Fitness Flash: Outrunning Alzheimer’s?

    Fitness Flash

    Outrunning Alzheimer’s?

    A Mass General Brigham study, published in Nature Neuroscience, has revealed how exercise rewires the brain at the cellular level. “While we’ve long known that exercise helps protect the brain, we didn’t fully understand which cells were responsible or how it worked at a molecular level,” said senior author Christiane D. Wrann, DVM, PhD, a neuroscientist and leader of the Program in Neuroprotection in Exercise at the Mass General Brigham Heart and Vascular Institute and the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Now, we have a detailed map of how exercise impacts each major cell type in the memory center of the brain in Alzheimer’s disease.”

    The research team from Mass General Brigham and collaborators at SUNY Upstate Medical University leveraged advanced single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), a relatively new technology that allows researchers to look at activity at the molecular level in single cells for an in-depth understanding of diseases like Alzheimer’s, along with a widely used preclinical model for Alzheimer’s disease. Focusing on a part of the hippocampus, a critical region for memory and learning damaged early in Alzheimer’s, they identified specific brain cell types that responded most to exercise. 

    They exercised a common mouse model for Alzheimer’s disease using running wheels, which improved the mice’s memory compared to their sedentary counterparts. They then analyzed gene activity across thousands of individual brain cells, finding that exercise changed activity both in microglia, a disease-associated population of brain cells, and in a specific type of neurovascular-associated astrocyte (NVA), newly discovered by the team, which are cells associated with blood vessels in the brain. Furthermore, the scientists identified the metabolic gene Atpif1 as an important regulator to create new neurons in the brain. “That we were able to modulate newborn neurons using our new target genes set underscores the promise our study,” said lead author Joana Da Rocha, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow working in Dr. Wrann’s lab.

    To ensure the findings were relevant to humans, the team validated their discoveries in a large dataset of human Alzheimer’s brain tissue, finding striking similarities. “This work not only sheds light on how exercise benefits the brain but also uncovers potential cell-specific targets for future Alzheimer’s therapies,” said Nathan Tucker, a biostatistician at SUNY Upstate Medical University and co-senior author of the study. “Our study offers a valuable resource for the scientific community investigating Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment.”

    Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

  • T. J. Robinson in Chile Quarter 2—Chilean Harvest

    Sumptuous Fresh-Pressed Olive Oils from Chile’s Leading Artisanal Producer Will Delight Your Taste Buds and Elevate Every Meal

    T.J. Robinson The Olive Oil Hunter
    • These Club exclusives, available nowhere else, showcase this South American country’s amazing olive varietals.
    • Each unique blend is extraordinarily food-friendly, ready to lavish on all your seasonal dishes.
    • Certified by an independent lab to be 100 percent extra virgin olive oil, this trio was rushed to the US by jet so that you can experience the tantalizing flavors and healthy polyphenols at their peak.

    Majestic, awe-inspiring, breathtaking—those are the adjectives that come to mind every time I fly over the snow-capped Andes on my way to Santiago. The Chilean harvest always holds many surprises for your Olive Oil Hunter, and this year the results are beyond spectacular, from an enchanting Picual to an Arbequina enhanced with Coratina to an olive oil that’s an international cornucopia of cultivars—five varietals that come together to exceed the sum of its delicious parts! I am thrilled to present them to you for your warm-weather table.

    Salvador, head miller of Alonso and T. J. Robinson
    I caught up with Salvador, the recently promoted head miller, now in his eighth year with the Alonso family. He demonstrated early on how eager he was to learn the best practices for running the mill—being very mechanically inclined helps him keep the state-of-the-art machinery humming. He shared news of Pobeña’s recent awards: a near perfect score from Flos Olei (considered the bible of extra virgin olive oil) and golds at both the Olive Japan and NY World competitions.

    My Merry Band of Tasters, Down South America Way

    With the seasons reversed in the Southern Hemisphere, it always takes a few minutes to get accustomed to seeing the colors of autumn after leaving spring behind in the US. This is also Chile’s wine country (not as well-known as the Mendoza region of neighboring Argentina, but arguably ment to create outstanding olive oils rather than cut corners for a fast profit.)

    At Juanjo’s side is master agronomist Juan Carlos Pérez, who, with 20 years of experience (more than three-quarters of them at Pobeña!), is considered a top olive expert in the country, and also has a patient and gentle nature that keeps everyone on an even keel. Thanks to his skill in the field—I’ve always said that exceptional olive oil starts in the field and is finished in the mill—we had incredible choices to play with! In Chile, “we” always includes my good friend and international olive oil competition judge Denise Langevin and my favorite olive savant, Duccio Morozzo della Rocca, whose expertise is in demand around the world.

    Denise Langevin and T. J. Robinson
    The autumnal glow bathing Denise Langevin, international olive oil competition judge, and me on our walk through the groves is breathtaking but also a sign that frost is on its way. Fortunately, everyone at Agrícola Pobeña is dedicated to harvesting olives during the magic window and getting them to the mill quickly so that you can enjoy the just-pressed oils at their peak of flavor.

