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The Olive Oil Hunter News #74

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Cauliflower Recipe with Zesty Walnut Pesto, Spotlight on Walnuts and Pesto, Plant-based Foods for Skin Health and Get Moving for Life

Achieving good health is a lot like doing a jigsaw puzzle, with the key pieces being diet, exercise, and well-being. This week’s newsletter shows just how they fit together, with walnuts being a surprising thread. Walnuts offer very similar benefits to those in olive oil. Besides their starring role in my zesty pesto, you’ll see how well they fit into the Mediterranean diet and how that diet has a special role in skin health. 

Cauliflower with Zesty Walnut Pesto

  • The Olive Oil Hunter News #78 Cauliflower with Zesty Walnut Pesto

    Cauliflower is an amazingly versatile vegetable, thanks to its mild taste. Think of it as a healthy base for your favorite sauces. I like to dress it up with this Southwestern-style pesto. Any leftovers make a great cold lunch the next day!

    Ingredients

    • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed, dried, and stemmed 
    • 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
    • 1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
    • Juice of 1/2 lime
    • 1/3 cup unsalted walnuts, toasted 
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    • Coarse kosher or sea salt, plus more to taste 
    • Freshly ground black pepper 
    • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
    • 1/3 cup crumbled cotija or queso fresco 
    • 1 large head cauliflower, cored and separated into florets 

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 400°F and make the pesto while you’re waiting for it to come up to temperature. In the bowl of a small food processor, combine the cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, nuts, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Pulse several times. While the machine is running, gradually add 1/4 cup of olive oil through the lid and process until the mixture is fairly smooth, adding additional oil, one tablespoon at a time, as needed for a creamy consistency. Add the cheese and process for a few seconds more. Add more salt and pepper to taste. 

    Step 2

    Spread the cauliflower florets in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Use two baking sheets if necessary to avoid crowding. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the cauliflower, turning once with a spatula, until lightly brown and tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. When done, transfer to a large bowl, top with several spoonfuls of the pesto, and use a spatula to coat the florets. Serve immediately. 

    Yields 6 side servings or 4 main dishes

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Walnuts deliver

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Walnuts deliver

Did you know that walnuts are another important part of the Mediterranean diet, adding to the benefits of olive oil and its other plant-based foods? One ounce of walnuts—1/4 cup or 12 to 14 halves—is a powerhouse of important nutrients, including 2.5 grams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid; with the most ALA of any other tree nut, walnuts are an important source for vegans and vegetarians. You’ll also get 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 45 mg of magnesium. Walnuts not only add crunch to salads, they’re also a great take-anywhere snack.

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: Pesto: Viva variations!

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Pesto: Viva variations!

I love pesto because there’s no right or wrong way to make it. Named after the pestle, the hand tool originally used to crush the ingredients, pesto was born in Genoa, Italy. Classic recipes call for basil and pine nuts, but just as food processors have made pesto a snap to whip up, using other herbs and nuts has modernized it, as evidenced by the cilantro and walnuts in this issue’s recipe. But no need to stop there—parsley will give a milder flavor, for instance, while rosemary or thyme supply a bolder one. For other nut variations, consider pistachios, almonds, cashews, or pecans. Want to try a cheese other than Parmigiano-Reggiano? Switch to Pecorino Romano, or even a mix of the two. The one nonnegotiable is the olive oil, and if you’re a member of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, you can experiment with the mild, medium, and bold oils in your collection.

If you want a general guideline to start with, use these proportions and then adjust any or all of the ingredients to your taste as you process the pesto: 2 cups fresh herbs, 2 peeled garlic cloves, 1/2 cup each of grated cheese, nuts, and extra virgin olive oil, plus fresh pepper and salt to taste.

For Your Best Health: Plant-based foods for skin health

For Your Best Health

Plant-based foods for skin health

I’ve shared insights on olive oil and skin quality, so I was very excited to read that many of the other foods that make up the Mediterranean diet can offer additional boosts. According to a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on March 1, 2022, “Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and polyphenols, nuts and legumes abundant in mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, as well as polyphenolic-rich beverages, can improve skin health.” While the effects vary, the researchers noted improvement in skin texture, complexion, wrinkles, and elasticity.

