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Olive Oil Hunter News #227

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Chinese Eggplant with Tangy Garlic Sauce Recipe, Spotlight on Chinese Eggplant, Does Cheese Fuel Nightmares, plus Maximizing the Mood Benefits of Exercise 

Eating your veggies is more fun when you tingle your tastebuds with new sensations. If you’ve never tried Chinese eggplant, you’ll be surprised at how versatile it is. It takes on the flavors of the other ingredients in a recipe, making it a wonderful vehicle for the sweet and tangy Asian sauce I’m sharing. An interesting study at the Université de Montréal found a connection between being lactose intolerant and having nightmares—it’s a real eye-opener! And when it comes to exercise, certain factors can have a big impact on how much your mood benefits from working out.

Chinese Eggplant with Tangy Garlic Sauce

  • Chinese Eggplant with Tangy Garlic Sauce Chinese Eggplant with Tangy Garlic Sauce

    I particularly love the sauce for the eggplant—try it on chicken, pork, and Asian noodles, too. A common misconception is that olive oil is too flavorful for Asian cooking, but that myth was dispelled some time ago by Melissa Wong, a great friend of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club and a consummate foodie. You’ll read more about Melissa in the Pressing Report that comes with our next quarterly shipment of olive oils—she’s the force behind one of my amazing Australian selections. If you’re not currently a member of the Club, please click here to join now, so you don’t miss my sumptuous trio of Oz oils in September.

    Ingredients

    For the sauce:

    • 2 teaspoons cornstarch 
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
    • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
    • 1/4 cup white sugar
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes, more to taste
    • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce 

    For the eggplant:

    • 2 small purple or white Chinese eggplant (about 8 ounces), sliced into 1/2-inch discs
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
    • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

    Directions

    Step 1

    Make the sauce: In a small dish, dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water; set aside. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil, garlic, and ginger, and cook until the aromatics soften. Add in the rice wine vinegar, sugar, water, chili flakes, and soy sauce. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Add in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat. 

    Step 2

    Make the eggplant: To extract excess water, place the eggplant discs in a colander set over a bowl and toss with the salt. After 15 minutes, rinse with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.

    Step 3

    Heat a large skillet or flat-bottom wok. Coat the eggplant discs with the cornstarch. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil, garlic, and ginger and cook until the aromatics soften (don’t let them burn). Add the eggplant in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, then flip and continue cooking until brown on both sides. 

    Step 4

    Transfer the eggplant to a serving bowl and top with 1/2 cup sauce; serve the rest separately.

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Chinese Eggplant

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Chinese Eggplant

If you don’t think you like eggplant, give this long, thin variety a try. Chinese eggplants cook up quickly and have a milder taste than the traditional, bulbous variety because they have far fewer seeds. Traditionally deep-purple hued, they’re also available in white and striped versions. There’s no need to peel them, and they can be sliced in a variety of ways, making them a versatile addition to stir-fries and other recipes.

Chinese eggplant
Quick Kitchen Nugget: Prepping Eggplant

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Prepping Eggplant

Like many other vegetables, including mushrooms, Chinese eggplant can easily absorb oil during stovetop cooking, so make sure your pan is hot before you get started. Sweating them to reduce their moisture content and giving them a light coating of cornstarch, as described in the above recipe, will keep them from turning soggy. When roasting, just lightly brush the eggplant pieces with olive oil before placing in the oven. 

For Your Best Health: Does Cheese Fuel Nightmares? 

For Your Best Health

Does Cheese Fuel Nightmares? 

Although folk beliefs have long held that what you eat affects how you sleep, there’s very little evidence to prove or disprove them. To investigate, researchers from the Université de Montréal in Canada surveyed 1,082 students at MacEwan University about sleep time and quality, dreams and nightmares, and any perceived association between different kinds of dreams and different foods. They also asked about participants’ mental and physical health and their relationship with food. 

About a third of respondents reported regular nightmares. Women were more likely to remember their dreams and to report poor sleep and nightmares, and nearly twice as likely as men to report a food intolerance or allergy. About 40% of participants said that they thought eating late at night or specific foods affected their sleep, and roughly 25% thought particular foods could make their sleep worse. People who ate less healthily were more likely to have negative dreams and less likely to remember dreams. 

Most participants who blamed their bad sleep on food thought that sweets, spicy foods, or dairy were responsible. Only a comparatively small proportion—5.5% of respondents—felt that what they ate affected the tone of their dreams, but many of these people said they thought sweets or dairy made their dreams more disturbing or bizarre.