    Outpacing the Imminent Frost

    This season had none of the typical drama—there was enough water for irrigation as needed, thanks in part to a new well on the farm and a light rain that primed the olives for harvest. But, in recent years, Mother Nature found a new Chilean curveball to throw: an early frost. That’s when the temperature drops below freezing overnight. When the dip lasts five hours or so, the olives freeze on the trees, negatively affecting the flavor of their oils. Last year, we heard that 40 percent of the country’s olives froze. But that didn’t stop lesser-quality oils from being sold at sky-high prices on the global market. As the country’s preeminent farm, Pobeña now has the better plan: harvest early to avoid the problem. “You lose some quantity,” Juanjo explained, “but the quality is superb, with vibrant aromas.”

    Alejandro, executive sous-chef at Boragó, and T. J. Robinson
    I was so happy to toast Alejandro, executive sous-chef at Boragó, with one of our fresh-pressed oils—even more so after I saw that the Alonso family’s EVOO is the kitchen’s go-to choice. The 16-course meal of artistically crafted dishes showcasing Chilean ingredients made for an unforgettable evening.

    I often talk about our fresh-pressed olive oils being food-friendly, and the culinary experiences we had in Santiago and in the countryside showcased this quality in our trio. We generously drizzled them at the farm-to-table lunch we had at the Alonso family homestead as well as the feast we enjoyed in Santa Cruz at Francis Mallmann’s Fuegos de Apalta, named for the open-fire kitchen in the center of the restaurant, a hallmark of the world-renowned grill master. Impressively, when we toured behind the scenes at Boragó, ranked one of the top restaurants in the world, we saw that Pobeña olive oil was used in the preparation of the exquisitely constructed food-as-art still-lifes created by its vast team of chefs. Though many fine-dining restaurants around the world use less expensive oils (to avoid cutting into their margins), Boragó, located in Santiago’s Vitacura neighborhood, uses only the very best—just like you, my discriminating Club member. Get ready to experience the taste sensations of these harvest-fresh oils in the inspired dishes in this report’s recipe section as well as with all your favorite food

    Happy drizzling!

    T. J. Robinson 
    The Olive Oil Hunter®

    This Quarter’s First Selection

    • Producer: Denise Langevin La Estrella, Chile
    • Olive Varieties: Arbequina, Coratina
    • Flavor Profile: Mild
    Denise Langevin Exclusive Selection, Agricola Pobeña, Comuna de La Estrella, O’Higgins Region, Chile 2024 Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Label

    “I cook everything with olive oil,” exhorts international olive oil authority Denise Langevin, drizzling a shimmering stream of our just-pressed Chilean blend over a grilled chorizo sausage in a soft roll, the savory South American sandwich known as choripán. “Many people save it for salad, and I tell them olive oil is for all food, you know.” Denise knows. She is a superlative olive oil taster, an in-demand adjudicator of olive oil competitions around the globe, from Los Ange-les to Turkey to China. Also an outstanding home chef, Denise treated me and my Merry Band of Tasters to a mouth-watering celebratory lunch at her home, a converted farmhouse in the town of Codegua, where she lives with her husband, Luis, Rottweiler Augustina, and a sheep named Pio Pio.

    When we pulled up on a perfectly crisp autumn day—remember, Chile’s seasons are the opposite of ours—Luis was already manning the grill next to their tiled patio, as Pio Pio munched on grass in a corner of the yard. Denise ushered us to the table, where we whetted our appetite with marinated olives, some stuffed with blanched almonds and others with jamón Serrano (see the recipe on below). Lifting glasses of lime-hued pisco sour, we toasted to another collaborative culinary venture.

    Then, savoring the food-friendliness of our dazzling olive oil, we dined like kings on the afore-mentioned choripán, topped with one of two zesty pebres (Chilean salsa), and satisfying empanadas, warm from the grill and filled with pino (beef). For dessert, Denise wooed us with exquisitely tiered slices of milhojas, a Chilean millefeuille cake of sweet crepes layered with dulce de leche. I am swooning just remembering it.

    Denise Langevin shows T. J. Robinson her rack of judge badges
    Denise takes me through her rack of judge badges from olive oil competitions the world over. Renowned for her discriminating palate and impeccable taste memory, Denise has served on judging panels of the world’s finest EVOO throughout Europe, Central Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, and the US.

    I first met Denise more than a decade ago, in 2013, when she was director of exports at the Don Rafael Estate, one of Chile’s pioneer ultra-premium olive oil producers. As two supertasters, Denise and I hit it off from the start—I loved hearing about her adventures as an international olive oil judge, and she was intrigued to learn about my mission to provide the world’s finest fresh-pressed olive oil to Club members year-round. We first collaborated on an exclusive Club selection in 2020 and have worked together ever since. I adore strolling through the olive groves with her, stopping to test the fruit for ripeness (see photo on above).

    Denise and I also share a pressing desire to educate others about the extraordinary flavors and bounteous health benefits of EVOO. In recent years, Denise has partnered with local grade schools to help foster healthy eating habits among schoolchildren, teaching eager kids about gardening and Chile’s abundant, nutritious produce. “Tia Denise,” the kids cheer, as they run to her—it’s amazing to witness. Denise’s warm, generous personality, delicately calibrated judgment, and exquisitely discriminating palate are mirrored in the qualities of this quarter’s mild selection. “Every collaboration is also a celebration,” Denise says, of its creators as well as of the olive varieties.