The researchers first looked at large population studies on plant-based foods for skin health and found key examples. “A robust intake of vegetables, olive oil, and legumes was correlated with lower actinic [scaly patches of] skin damage caused by long-term UVR exposure among 2,000 people aged 70 and older in Australia, Greece, China, Japan, and Sweden,” they stated, while following the Dutch Healthy Diet Index guidelines for a diet rich in “fruits, yogurt, milk, and vegetables was significantly associated with fewer wrinkles in women. In contrast, diets consisting mainly of meat, refined grains, snacks, soft drinks, coffee, and alcoholic beverages were associated with more wrinkling in women.”

Then they dug deeper to see which micronutrients in specific fruits and vegetables seemed to help most. In addition to getting the monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs, that olive oil provides, they found that “in general, yellow, orange, and red fruits such as mangos, melons, citrus, tomatoes, and vegetables such as red bell peppers and dark-green leafy kale are good sources of carotenoids. Fruits with deep red or purple colors such as grapes, pomegranate, and passion fruit are rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols. Nuts and legumes are also encouraged, along with cocoa, coffee, and tea that are rich in polyphenols. Decaffeinated options do not appear to dilute benefits and should be considered for caffeine-sensitive individuals.”

While they pointed out that more studies are needed to determine what exact amounts make the greatest difference, you can’t go wrong for skin health and overall health by reaching for a variety of these foods every day.  

Fitness Flash: Get moving for life

Fitness Flash

Get moving for life

Even though we know that exercise is directly tied to longevity, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed at the prospect of starting or rebooting an exercise program if you’re not already fitness minded. That’s why I want to share the findings of the study, “Estimated Number of Deaths Prevented Through Increased Physical Activity Among US Adults,” published in JAMA Internal Medicine this past January. 

The researchers used advanced calculations to look at the link between physical activity and mortality in a wide sample of US adults and to estimate the number of deaths that could be prevented every year with modest increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, or MVPA. 

They based their findings on the various activity levels of participants who wore an accelerometer, a device that can measure motion, for a week. They found that, for adults ages 40 to 85 years and up, increasing MVPA by just 10, 20, or 30 minutes per day was linked to a 6.9%, 13.0%, and 16.9% decrease in the number of deaths per year, respectively. In real terms, this means roughly 111,174 preventable deaths per year with 10 more minutes of MVPA, 209,459 preventable deaths with 20 more minutes, and 272,297 preventable deaths with 30 more minutes.

Of course, there are limitations to the study—you have to exercise for more than a week to get these results. But it’s motivating to know that even 10 minutes a day can have a big impact on your life…and possibly encourage you to go for 20 or even 30 minutes.  

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #73

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The Ultimate Dog & Human Biscuits Recipe and the Health Benefits of Olive Oil for Cats and Dogs

I was astounded to learn that our furry friends can benefit from extra virgin olive oil just as we do. Here’s what I uncovered, plus an easy recipe for dog treats fit for their owners! With four simple ingredients, you can keep the treat jar filled with wholesome goodness.

Fitness Flash: The Benefits of Olive Oil for Dogs

The Benefits of Olive Oil for Dogs 

Chewy.com is the site for all things pet-related, so it was great to read their informative post on extra virgin olive oil for dogs. Studies show that olive and other oils can help reduce inflammation in dogs and ease the itching associated with allergies, according to Dr. Christopher Reeder, a board-certified dermatologist at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Franklin, Tennessee. 

Olive oil’s phytonutrients, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids help keep your dog’s skin moisturized and well-nourished. These nutrients also benefit your dog’s coat, adding shine and strength to their hair. Dr. Reeder was quoted as saying that he could see a noticeable increase in luster and shine in the coats of dogs whose diets were supplemented with olive oil. Expect it to take about 30 days, he added. 

Dr. Judy Morgan, a holistic veterinarian and author, added that if you decide to give your dog olive oil, make it extra virgin olive oil because of its rich nutrients and low acidity. According to the Chewy.com report, both vets suggest no more than one teaspoon of olive oil per 20 pounds of body weight per meal (some other vets suggest one teaspoon for every 30-40 pounds), and it can be mixed right in with your fur baby’s regular wet or dry food. Dogs need far fewer calories than we do, so you want to keep amounts small.

Of course, it’s always best to ask your vet before changing your pet’s diet, especially if your dog is being treated for any ailments or conditions. Your vet may suggest starting to supplement with olive oil once a week and gradually moving up to once a day. Never give olive oil—or any other people food—to your dog if he or she is vomiting or having poop issues.

