Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Olive Oil Hunter News #177

Cold Avocado and Cucumber Soup Recipe and The Mediterranean Diet for Longevity

Members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club are well aware of the benefits of extra virgin olive oil as part of the world-famous Mediterranean diet. Dozens of studies have assessed its health effects and its link to longevity, most commonly attributed to its improving heart health. But how the Mediterranean diet works its magic hasn’t been thoroughly understood. Investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston recently published the results of a long-term study that helps unravel this mystery. I’m thrilled to share their findings. And to start, here’s a recipe that highlights the plant-based approach that underscores the Mediterranean way of living. 

Cold Avocado and Cucumber Soup

  • Cold cucumber avocado soup Cold Avocado and Cucumber Soup

    There’s nothing more refreshing than a chilled soup for lunch or dinner during the dog days of summer, especially when there’s no cooking needed. I like to add a different kind of heat with a fresh hot pepper, but you can omit it if you aren’t a fan!

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds cucumbers, about 2-3 large ones
    • 1 small jalapeño, halved and seeded, optional
    • 2 ripe Hass avocados
    • 2 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt or skyr
    • 3 large scallions, trimmed
    • 3 garlic cloves, peeled 
    • 1 cup packed of fresh parsley, dill, and chives 
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 
    • 1/2 cup water, more as needed
    • 1 tablespoon sherry or red wine, more to taste
    • Coarse sea salt, to taste
    • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    • Optional garnishes: thin slices of avocado, a dollop of yogurt or skyr, more fresh herbs

    Directions

    Halve the cucumbers lengthwise and use a large spoon to scoop out and discard most of the seeds; leave on the peel. Cut the cucumbers into chunks for easier puréeing. If using the pepper, halve it, scoop out the seeds and veins, and discard them along with the stem. Scoop all the flesh out of the avocados.

    Step 2

    Working in batches as needed, add the cucumbers, avocados, pepper if using, yogurt, scallions, garlic, herbs, olive oil, water, and vinegar to your food processor bowl or blender and process until puréed—the mixture should be fairly thick. If it’s too thick, add more water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until it’s pourable. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. Chill in the fridge for about an hour.

    Step 3

    To serve, ladle portions into soup bowls or glasses, garnish as desired, and drizzle with more olive oil.

    Yields 8 servings

For Your Best Health: The Mediterranean Diet for Longevity

For Your Best Health

The Mediterranean Diet for Longevity

The study: “Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Risk of All-Cause Mortality in Women,” JAMA Network Open,2024.

The health benefits of a Mediterranean diet, on its own and when compared to other healthy ways of eating, are so strong that US dietary guidelines have repeatedly designated it as the healthiest recommended diet. It’s also gotten the nod from many health organizations around the globe, including the American Heart Association, European Society of Cardiology, and Australian National Heart Foundation. While these benefits aren’t in doubt, how it achieves them hasn’t been completely understood. This new study sought to better explain the various ways in which the body responds to the diet—how exactly closely following it lowers mortality risk. What’s more, the more than 25,000 participants were American women. In general, women aren’t included in the same numbers as men in most studies, and regarding research on the Mediterranean diet in particular, most studies have been done in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, where the diet is more of a way of life than in the US.

For the study, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, followed the women, who were all healthy at the start of the study, for up to 25 years. They found that participants who followed the diet most closely had up to 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality…and found evidence of biological changes to help explain why. They were able to detect and evaluate changes in approximately 40 biomarkers representing various biological pathways and clinical risk factors, both traditional ones and novel ones that hadn’t been used in prior studies. Biomarkers of metabolism and inflammation made the largest contribution, followed by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, adiposity, and insulin resistance. Smaller contributions were seen from biological pathways relate to branched-chain amino acids, high-density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins, glycemic measures, and hypertension. 

“For women who want to live longer, our study says watch your diet!,” said senior author Samia Mora, MD, a cardiologist and the director of the Center for Lipid Metabolomics at the Brigham. “The good news is that following a Mediterranean dietary pattern could result in about one quarter reduction in risk of death over more than 25 years with benefit for both cancer and cardiovascular mortality, the top causes of death in women (and men) in the US and globally.”

“Our research provides significant public health insight: Even modest changes in established risk factors for metabolic diseases, particularly those linked to small molecule metabolites, inflammation, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, obesity, and insulin resistance, can yield substantial long-term benefits from following a Mediterranean diet,” said lead author Shafqat Ahmad, PhD, an associate professor of epidemiology at Uppsala University Sweden and a researcher in the Center for Lipid Metabolomics and the Division of Preventive Medicine at the Brigham. “This finding underscores the potential of encouraging healthier dietary habits to reduce the overall risk of mortality.”

Mediterranean food spread

How the Study Was Conducted

At the start of the study, blood samples, biomarker measurements, and dietary information were taken from the participants, who self-reported demographics and filled out a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The data collection period was from April 1993 to January 1996, and data analysis took place from June 2018 to November 2023.

Each participant was given a score for Mediterranean diet adherence, which ranged from 0 to 9. Eating a higher-than-median amount of each of a list of foods—vegetables (excluding potatoes), fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and fish—earned 1 point. So did eating a good ratio of monounsaturated-to-saturated fatty acids such as olive oil compared to butter, a less-than-median amount of red and processed meat, and having an alcohol intake within the range of 5 to 15 grams a day (one 5-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce can of regular beer, or 1.5 ounces of liquor). Participants were then categorized into one of three levels: 0-3 or low, 4-5 or intermediate, and 6-9 or high. Women with scores of 6 or greater had a 23% lower relative risk of all-cause mortality than did women who scored 3 or less. 