    Denise Langevin, Duccio Morozzo, and T. J. Robinson
    Yee-haw! Denise Langevin and I wave as we are about to dip below the horizon, heading to Agrícola Pobeña, with the majestic Andes in the distance. Eager for our sixth consecutive Club collaboration, Denise and I can’t wait to get to the mill, where gorgeous just-picked olives will be pressed into liquid gold. At right: Celebrating the fruits of our labors with a Chilean grill fest, Duccio Morozzo gives Denise’s choripán another splash of our brand-new Arbequina-Coratina blend as I look on, eager for my turn.

    Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

    This Arbequina enhanced with a touch of Coratina is bright, harmonious, and very complex. On the nose, we sensed fresh-cut grass, sweet almond, lettuce, green apple, mint, and hints of celery and lemon zest. On the palate, we noted fresh walnuts and the sweetness of green banana and fennel, plus Romaine lettuce and oregano, the bitterness of Belgian endive, and the lingering spiciness of celery leaves and white pepper.

    Enjoy it with eggs, morning smoothies, lighter vinaigrettes, pasta salads, and salads with fruit; pan-seared cilantro citrus fish* and other mild fish, ceviche, and grilled chicken; quinoa bowls, rice dishes, cauliflower fritters, pastelera de choclo and other fresh corn dishes, artichokes, and asparagus; brie, ricotta, mozzarella, and other mild cheeses; hummus; stone fruit, baked goods, dulce de leche trifle, vanilla ice cream, and yogurt.

    *See the recipe section for bolded dishes.

    This Quarter’s Second Selection

    • Producer: El Agrónomo, La Estrella, Chile
    • Olive Varieties: Coratina, Frantoio, Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki
    • Flavor Profile: Medium
    El Agrónomo, Agricola Pobeña, Comuna de La Estrella, O’Higgins Region, Chile 2024 Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Label

    A large map of the farm hangs in the tasting room at Agrícola Pobeña. It’s a colorful jigsaw puzzle that identifies the locations of all their olive fruit varietals—I like to think of it as a visual representation of the skills of master agronomist Juan Carlos Pérez. Rather than cluster each varietal together, he has created a lot of interplay to maximize sun exposure as well as changes in elevation, from flat areas to hilly ones where hand harvesting is a must.

    Juan Carlos was drawn to agriculture as a child. Of his parents’ six sons, he was the only one who would excitedly sit next to his dad, a farmer, on his tractor. Fittingly, Juan Carlos’s youngest, eight-year-old Laura, is already showing signs of wanting to follow in his footsteps.

    He had a blank slate when he arrived at the farm, excited at the prospect of growing a wide range of varietals, now 11 in all. He planted the first tree with the Alonso family, and it’s been a happy marriage ever since. Deeply knowledgeable across fields from earth science to biochemistry, Juan Carlos understands the unique terroir of this region like the back of his hand.

    I asked him what makes Chilean extra virgin olive oils so special. “Location, location, location—we’re just 40 kilometers from the sea in a climate so similar to the Mediterranean,” he answered. “The topography of the farm is also key. We have a lot of gentle hills and have oriented the trees to the sun. Each oil has a different profile based on where the trees were planted. I feel that the oils from olives grown in the hills are more powerful—and those are the ones you used for the oils for Club members,” Juan Carlos said proudly.

    T. J. Robinson in Chile
    I admit it: I love touring the farm on one of Juan Carlos’s ATVs—perfect for navigating through the groves and seeing for myself that the fruit is ready for harvest so that I can deliver the highest-quality oils to you, dear Club member.

    This very special olive oil is a veritable United Nations of varietals, with Coratina and Frantoio representing the Italian contingent, Arbequina and Arbosana from Spain, and Koroneiki from Greece. It’s a masterful blending of five distinct “voices” that we orchestrated into a harmonious chorus.

    Juan Carlos “El Agrónomo” Pérez and T. J. Robsinson rejoice during the day’s harvest of olives
    Juan Carlos “El Agrónomo” Pérez and I rejoice during the day’s harvest. I can almost taste the vibrancy in the fresh-pressed olive oil these beauties will yield.

    Despite all the demands of the farm—Juan Carlos now turns his attention to propagating new trees, pruning and nurturing in preparation for the next season—he always amazes me with how he happy he looks. His calm demeanor has helped him retain a strong field team that comes back year after year. They gain more experience with each season, in turn making the harvest run smoothly.

    I believe that a truly great olive oil starts with the fruit, in the grove, in the hands of the agronomist, who then works hand in hand with a master miller to turn amazing fruit into extraordinary olive oil. With his attention to detail and brilliant results, Juan Carlos is raising the bar for other agronomists around the world. We celebrate him by naming this exceptional olive oil El Agrónomo, after this star agronomist. When you taste it, you will too!