Woman waking rested and happy

When the authors compared reports of food intolerances to reports of bad dreams and poor sleep, they found that lactose intolerance in particular was associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, nightmares, and low sleep quality. It’s possible that eating dairy activates gastrointestinal disturbance and the resulting discomfort affects people’s dreams and the quality of their rest.

“Nightmares are worse for lactose-intolerant people who suffer severe gastrointestinal symptoms and whose sleep is disrupted,” said Tore Nielsen, PhD, lead author of the article, which was published in Frontiers in Psychology. “This makes sense, because we know that other bodily sensations can affect dreaming. Nightmares can be very disruptive, especially if they occur often, because they tend to awaken people from sleep in a dysphoric state. They might also produce sleep avoidance behaviors. Both symptoms can rob you of restful sleep. These new findings imply that changing eating habits for people with some food sensitivities could alleviate nightmares. They could also explain why people so often blame dairy for bad dreams …We are routinely asked whether food affects dreaming, especially by journalists on food-centric holidays,” said Dr. Nielsen. “Now we have some answers.”

Besides the robust link between lactose intolerance and nightmares, however, it’s not clear how the relationship between sleep and diet works. It’s possible that people sleep less well because they eat less well, but it’s also possible that people don’t eat well because they don’t sleep well, or that another factor influences both sleep and diet. Further research will be needed to confirm these links and identify the underlying mechanisms. In the meantime, the researchers suggest that simple diet tweaks, especially ditching late-night cheese, could turn scary sleep into sweet rest.

Fitness Flash: Maximizing the Mood Benefits of Exercise 

Fitness Flash

Maximizing the Mood Benefits of Exercise 

Movement helps your mood, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. Researchers have known that exercising for fun, with friends, or in enjoyable settings brings greater mental health benefits than simply moving for chores or obligations. But a recent study done at the University of Georgia suggests that it’s not just physical movement that affects mental health. Their findings emphasize that context—who you’re with, why you’re exercising, and even the weather—can make or break the mood-boosting effects and may be more important than the actual amount of exercise you get.

“Historically, physical activity research has focused on how long someone exercises for or how many calories were burned,” said Patrick O’Connor, PhD, co-author of the study and a professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s department of kinesiology. “The ‘dose’ of exercise has been the dominant way researchers have tried to understand how physical activity might influence mental health, while often ignoring whether those minutes were spent exercising with a friend or as part of a game.”

While research shows that leisure-time physical activity, like going for a run, taking a yoga class, or biking for fun, correlates with better mental health outcomes, these benefits may vary significantly depending on the environment and circumstances surrounding the activity, according to the researchers. They reviewed three types of studies: large-scale epidemiological studies that examined health patterns in populations, randomized controlled trials where some groups received exercise treatments and others did not, and a much smaller but growing set of investigations into “contextual factors.” For instance, multiple studies have found that people who engage in regular leisure-time physical activity tend to report lower levels of depression and anxiety. But it’s less clear for other forms of activity like cleaning the house or working for a lawn care company. Where the evidence is thinnest but potentially most important is in understanding contextual factors. 

Context may matter as much as the intensity or amount of physical activity. “For example, if a soccer player runs down the field and kicks the game-winning ball, their mental health is fantastic,” Dr. O’Connor said. “In contrast, if you do the exact same exercise but miss the goal and people are blaming you, you likely feel very differently. Anecdotes such as these show how context matters even when people are performing a similar exercise dose.” In other words, the same physical activity can feel very different depending on who the activity was done with, as well as where, when, and how. 

Context can range from peer dynamics and instructor style to external conditions like weather or time of day. “If you’re outside and it’s hot, and you’re having to walk to work, that’s part of the context,” he said. “Or if you go and take a group exercise class—some instructors you really like, and some you don’t. So, that’s also part of the context. If we’re trying to help people’s mental health with exercise, then not only do we need to think about the dose and the mode, we also need to ask: What is the context?”

Numerous randomized controlled trials have shown that adopting regular exercise routines boosted mental health, especially for people with mental health disorders. However, these studies were typically based on small, short-term, and homogenous samples, so the results likely aren’t generalizable to larger, more diverse groups. “The average effects on mental health are small across all the randomized controlled studies of exercise, and that’s partly because most of the studies focused on people who were not depressed or anxious—you do get bigger effects in those studies,” explained Dr. O’Connor. “We’re communicating to scientists that larger and longer-term controlled studies are needed to make a compelling case whether exercise does, or does not, truly impact mental health.”

For Dr. O’Connor, the takeaway is already clear: It’s not just movement that matters. It’s the meaning, the setting, and the experience surrounding the activity that determines the impact of exercise on mental health.