Rover.com points out that fancy dog food brands now tout the addition of healthful fatty acids to their food, but you can add them yourself…and you can use the freshest olive oil available. In terms of other benefits, Rover.com says there’s the possibility that olive oil could offer some of the benefits seen in people, like better brain and heart health. Olive oil’s antioxidants can help protect your dog’s cell membranes from damage by free radicals, making it anti-aging. It may also boost appetite and improve digestion and elimination. 

Fitness Flash: The Benefits of Olive Oil for Cats

The Benefits of Olive Oil for Cats 

Cats, too, can benefit from olive oil and its monounsaturated fat, according to AnimalWised.com. It may boost their immune system and heart health while lowering their risk for heart disease and diabetes. 

It’s also an easy remedy for constipation, and adding olive oil to your cat’s diet on a regular basis will keep his or her fur shiny and soft. Add just a teaspoon to your cat’s food three times a week, mixing it in until well blended.

Cat owners know how distressing it is when kitty gets a hairball, and cats can get them three or four times a month, according to Hartz, the pet supply company. Their experts suggest mixing one teaspoon of olive oil into your cat’s food for three days straight to help when you sense one. 

The Ultimate Dog & Human Biscuits

  • Ultimate Dog & Human Biscuits Recipe The Ultimate Dog & Human Biscuits

    Look at the label on a box of dog treats and you’ll be shocked at the number of ingredients, some unrecognizable and unpronounceable. My recipe has just four, and you probably already have them in your pantry. These biscuits supply not only healthy olive oil but also three whole grains. I’m reluctant to call them dog biscuits because they’re perfect for people too—top one with a slice of cheese and a teaspoon of fig jam and you’ll never buy boxed “human” crackers again!

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, plus more for topping (optional)
    • 2 cups whole wheat flour, plus more for rolling
    • 2 cups medium-coarse cornmeal 
    • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1-1/2 cups warm water, or more if needed

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 350ºF and take out two rimmed cookie sheets. In a large bowl, add the 2 cups of each grain and use a large whisk to combine. Add the olive oil and mix it in with your hands. Add the water, mixing again to make a dough. If it’s too dry, add more water until it comes together. 

    Step 2

    Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured countertop and flour a rolling pin. Divide the dough in two and roll out one half to about 1/4-inch thick. For a prettier cracker to serve to people, sprinkle the tops with a handful of rolled oats and go over the surface with the rolling pin to help set them. If you have a bench scraper, use it to cut the dough into 4-by-2-inch rectangles and then lift them onto a cookie sheet, placing them 1/2 inch apart. (You can also cut them with a blunt knife and transfer them with a large spatula.) Repeat with the remaining dough. All the biscuits should fit on the two sheets. 

    Step 3

    Bake the biscuits for 25 minutes, then reverse their positions in the oven and bake for another 25 minutes until crispy. Store in a cookie jar or tin—they’ll stay fresh for 10-14 days.

    Yields 36 biscuits/crackers

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #72

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Nutty Oat Muffin Recipe, Spotlight on Oats (and Groats), plus the Body, Gut, and Brain Connection

This week’s news shows just how connected the body, gut, and brain are, with what we eat and how we move very much linked to our mental health. My nutty oat muffin recipe, so easy to make in less than 30 minutes, not only tastes great but can also help boost brain health as well as gut health, thanks to those oats. And we’re learning that movement goes beyond boosting physical health to also benefiting the brain—you can even pick types of exercise based on what mental benefits you seek. 

Nutty Oat Muffins

  • Nutty Oat Muffin Recipe Nutty Oat Muffins

    These muffins have a great crunch and are packed with whole grain goodness. 

    Ingredients

    • 1-1/2 cups white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour 
    • 3/4 cup rolled oats 
    • 2 ounces almonds or walnuts, roughly chopped 
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar 
    • 1 tablespoon stevia
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
    • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 cup blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
    • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 extra-large eggs
    • 1 cup milk, your choice of dairy or plant-based
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 400ºF if conventional, 380ºF if convection. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, nuts, baking powder, sugar, stevia, cinnamon, and salt. Add the berries and toss to coat (this will help them stay well distributed in the batter).

    Step 2

    In a separate bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and use a spatula to fold them in just until no traces of flour remain.

    Step 3

    Use a large ice cream scoop to fill a 12-muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes or until the tip of a knife comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then transfer the muffins to a rack to finish cooling. Store in a covered tin for up to two days and then refrigerate.