    Maria, the majordomo of the Alonso family farmhouse and T. J. Robinson with cacti
    In Chile, cacti aren’t just for admiring. Maria, the majordomo of the sprawling Alonso family farmhouse, turned these brilliant yellow fruits into an amazing juice served at the delectable lunch she prepared for us.

    Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings 

    Only a talented agronomist could have made it possible to create this blend of five olive varietals originating from Italy, Spain, and Greece. The aroma is lush, with notes of Belgian endive, walnuts and almonds, green banana, baby spinach, Tuscan kale, arugula, and thyme, plus hints of vanilla bean, cinnamon, and lime zest. We tasted green almond, artichoke, escarole, arugula, and rosemary, the bitterness of chicory and radicchio, and spiciness of both Szechuan and black peppercorns.

    Rich and verdant, this versatile olive oil will enhance pork, turkey, seafood dishes such as grilled shrimp with pisco and merquèn* and vieiras a la parmesana, and fattier fish, like sardines, tuna, and salmon; white and sweet potatoes, broccoli, and grilled vegetables; salads with nuts; beans, lentils, and grains; guacamole and other avocado dishes; pesto; and chocolate desserts.

    *See the recipe section for bolded dishes.

    This Quarter’s Third Selection

    • Producer: Abel Alonso, La Estrella, Chile
    • Olive Varieties: Picual
    • Flavor Profile: Bold
    Alonso, Agricola Pobeña, Comuna de La Estrella, O’Higgins Region, Chile 2024 Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Label

    You’d be hard-pressed to meet anyone as gregarious as Juanjo Alonso, the youngest of five brothers, all of whom are involved in the various businesses started by their father, Abel. I find his joie de vivre contagious and look forward to spending time with him every year.

    Juanjo’s journey from student at the San Francisco Art Institute in California to head of Chile’s premier olive oil producer began soon after he graduated. The budding artist supported himself as a house painter. Knowing that Juanjo had no interest in the family’s main concern, a very successful shoe company, Abel was able to eventually lure him back to Chile by offering to pay him the equivalent of a year’s salary to paint its corporate offices!

    Juanjo’s painting about health and history of olive oil with T. J. Robinson
    Juanjo’s painting shows how talented he is and how passionate he is about olive oil. He’s on a mission to educate Chileans about its health benefits and is proud that his family’s oil was named the “healthiest olive oil” multiple times at the World Best Healthy EVOO Contest. In his words, “A shot every day keeps the doctor away.” Of our longstanding collaboration, he added, “You and I are on the same train headed in one direction, toward higher and higher olive oil quality.”

    It wasn’t long before Abel shared his vision for an olive farm with Juanjo, the son he felt was destined for the project. Abel was born in the Basque region of Spain in 1935, at the start of the political and economic unrest that would lead to the country’s civil war. His family survived thanks to the food they grew in their garden, the memory that inspired his new quest.

    One day he asked Juanjo to check out a potential property with him. “I had fallen in love with the majestic olive trees during my time in Northern California and had already started googling ‘olive trees’ and ‘olive farming,’ so I knew that even though the farm we visited was very nice, it was at too high an elevation considering the proximity to the Andes. ‘Olives don’t like frost, so this is not the property for us,’ I told my dad. And he immediately put me in charge of finding the right one!” Juanjo recounted.

    Fast forward to today, and the fruits of all their early decisions are evident with award after award lining the mill walls. What I truly admire is that they allot resources for continual improvement, always reinvesting to maintain their high standards, from updating their irrigation system to buying new tractors to speed the fruit to the mill. It’s wonderful to hear Juanjo credit the Club for helping Chilean olive oils getting the recognition they so rightly deserve.

    José Manuel Reyes and T. J. Robinson
    It’s always insightful to meet with José Manuel Reyes, who wears many hats at the Agrícola Pobeña farm. He’s the bridge from the field to the office and the face of the Alonso company in Santiago, where he manages three jewel-box stores dedicated to olive oil. “We offer classes and tastings so people can get to know Pobeña olive oils as well as the members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club do,” he said.

    There’s also sad news to share. Late last summer, Abel became gravely ill while on a visit to Spain. Back in Chile, he refused treatment, preferring to spend his last days at the farm surrounded by his adoring family. “One after-noon, we sat together, looking out at the olive groves. ‘We made it, you and I—I believed in you, and I am so proud that you made our dream a reality,’ he told me.” Juanjo’s admiration for his father and the heartbreak over his loss were evident in his eyes.

    We pay homage to Abel with this very special oil that bears his name and a label featuring the family’s coat of arms and a Basque-inspired font. I know he would have been ecstatic about this magnificent Picual I’ve created for you, a varietal from his native Spain, a zesty, complex character like Abel himself.

    Impressions and Recommended Food Pairings

    A Picual lover’s dream, this is a bold expression of the cultivar. It’s intensely green and herbaceous on the nose: green tomato and tomato leaf, celery, arugula, and Asian pear, with notes of chopped basil and peppermint. It’s very green and vegetal on the palate, with the flavors of wheatgrass, baby kale, spinach, and pear; the astringency of green tea, bitterness and zest of arugula, and spiciness of green peppercorns; plus notes of wild mint, parsley, and rosemary.