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Olive Oil Hunter News #226

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Tropical Shrimp Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Shrimp, Choosing and Deveining Shrimp, Fasting to Manage Type 2 Diabetes, plus Weight Gain Despite Exercise

When it comes to classic warm-weather dishes, shrimp salad is often at the top of the list. But when summer’s heat is raging, the traditional mayo dressing can feel heavy. This recipe pairs shrimp with sweet mango and creamy avocado for a tropical taste sensation. Need to tweak your diet for better diabetes control? A new study compared three top options to uncover the best option, while other research I’m sharing found that too many calories rather than a lack of exercise is what’s behind weight gain.

Tropical Shrimp Salad

  • Tropical Shrimp Salad Tropical Shrimp Salad

    This shrimp salad refresh uses a light vinaigrette to bring out the flavors of the shellfish as well as the mango and avocado. For ease, zest the citrus fruits before juicing them.

    Ingredients

    For the vinaigrette:

    • 1 tablespoon orange zest
    • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
    • 2 tablespoons lime zest
    • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
    • 2 teaspoons honey
    • 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley

    For the salad:

    • 1 pound jumbo or extra-large shrimp, preferably wild caught, peeled and deveined if needed
    • 1 large ripe mango, diced
    • 1 large ripe avocado, diced
    • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 6 cups mixed lettuces such as arugula, radicchio, and green leaf, rough chopped

    Directions

    Step 1

    Boil the shrimp in a large pot of salted water until they turn pink, 3 to 5 minutes; drain and set aside to cool.

    Step 2

    In a small bowl, whisk together the zests, juices, honey, and soy sauce. Keep whisking as you drizzle in the olive oil. Fold in the cilantro or parsley.

    Step 3

    In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, mango, avocado, and tomatoes. Drizzle on half the vinaigrette and toss gently. 

    Step 4

    Divide the lettuces among four plates and top with equal amounts of the shrimp mixture. Pass the rest of the vinaigrette separately.

    Yields 4 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Choosing Shrimp

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Choosing Shrimp

According to the National Fisheries Institute, each American eats about 5 pounds of shrimp a year. To meet the demand both here and around the world, many countries, including Indonesia, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, farm shrimp for export, often under conditions that could be unsafe and hard to check on. Farmed shrimp clustered in ponds require antibiotics and chemicals to ward off diseases—they’re not only in these shrimp, but they also leech into waterways, raising concerns for the environment. One positive step forward is recirculating farms, which are in early stages in the US, that raise shrimp in large indoor tanks or under hoop houses.

For a variety of reasons, many people choose wild-caught shrimp over farm-raised. The shrimp may be healthier, but there has been the problem of bycatch—other fish and sea creatures that get caught in shrimp nets. Fortunately, more sophisticated equipment and innovations have reduced bycatch amounts in some waters, especially in the Gulf of Mexico and around Oregon’s pink shrimp fishery.

While there’s no single right answer, you can look for packaging that bears the label of an organization that looks out for consumers. The Marine Stewardship Council or MSC is the main certifier of sustainable wild fisheries, and 36 shrimp fisheries currently carry its blue fish label. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watchis a program that provides science-based recommendations about which seafood to buy based on sustainability. 

Also to keep in mind: Whole Foods stores have their own standards for both wild shrimp and farmed shrimp. The company’s standards for farm-raised shrimp ban antibiotics and preservatives and prohibit the conversion of sensitive ecosystems such as mangrove forests into shrimp farms, a practice that has devastated parts of Southeast Asia. 

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Deveining Shrimp

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Deveining Shrimp

Deveining shrimp

What looks like a vein running the length of a shrimp’s back is actually its digestive tract. If the shrimp ate before getting caught, the tract can be very noticeable. Though it might be safe albeit gritty to eat, many people like to “devein” their shrimp before cooking. Allow yourself a few minutes: since you’ll be using a sharp knife, you don’t want to rush through the process, which is simple enough.

Once the shrimp is peeled, simply run the tip of a paring knife down the length of its back to expose the digestive tract and then pop it out. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and place it in a colander before moving to the next one.

For Your Best Health: Fasting to Manage Type 2 Diabetes

For Your Best Health

Fasting to Manage Type 2 Diabetes

A new study from the Endocrine Society is the first to compare three popular diets head-on—intermittent fasting (also known as 5:2 intermittent energy restriction or IER), time-restricted eating (TRE), and calorie cutting (continuous energy restriction or CER). 