    Yields 12 muffins

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Groats and Oats

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

From groats to oats

Oats are known as a good source of soluble fiber—the 5 grams per serving help lower cholesterol levels and heart disease risk. Oatmeal is just the beginning of what you can make from rolled oats. In the recipe above, they meld beautifully into the finished muffins. But when a hot bowl of oatmeal is on the breakfast menu, you might be wondering whether you should start with popular steel-cut oats instead. Both come from oat groats, the oat grain with the hull removed (the bran and germ are intact, so oats are still considered a whole grain). What happens to the groats next explains the difference between rolled and steel-cut oats.

Rolled oats are oat groats that have been steamed and then passed through roller mills. The thicker the rolled oats, the more nutrients they pack. 

Steel-cut oats are groats that have only been chopped into two or three pieces, no steaming or rolling. They need to be cooked much longer than rolled oats and are better in breakfast bowls than baked goods—they simply won’t soften enough. Because they need more water to cook than rolled oats, you end up with a bigger portion by volume. Finally, they’re digested more slowly than rolled oats; you feel full longer and have less of a spike in blood sugar—important if you’re managing a health condition like diabetes or prediabetes. 

Healthy Kitchen Nugget: A better vanilla?

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

A better vanilla?

If you’re looking for intense vanilla flavor but don’t want to go to the expense of buying vanilla beans, consider using vanilla paste in place of extract. You can use it teaspoon-for-teaspoon in recipes for a deeper flavor, plus it has vanilla bean seeds for that characteristic speckled look, and because it’s thicker, it adds less liquid to batters. Though you often see the suggestion to use vanilla bean paste in desserts where the vanilla is the star, such as ice cream, custard, and crème brûlée, I find it perks up the flavor of any recipe that calls for extract. 

For Your Best Health: Fiber: The new brain food

For Your Best Health

Fiber: The new brain food

You already know that fiber is a must for digestive health and that we often don’t get enough. Need more motivation to up your intake? Researchers in Japan found that fiber may help brain health. Their study, just published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience, looked at the diet and health records of 3,500 participants from the 1980s to 2020. They found a link between a high-fiber diet and a reduced risk of dementia. 

There are two main types of fiber. Insoluble fibers, found mostly in whole grains and vegetables, are important for bowel health. Soluble fibers, found in foods like oats and legumes, are important for the beneficial bacteria that live in the gut, among other health benefits. When the researchers looked at the link between fiber intake and dementia, they found that soluble fiber had a more pronounced effect.

“The mechanisms are currently unknown but might involve the interactions that take place between the gut and the brain,” says lead author of the study, Kazumasa Yamagishi, MD, professor at the University of Tsukuba. “One possibility is that soluble fiber regulates the composition of gut bacteria. This composition may affect neuroinflammation, which plays a role in the onset of dementia. It’s also possible that dietary fiber may reduce other risk factors for dementia, such as body weight, blood pressure, lipids, and glucose levels. The work is still at an early stage, and it’s important to confirm the association in other populations.”

While we wait, there’s no reason not to stock up on those oats!

Fitness Flash: Movement for the brain

Fitness Flash

Movement for the brain

More amazing boosts to brain health come from exercise. A fascinating article posted by the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, explores the new book Move!: The New Science of Body Over Mind (Hanover Square Press) by Caroline Williams, who points out that the connection between exercise and the brain goes deeper than the release of feel-good endorphins known as a runner’s high. 

She describes how movement or the lack of it can send signals we may not even be aware of to the brain. As the article explains it: “If our body is communicating to our brain that we are sedentary or weak, that might create underlying feelings of depression or anxiety, insecurity or uncertainty. On the flip side, moving and building strength could create positive changes in our bodily systems that, when passed along to the brain, give us a subtle sense of happiness, confidence, and positivity.” 

Based on interviews with researchers and practitioners around the world, Williams details the many ways that working your body can influence and improve your brain for the better. It’s full of suggestions for different ways of moving that have different brain health benefits. So, while any exercise is helpful for the body physically, you can also make choices tailored to your best mental health, like taking a group fitness class to feel more connected socially or dancing to your favorite music to escape anxiety while getting lost in its rhythms.