    Its big personality is perfect for hearty dishes like chorizo hash,* chicken empanadas, arrollado de huaso, costillar de chancho, grilled steaks, lamb, duck, and wild game; dark leafy green salads and bold vinaigrettes; crudités; tomato recipes from pizza and bruschetta to gazpacho and sauces; hearty pasta dishes; cured meats; blue and other aged cheeses; and crusty sourdough breads.

    *See the recipe section for bolded dishes.

    Olive Oil and Health

    Kudos from Club Members

    Heaven in a bottle
    Your olive oils are amazing! It’s like heaven in a bottle!
    Cindy G.Asheville, NC

    Recipes

  • Grilled shrimp pisco Grilled Shrimp with Pisco and Merquén

    This dish features two iconic Chilean ingredients, merquèn and brandy-like pisco (in a pinch, you can use white tequila or rum instead).

    Ingredients

    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 1/4 cup pisco
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
    • 2 teaspoons merquèn
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for basting
    • 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
    • 3 limes, quartered, for serving

    Directions

    Step 1

    In a small bowl, whisk the lime juice, pisco, honey, merquèn, and salt until the salt dissolves. Add the olive oil and whisk until the mixture is emulsified. Place the shrimp in a bowl large enough to hold them. Gently toss with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain the shrimp and thread onto bamboo skewers.

    Step 2

    Heat your grill to medium-high. Brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the shrimp skewers on the grate. Grill for 3 minutes per side, basting with olive oil, or until the shrimp are lightly charred and opaque. Baste a final time. Remove the shrimp from the skewers before serving with the limes.

    Serves 4

  • Parmesan Scallops Vieiras a la Parmesana (Parmesan-Crusted Scallops)

    This dish is a variation on the wildly popular machas a la parmesana, local razor clams (using oysters is also popular). Traditionally, each scallop is cooked separately in its own half-shell. While it’s rare to find scallops still in the shell in the US, you can buy cooking-grade shells for an elegant presentation. For simplicity, I like to make them in a broiler-safe baking dish or individual ramekins.

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    • 1 tablespoon white wine
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
    • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 pound sea scallops, preferably dry
    • 3 ounces shredded Manchego or Jack cheese
    • 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
    • Fresh nutmeg

    Directions

    Step 1

    In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, wine, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper.

    Step 2

    Rinse and pat dry the scallops, then toss them in the marinade—there should be only enough liquid to lightly coat them. Set your oven to broil while they marinate for 15 minutes.

    Step 3

    Arrange the scallops in a baking dish or among
    4 individual ramekins. Top each scallop with a spoonful of shredded cheese, then a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Use a Microplane grater to dust nutmeg over the tops.

    Step 4

    Place under the broiler for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and browned and the scallops are firm to the touch. Sprinkle with more parsley and drizzle with olive oil before serving.

    Serves 4

  • Chicken empanada Chicken Empanadas

    Many dishes were introduced to Latin America by Spanish explorers and colonists, including handheld meat pies called empanadas. Here, a flaky crust encloses a savory mixture of chicken, peppers, and an olive, which is traditional in Chilean empanadas. Merquèn is a popular Chilean spice blend of goat’s horn chile, coriander, and salt, which imparts a distinctive smoky flavor. Goya and other brands sell precut dough disks.

    Ingredients

    For the chicken:

    • 4 chicken thighs or 2 breasts, skinless and boneless
    • 4 cups low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken broth
    • 2 teaspoons sea salt

    For the filling:

    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 red bell pepper, diced
    • 3 scallions, green and white parts thinly sliced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon merquèn or chili powder
    • Sea salt, to taste
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • 2 cups of finely diced or shredded chicken (from above)
    • 2 tablespoons chicken broth, if needed
    • 12 stuffed olives (see Denise’s Stuffed Olives if you’d like to make your own)

    For the dough:

    • 12 premade empanada dough disks, a package of puff pastry, or homemade pastry dough
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tablespoon of water

    Directions

    Step 1

    Place the chicken and the broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Cover for 10 minutes, then check the temperature of the chicken. An instant-read thermometer should reach 165°F. Remove from the broth, saving a few spoonfuls. Let the meat cool slightly, then finely dice or shred.

    Step 2

    Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, red pepper, scallions, and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin and merquèn. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool. Add the chicken as well as some or all of the chicken broth if the mixture seems a bit dry. (You don’t want it wet, either.)

    Step 3

    If you’re using puff pastry or pastry dough, roll it out to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into twelve 5-inch circles and arrange on two parchment paper–lined baking sheets. Heat the oven to 400°F.

    Step 4

    Whisk the egg and water. Put about 2 tablespoons of filling and an olive on half of each pastry round. Lightly brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash and fold one side over the other to form a half moon. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges. Brush the tops and sides of the empanadas with the egg wash. Bake the empanadas for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

    Makes 12

  • Summer lentil salad Summer Lentil Salad

    This protein-packed legume makes a satisfying meatless meal on its own as well as a zesty side dish for grilled tuna or salmon. 