Researchers found that all three can help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight and lower blood sugar, but one diet stood out: intermittent fasting. This involves eating normally five days a week and restricting calories on the other two. It led to better results in fasting blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity, lowering triglycerides, and sticking with the plan.

“The research fills a gap in directly comparing 5:2 intermittent energy restriction with 10-hour time-restricted eating in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The findings provide scientific evidence for clinicians to choose appropriate dietary strategies when treating such patients,” said Haohao Zhang, PhD, chief physician at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in Zhengzhou, China. 

Dr. Zhang and colleagues performed a single-center, randomized, parallel-controlled trial at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 19, 2021, to November 7, 2024. Ninety patients were randomly assigned to one of the three diet plans, with consistent weekly caloric intake across all groups. A team of nutritionists supervised the 16-week intervention.

At the end of the study, there were no significant differences in HbA1c reduction and weight loss between the IER, TRE, and CER groups. However, the absolute decrease in HbA1c and body weight was greatest in the IER group. The IER group had the highest adherence rate at 85%, followed by the CER group at 84% and the TRE group at 78%. Dr. Zhang said these findings highlight the feasibility and effectiveness of dietary interventions for people who have obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Fitness Flash: Weight Gain Despite Exercise 

Fitness Flash

Weight Gain Despite Exercise 

Senior woman running on treadmill

We aren’t moving less—we’re just eating more, according to a Duke University study showing that diet, not laziness, is fueling the obesity epidemic across industrialized nations. Our diet, not our activity level, is what has changed the most. 

“Despite decades of trying to understand the root causes of the obesity crisis in economically developed countries, public health guidance remains stuck with uncertainty as to the relative importance of diet and physical activity. This large, international, collaborative effort allows us to test these competing ideas. It’s clear that changes in diet, not reduced activity, are the main cause of obesity in the US and other developed countries,” said Herman Pontzer, PhD, principal investigator with Duke University’s Pontzer Lab, part of the department of evolutionary anthropology at the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences.

The researchers analyzed thousands of measurements of daily energy expenditure, body fat percentage, and body mass index from adults aged 18 to 60 across 34 populations spanning six continents. The more than 4,200 adults included in the study came from a wide range of lifestyles and economies, including hunter-gatherer, pastoralist, farming, and industrialized populations. To further categorize the level of industrialization, the researchers also integrated data from the United Nations Human Development Index to incorporate measures of lifespan, prosperity, and education.

“While we saw a marginal decrease in size-adjusted total energy expenditure with economic development, differences in total energy expenditure explained only a fraction of the increase in body fat that accompanied development. This suggests that other factors, such as dietary changes, are driving the increases in body fat that we see with increasing economic development,” said Amanda McGrosky, PhD, a Duke postdoctoral alumna and lead investigator for the study, now an assistant professor of biology at Elon University.

The researchers hope the study helps clarify public health messaging and strategies to tackle the obesity crisis and explain that the findings do not mean that efforts to promote physical activity should be minimized. Instead, the data support an emerging consensus that both diet and exercise should be prioritized. “Diet and physical activity should be viewed as essential and complementary, rather than interchangeable,” the study noted. The researchers will next work to identify which aspects of diet in developed countries are most responsible for the rise in obesity.

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Olive Oil Hunter News #225

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Caprese Bites Recipe, Spotlight on Summer Squash, Foods that Lower Blood Pressure plus Exercise and Vitamin D Levels

Have a bumper crop of summer squash? Turn a Caprese salad into succulent morsels wrapped in slices of summer squash for a great light meal or party-ready hors d’oeuvres. If you’re a tea or chocolate lover, you’ll be pleased to read about the effects of a micronutrient found in them as well as in apples and grapes. Summer is a great time to add to vitamin D stores—a new study outlines how to better maintain levels come winter.

Caprese Bites

  • Zucchini-wrapped caprese bites Caprese Bites

    Baked summer squash strips are perfect for making finger food roll-ups. For this recipe, I’m filling them with the ingredients of a classic Caprese salad, one of my favorite seasonal dishes. Try to choose squash that are the same thickness from tip to base.

    Ingredients

    • Two 6- or 7-inch yellow summer squash or zucchinis
    • Extra virgin olive oil 
    • Coarse sea salt
    • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
    • 12 cherry tomatoes, more as needed, halved
    • Basil leaves, to taste
    • Garlic chives (optional)
    • Balsamic vinegar of Modena
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 375°F. Use the straight blade of a box grater or a mandoline to slice the squash into lengths about 1/8-inch thick. Each squash should yield about 8 slices.

    Step 2

    Arrange the squash slices on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment paper and lightly brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 15 minutes until soft but not browned. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.