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The Olive Oil Hunter News #71

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Chimichurri Aioli Recipe and the Gut Health Benefits of Olive Oil

There’s been a lot of research in recent years showing the relationship of gut health with overall health. The gut is thought to be as powerful a system as the brain—it’s sometimes called the second brain! Based on the level of diversity in its bacteria (called the gut microbiota), your gut can make you more or less susceptible to conditions like diabetes and heart disease. So, I was super excited to read about the ways in which extra virgin olive oil can enhance gut microbiota diversity. 

Fitness Flash: Gut Health and Olive Oil

The Gut Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Research Review: “Extra-virgin olive oil and the gut-brain axis: influence on gut microbiota, mucosal immunity, and cardiometabolic and cognitive health,” Nutrition Reviews, December 2021.

What We Know: Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is considered a functional food because it supports many aspects of health. It has a wide variety of healthful components, including monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFAs, and bioactive phenolic compounds that, as the review reminds us, “individually and collectively, exert beneficial effects on cardiometabolic markers of health and act as neuroprotective agents through their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.” Simply put, those compounds boost heart, brain, and metabolic health in numerous ways.

The Benefits of Olive Oil in a Nutshell: Extra virgin olive oil boosts gut microbiota diversity, enhancing health while lowering inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, blood fats, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

The review goes on to state that “the gut microbiota and health of the intestinal environment are now considered important factors in the development of obesity, metabolic disease, and even certain neurodegenerative conditions via the gut-brain axis. Recently, data are emerging which demonstrate that the health-promoting benefits of EVOO may also extend to the gut microbiota.” 

For their review, the authors analyzed many recent studies on EVOO and the gut and found that EVOO reduces the abundance of bad bacteria, stimulates the growth of good bacteria, and increases the production of short-chain fatty acids, or SCFAs, which have a wide range of anti-inflammatory effects.

They also found that EVOO plays a role in the health of the intestinal mucosa, the mucous layer lining the digestive system (it’s actually part of the body’s immune system and acts as a protective barrier to invaders). The health of the intestinal mucosa seems to influence the body’s overall level of inflammation, and inflammation is at the root of many heart, metabolic, and brain diseases. As the review authors point out, “Western-style diets, low in dietary fiber and high in high pro-inflammatory fats, are associated with gut dysbiosis, increased gut permeability, systemic inflammation, and a variety of chronic diseases. Conversely, healthier dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in dietary fiber, beneficial fatty acids, and polyphenolic compounds, are associated with greater gut microbial diversity, increased abundance of beneficial bacteria, and reduced levels of inflammation and risk of chronic diseases.” 

Among the many studies cited in the review is one on the effects of a Mediterranean diet on the gut microbiota of 612 elderly European participants. The study found that sticking to the diet for over 12 months led to “an increased abundance in several bacteria associated with improved cognition and was inversely associated with pro-inflammatory markers.” In general, people who get EVOO in their diet tend to have high numbers of many types of good bacteria—numbers that tend to be lower in people who eat a typical Western diet. 

The researchers also compared the results of many large-scale studies to find the optimal amount of olive oil to have every day for different health benefits. Here’s what they found: “At least 4 tablespoons per day is associated with a 30% lower risk of occurrence of cardiovascular events and improved cognitive function compared with a low-fat diet. In addition to using EVOO in [place] of saturated fats, the European Food Safety Authority also suggests a minimum daily intake of 20 g [about 1.5 tablespoons] of EVOO to assist in obtaining optimal cholesterol levels and protection of LDL [low-density lipoproteins] from oxidative damage. Although evidence in relation to the optimal amount of EVOO required to modulate the gut microbiota is still in its infancy, beneficial effects on the microbiota have been observed in two intervention studies at doses of 40 and 50 g/day (about 3 and 4 tablespoons, respectively).” 

Chimichurri Aioli

  • Chimichurri Aioli Chimichurri Aioli

    This olive-oil based recipe turns chimichurri into an aioli, a highly flavored, garlicky mayonnaise. It’s great as a veggie dip, a condiment, and even a dressing for cold pasta salad.

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup best quality prepared mayonnaise
    • 1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
    • 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
    • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, such as Vinaigre de Banyuls, plus more to taste 
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
    • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
    • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, or more to taste
    • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

    Directions

    Step 1

    Combine everything except the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until the garlic and herbs are finely chopped. 

    Step 2

    With the motor running, slowly drizzle the oil through the feed tube until the mixture is smooth. 

    Step 3

    Taste, adding more vinegar or salt as needed. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of water and process for a few seconds. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

    Yields about a 1/2 cup 

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