    Ingredients

    For the lentils:

    • 1 cup dried French (du Puy) lentils
    • 3 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, more broth or water as needed
    • 2 stalks celery, diced
    • 2 large carrots, diced
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
    • 1 small red onion, diced
    • 1 large bell pepper, diced
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    • Salt as desired

    For the dressing:

    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, more to taste
    • 1 small shallot, minced
    • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

    Step 1

    Place the lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold running water, picking through to remove any pebbles. Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot, then add the lentils, celery, carrots, bay leaf, and salt. Turn down the heat to maintain a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the lentils are tender but still toothsome (think al dente), about 25 minutes. Check 5 minutes in advance to make sure there’s still some liquid so that the lentils won’t scorch. If the lentils aren’t tender once the broth evaporates, add 1/2 cup more liquid and continue cooking 5-10 more minutes.

    Step 2

    While the lentils are cooking, make the dressing. In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar, shallot, black pepper, and Dijon. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and add more vinegar if desired.

    Step 3

    When the lentils are ready, strain off any remaining liquid and transfer to a large bowl; discard the bay leaf. Fold in the red onion, bell pepper, and parsley. Pour on the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and add salt as desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

    Yields 8 servings

  • Stuffed Pork Loin Arrollado de Huaso (Stuffed Pork Loin)

    Reminiscent of Italian porchetta, my Chilean version is filled with chorizo and a popular vegetable in Chile—sweet potato, or camote. Forming the chorizo into a rectangle with a rolling pin helps more evenly distribute the meat. If you’d rather not flatten the pork yourself, simply ask your butcher to butterfly it for you.

    Ingredients

    • One 2 1/2- to 3-pound pork loin roast
    • 1 pound fresh (raw) chorizo
    • 1 pound sweet potatoes
    • 3 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as sage, rosemary, and thyme, plus extra sprigs for garnish
    • Sea salt
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • Extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

    Step 1

    Butterfly the pork loin: Place the pork loin on a cutting board. Using a long slender knife, create a slab about 3/4 inch thick by cutting horizontally from one side of the pork loin to the other, leaving a “hinge.” Roll open the pork and repeat the horizontal slicing. Continue unrolling and slicing until you have a flat piece of pork about 1/2 inch thick. Use a kitchen mallet to flatten any uneven spots.

    Step 2

    Place the chorizo between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, shape the chorizo into a rectangle about 1 inch shorter on each side than the pork; place in the freezer for 30 minutes. In the meantime, transfer the pork loin to a rimmed sheet pan. Cover with paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate.

    Step 3

    Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in a saucepan with enough cold salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender but not soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

    Step 4

    Heat the oven to 375°F. Take out the pork and chorizo and discard the wrap. Position the chorizo over the pork loin. Evenly sprinkle with the herbs and sweet potato cubes, then drizzle the potatoes with olive oil. Roll the pork loin tightly (like a jellyroll), enclosing the filling. Tie at 2-inch intervals with butcher’s string. Generously brush the outside of the pork loin with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on a rack in a roasting pan.

    Step 5

    Roast the pork until an instant-read thermometer reaches 150°F, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

    Step 6

    Remove the roast from the oven. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Snip and remove the strings. Carve into 1-inch slices and shingle on a platter for serving. Garnish with fresh herbs.

    Serves 6

  • Multi-color cauliflower Cauliflower Fritters

    This is a popular dish in Chile. Parboiling the cauliflower makes the fritters tender.

    Ingredients

    • 1 head cauliflower, about 2 pounds
    • 1 tablespoon sea salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1/2 cup flour
    • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
    • 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    • 1 lemon cut into wedges

    Directions

    Step 1

    Trim the stem off the cauliflower and remove the largest leaves. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the 1 tablespoon salt and the whole head of cauliflower, stem end up. Cook for 5 minutes, then carefully remove it from the water and let cool on a cutting board.

    Step 2

    In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the flour, cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil; set aside.

    Step 3

    When cool enough to handle, remove any remaining leaves from the cauliflower and cut the head into slices, then cut each slice in half. You can also use any loose florets—coarsely chop them and add to the remaining batter after sautéing the main pieces.

    Step 4

    Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the 1/4 cup olive oil. Dip a piece of cauliflower into the batter, shake off the excess, and place in the pan. Continue until the pan is full, but don’t crowd the fritters. Sauté for 3 minutes on each side, or until golden. Transfer the fritters to a platter and repeat until all the fritters have been cooked, adding more oil to the pan, if needed, between batches. Sprinkle on the parsley, drizzle with olive oil, and serve with the lemons.

    Serves 4

For Your Best Health: Managing Depression: Using Scents to Unlock Memories 

For Your Best Health

The MIND Diet for Brain Health: More Benefits of Olive Oil

According to a new study from researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and The Robert Butler Columbia Aging Center, a very specific brain-boosting diet has been linked to reduced dementia risk and a slower pace of aging. The study, “Diet, Pace of Biological Aging, and Risk of Dementia in the Framingham Heart Study,” published in the Annals of Neurology, also explains how the diet helps slow down the processes of biological aging.

“Much attention to nutrition in dementia research focuses on the way specific nutrients affect the brain,” said Daniel Belsky, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and a senior author of the study. “We tested the hypothesis that healthy diet protects against dementia by slowing down the body’s overall pace of biological aging.”