    Step 3

    Cut the mozzarella into thin lengths; they should be about the width of each squash slice and a third as long. Center a piece of mozzarella on a squash length, top with a cherry tomato half, pressing it in to anchor it, and then with a basil leaf. Roll up the squash and tie it with a chive or secure it with a toothpick. Arrange the bites on a serving dish and drizzle with balsamic and more olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and black pepper to taste.

    Yields 4 to 8 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Summer Squash

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Summer Squash

Whether you’re choosing yellow squash or zucchini, these thin-skinned veggies are very versatile—they can be enjoyed raw or cooked and don’t need peeling. A key difference between the two varieties is size. While most yellow squash are on the short side, zucchini can be short or long, thick or thin. Similarities include their nutritional profile with good amounts of vitamins A and C, potassium and magnesium, and fiber. When shopping, choose firm vegetables without soft spots and treat them with care because those thin skins can get nicked or bruised easily.

Summer squash
Quick Kitchen Nugget: Storing Summer Squash

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Storing Summer Squash

Summer squash will keep for up to a week in the crisper drawer of your fridge, wrapped in paper towel and then in a cloth vegetable bag for protection. 

For Your Best Health: Foods that Lower Blood Pressure 

For Your Best Health

Foods that Lower Blood Pressure

Apples and grapes - high in flavan-3-ols

A study from the University of Surrey in the UK has found that naturally occurring compounds called flavan-3-ols, a subgroup of flavanols, may improve blood pressure and the health of blood vessels. The research, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analyzed data from 145 randomized controlled studies and found that regular consumption of flavan-3-ols, found in cocoa, tea, apples, and grapes, can lead to a reduction in blood pressure readings, particularly in people with elevated or high blood pressure. In some cases, the average blood pressure-lowering effects were comparable to those seen with some medications.

Flavan-3-ols were also found to improve the function of the endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels, which is crucial for overall cardiovascular health. This improvement occurred independently of blood pressure changes, suggesting a broader positive impact on the circulatory system.

“The findings are encouraging for those looking for accessible ways to manage their blood pressure and support their heart health through enjoyable dietary changes,” said Dr. Christian Heiss, lead author of the study and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Surrey. “Incorporating small amounts of commonly consumed foods like tea, apples, dark chocolate, or cocoa powder into a daily balanced diet could provide beneficial amounts of flavan-3-ols. While not a replacement for prescribed medications or medical advice, including more flavan-3-ol-rich foods in a daily routine could be a valuable addition to a healthy lifestyle, especially for those with higher blood pressure. These are findings that, although promising, require ongoing investigation.”

Fitness Flash: Exercise and Vitamin D Levels

Fitness Flash

Exercise and Vitamin D Levels

With all its outdoor activities, summer is a great time to naturally boost the body’s vitamin D levels. But how can you maintain those levels come winter? A study from the University of Bath, University of Birmingham, University of Cambridge, and others in the UK, published in Advanced Science, has found that regular moderate-intensity exercise helps maintain crucial vitamin D levels during the darker months.

Participants who were either overweight or obese and who completed a 10-week indoor exercise program over winter experienced significantly smaller drops in vitamin D levels compared to those who didn’t exercise, even though their body weight was deliberately maintained. The program involved four sessions per week: two treadmill walks, one longer steady-state bike ride, and one high-intensity interval bike session.

Notably, exercise completely preserved the body’s active form of vitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D₃), which plays a key role in supporting bone health, the immune system, and various organs. Previous studies suggested that vitamin D supplements alone do not help maintain this active form.

Key findings:

  • People who exercised saw a smaller drop in their overall vitamin D levels over winter—about 15 percent compared to a 25 percent drop in those who didn’t exercise.
  • Those who exercised kept healthy levels of the active form of vitamin D, which helps support the immune system and bone health.
  • Weight was kept stable throughout the study, indicating the effect was due to exercise—not weight loss.

To ensure sunlight didn’t skew the results, the study ran between October and April, when natural vitamin D production from sunlight is minimal in this part of the UK, and participants were asked to avoid supplements.

A previous study from the team showed that a single workout can briefly boost vitamin D levels. This is the first one to show that regular cardio exercise can maintain basal circulating vitamin D levels and offer lasting protection during the winter months.

As Oly Perkin, PhD, lead author and lecturer from the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism at the University of Bath explained, this is the first study to show that exercise alone can protect against the winter dip in vitamin D. It’s a powerful reminder that we still have lots to learn about how exercise benefits our health.

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Olive Oil Hunter News #224

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

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

  • 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

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.

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