The researchers used data from the second generation of the Framingham Heart Study, the Offspring Cohort. Participants were 60 years of age or older and free of dementia and had available dietary, epigenetic, and follow-up data. Follow-up was done at nine examinations, approximately every 4 to 7 years, which included a physical exam, lifestyle-related questionnaires, blood sampling, and, starting in 1991, neurocognitive testing. Of 1,644 participants included in the analyses, 140 developed dementia. 

To measure the pace of aging, the researchers used an epigenetic clock called DunedinPACE developed by Dr. Belsky and colleagues at Duke University and the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. The clock measures how fast a person’s body is deteriorating as they grow older, “like a speedometer for the biological processes of aging,” explained Dr. Belsky.

“We have some strong evidence that a healthy diet can protect against dementia,” said Yian Gu, PhD, associate professor of neurological sciences at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the other senior author of the study, “but the mechanism of this protection is not well understood.” Past research linked both diet and dementia risk to an accelerated pace of biological aging. “Testing the hypothesis that multi-system biological aging is a mechanism of underlying diet-dementia associations was the logical next step,” explained Dr. Belsky.

The research determined that higher adherence to the MIND diet slowed the pace of aging as measured by DunedinPACE and reduced risks for dementia and mortality. Furthermore, slower DunedinPACE accounted for 27% of the diet-dementia association and 57% of the diet-mortality association.

“Our findings suggest that slower pace of aging mediates part of the relationship of healthy diet with reduced dementia risk, and therefore, monitoring pace of aging may inform dementia prevention,” said first author Aline Thomas, PhD, of the Columbia Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain. “However, a portion of the diet-dementia association remains unexplained, therefore we believe that continued investigation of brain-specific mechanisms in well-designed mediation studies is warranted.”

“We suggest that additional observational studies be conducted to investigate direct associations of nutrients with brain aging, and if our observations are also confirmed in more diverse populations, monitoring biological aging may indeed inform dementia prevention,” noted Dr. Belsky.

Exactly What Is the MIND Diet?

MIND is a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, tailored to reflect key findings from nutrition and dementia research. It details serving sizes of specific foods to focus on and which to limit, primarily those high in saturated fat, which is known to negatively affect brain health. 

Foods and portions to eat every day: 1/2 to 1 cup green leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup other vegetables, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and three 1-ounce servings of whole grains. 

Foods and portions to eat over the course of each week: 5 ounces nuts, 2-1/2 cups berries, 1-1/2 cups legumes, two 3-to-5-ounce servings of skinless poultry, and 3-to-5 ounces fish.

Foods to limit to these weekly totals: three or fewer 3-to-5-ounce servings of red and processed meats, 1 ounce whole-fat cheese, 1 fried or fast food, and 4 sweet servings. If desired, no more than 1 teaspoon of butter or stick of margarine a day.

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!

Olive Oil Hunter #169

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Elevated Grilled Cheese Sammies Recipe, Spotlight on Arugula, Avocado and Cast Iron Skillets, and How to Manage Chronic Pain with Exercise

Comfort foods are oh so yummy but often don’t have the best health profile. My version of the classic grilled cheese packs high-nutrient foods that deliver on taste, too. One of them is avocado, a food that’s not only good for you on its own but also seems to encourage healthier eating in general, according to a study I’m sharing. You’ll also read about a healthy therapy to help forestall or ease chronic pain. 

Elevated Grilled Cheese Sammies

  • Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich Elevated Grilled Cheese Sammies

    Even finicky eaters rush to the kitchen when grilled cheese sandwiches are on the menu. With a few ingredient upgrades, this lunch or dinner mainstay tastes even more delicious.

    Ingredients

    • Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
    • 2 ounces Manchego cheese, shredded
    • 1 ripe avocado, cut into thin slices
    • 1 ripe pear, cut into thin slices
    • 1 tablespoon fig jam
    • 1-2 cups arugula
    • 4 thin slices crusty whole wheat bread

    Directions

    Step 1

    Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil. Build the sandwiches on two of the slices, layering the ingredients equally in this order: a sprinkling of cheese, avocado slices, pear slices, fig jam, arugula, the rest of the cheese, and the top slice of bread. 

    Step 2

    If using a panini press, brush the outsides of the bread with olive oil and heat the press and grill the sandwiches as directed. If using a griddle, heat over medium heat; when hot, add two tablespoons of olive oil in two separate pools and place a sandwich over each pool. Press down on the sandwiches with a large spatula or an empty cast iron skillet (see “Quick Kitchen Nugget” below). When the bottoms have browned, flip the sandwiches and repeat.

    Makes 2 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Amazing Arugula

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Amazing Arugula

Arugula, pear and manchego salad

We often talk about sensing the spiciness of arugula when doing our fresh-pressed olive oil tastings—the tender greens are full of zesty flavor. If arugula isn’t already on your shopping list, it’s time to add it. The cool weather of spring and fall is its ideal growing environment. Young, or “baby,” arugula is milder in taste—though still peppery—than more mature or late-season harvests.

Though often found in bagged lettuce mixes, arugula (Eruca vesicaria) is actually a cruciferous vegetable, part of the same family as broccoli, cabbage, and kale—and just as packed with nutrients, including antioxidants. In addition to vitamins A, C, K, and folate and the minerals calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium, arugula has glucosinolates, natural substances that offer some protection from certain types of cancer, such as cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, and lung (glucosinolates are also responsible for that spicy bitterness). 

Arugula makes a great addition to hot and cold sandwiches, focaccia, and pizzas—just be sure to add it after your pizza is cooked, or the high temperature of the oven will burn it quickly. 

Baby arugula tends to come prerinsed, but when growing your own or buying a bunch from the greengrocer, just before eating submerge the leaves in a large bowl of cool water and agitate them to remove any dirt. Wait two minutes, then scoop out the leaves with a spoon strainer, pat dry, and enjoy. 

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Cast Iron Skillet: A Makeshift Panini Press

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Cast Iron Skillet: A Makeshift Panini Press

The value of a panini press is that it grills both sides of a sandwich at once and compacts the contents for better cheesy goodness. But you can achieve a similar effect by placing a cast-iron skillet on top of your sandwich on a griddle or grill. You’ll still have to flip the sandwich, but the skillet’s weight will compress it as it toasts on each side. If you use this method, don’t brush the top outer piece of bread with oil until you’re ready to flip it, to keep the oil from transferring to the skillet. 

For Your Best Health: An Avocado a Day…

For Your Best Health

An Avocado a Day…

A group of researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Tufts University, the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Loma Linda University, and Penn State University examined how the food-based intervention of eating one nutrient-dense avocado per day could impact overall diet quality. Surprisingly, only 2% of American adults eat avocados on a regular basis, even though they’re high in fiber and healthy fats, among many other nutrients. The study was published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition.   

“Previous observational research suggests avocado consumers have higher diet quality than non-consumers. So, we developed this study to determine if there is a causational link between avocado consumption and overall diet quality,” said Kristina S. Petersen, PhD, associate professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State. 

For the research, 1,008 participants were split into two groups. One group continued their usual diet and limited their avocado intake during the 26-week study, while the other group incorporated one avocado per day into their diet.

Researchers conducted phone interviews with participants before the study began and at a few points throughout to determine what their dietary intake was like in the previous 24 hours and evaluated their diets using the Healthy Eating Index to see how well they adhered to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which was used as a measure of overall diet quality.

“We found that the participants who had an avocado per day significantly increased their adherence to dietary guidelines,” Dr. Petersen said. “By improving people’s adherence to dietary guidelines, we can help to reduce their risk of developing chronic conditions and prolong healthy life expectancy.…In our study, we classified avocados as a vegetable and did see an increase in vegetable consumption attributed to the avocado intake, but also participants used the avocados to replace some unhealthier options…as a substitute for some foods higher in refined grains and sodium.”

Dr. Petersen has conducted similar studies investigating the impact of food-based interventions, including the relationship between pistachios and diet quality. She added that more research is needed to determine what other food-based strategies and behavioral strategies could also be used to improve adherence to dietary guidelines.

Fitness Flash: Physical Activity for Chronic Pain Protection

Fitness Flash

Physical Activity for Chronic Pain Protection

Researchers from UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN), and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health knew from an earlier study of  more than 10,000 adults that those who were physically active had a higher pain tolerance than those who were sedentary—and the higher the activity level, the higher the pain tolerance. They next wanted to understand how physical activity could affect the chances of experiencing chronic pain years later and whether this is related to how physical activity affects our ability to tolerate pain. So, they embarked on new research involving almost 7,000 people recruited from the large Tromsø survey, the Norwegian database that has collected data on people’s health and lifestyle over decades.

They obtained information about the participants’ exercise habits during their free time and whether they experienced pain that lasted for 3 months or more, including widespread or severe pain. 

“We found that people who were more active in their free time had a lower chance of having various types of chronic pain 7-8 years later. For example, being just a little more active, such as going from light to moderate activity, was associated with a 5% lower risk of reporting some form of chronic pain later,” said doctoral fellow Anders Årnes at UiT and UNN, one of the researchers behind the study. He adds that for severe chronic pain in several places in the body, higher activity was associated with a 16% reduced risk.

Exercise to manage chronic pain

The researchers found that the ability to tolerate pain played a role in this apparent protective effect. “This suggests that physical activity increases our ability to tolerate pain and may be one of the ways in which activity helps to reduce the risk of severe chronic pain,” said Årnes.

When it comes to exercising if you already have chronic pain, the researcher said: “Physical activity is not dangerous in the first place, but people with chronic pain can benefit greatly from having an exercise program adapted to help them balance their effort so that it is not too much or too little. Healthcare professionals experienced in treating chronic pain conditions can often help with this. A rule of thumb is that there should be no worsening that persists over an extended period, but that certain reactions in the time after training can be expected.”

The research, “Does pain tolerance mediate the effect of physical activity on chronic pain in the general population? The Tromsø Study,” was published in the journal Pain.

Get More Recipes In Your Inbox!