“The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are recognized by medical professionals, and our study offers insights into why the diet may be so beneficial. Public health policies should promote the healthful dietary attributes of the Mediterranean diet and should discourage unhealthy adaptations,” said Dr. Mora.

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Olive Oil Hunter News #170

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!

  • Savory Puff Pastry Wheels Olive Oil Hunter News #192

    Savory Puff Pastry Pinwheels and Imperial Bloody Mary Recipes, Spotlight on Herbes de Provence and Ground Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Storing Spices, Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Weekend Exercising

    Recipes are so much more flavorful when you have the best ingredients in your pantry. That’s why I’m so excited about the new herbs and spices in my latest collection from the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections—six brand-new offerings plus perennial favorites heirloom Vietnamese cinnamon and vine-ripened black peppercorns. I’m sharing two recipes from the Spice Report, the booklet that comes with the collection to show you how easy it is to elevate your dishes. Also, read about an interesting health discovery on the benefits of weekend-only exercise—it provides great motivation for people who just don’t have time to work out during the workweek, along with a study that will have you asking if your diet is pro- or anti-inflammatory.

    Savory Puff Pastry Pinwheels

    Imperial Bloody Mary

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Calamansi Vinegar

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

    Herbes de Provence and Ground Sun-Dried Tomatoes 

    Herbes de Provence

    Provence, in the south of France, is known for picturesque villages, fields of lavender, and, of course, a gentle Mediterranean climate. One of its many culinary gifts to the world is the fragrant blend of dried herbs appropriately named Herbes de Provence. With one whiff of this exquisite mix of oregano, rosemary, savory, and thyme, you’ll be transported to this idyllic locale. 

    Herbs have been used for thousands of years. Provence was blessed with a wide range of wild herbs, and eventually, locals began to grow them in private gardens and dry them to use long after the growing season. How the specific mix Herbes de Provence came to be is unclear, though some historians credit it to local monks. Americans’ love of these herbs began in the 20th century when culinary legend Julia Child introduced the US to French cuisine and ingredients. 

    A mainstay of French cooking, these herbs are synonymous with classics like tapenade (recipes for bolded dishes are included in the Spice Report), ratatouille, beef bourguignon, and cassoulet, but don’t stop there. Sprinkle them over potatoes and other vegetables before roasting and to season homemade croutons; dress up flatbread Provençal, pasta, pizza, and omelets. Add them to dry rubs, marinades, and vinaigrettes. Because the flavor is intense, it takes just a sprinkling to impart their essence.

    The various herbs in the mix have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Oregano has a high concentration of phytonutrients, including flavonoids and phenolic acids. Savory is also considered a powerful antioxidant and antibacterial agent. Rosemary is an anti-inflammatory with possible antianxiety and memory-boosting effects. Thyme has long been known for its antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties.

    Turkey has a unique location in the world, straddling Europe and Asia, with the sprawling city of Istanbul spanning the two continents. The tomatoes for my Ground Sun-Dried Tomatoes, a variety known for their tangy flavor, are grown on small farms along the country’s Aegean Sea coastline, part of the Mediterranean region. 

    Ground Sun-Dried Tomatoes

    The long history of tomatoes began some 80,000 years ago in South America, where small wild tomatoes about the size of cherry tomatoes grew. Early 16th-century explorers brought tomato seeds back to Europe, and soon after, the seeds were carried to North America. Drying fresh tomatoes after the growing season not only preserves them but also intensifies their sweet-tart flavor. Grinding them into a powder is a more modern concept that extends the tomato’s versatility and is a favorite of professional chefs—pure tomato taste with just the right amount of acidity, balanced by sweet notes. 

    Mix it with panko and herbs for a mac ’n’ cheese topping or to stuff Roma tomatoes before baking. Add it to your favorite rubs for chicken or roasts, vinaigrettes and olive oil-based marinades, hummus, or aioli. Sprinkle it on pizza and into your fresh-pressed olive oil before dipping bread. It will elevate essential tomato sauce and other sauces,gazpacho or other tomato-based soups, zesty rice pilaf, tomato pies,tomato-strawberry jam, savory shortbreads, and scones. It adds color and flavor to breads,homemade pastas, ricotta filling for stuffed shells, and even cream cheese. Sprinkle it on omelets, sautéed or roasted vegetables, and popcorn. You can mix 2 teaspoons of water with 1 teaspoon of powder to make a tablespoon of tomato paste in a pinch!

    Tomatoes are chock-full of nutrients, notably lycopene, an antioxidant that supports heart, eye, and prostate health. Drying and grinding tomatoes into a powder helps make the lycopene more bioavailable. Tomato powder also has small amounts of potassium, beta-carotene, and vitamin A.

    Quick Kitchen Nugget: Storing spices

    Quick Kitchen Nugget

    Storing spices

    The best way to store spices isn’t the handiest—they should be in tightly sealed glass containers away from light, humidity, and heat, so not above the cooktop. Keep them on a dry pantry shelf or in a drawer away from the oven, and soon it will be second nature to take them out of their new “home” as you prep ingredients and set the table with these great alternatives to salt.

    For Your Best Health: Is your diet “pro-inflammatory”?

    For Your Best Health

    Is your diet “pro-inflammatory”?

    As readers of this newsletter know, extra virgin olive oil has significant anti-inflammatory properties—that’s why it gets top marks as a healthy fat. However, according to research done at The Ohio State University’s College of Public Health and published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, more than half of all American adults eat a diet that’s considered pro-inflammatory, meaning it contributes to unhealthy inflammation in the body, which in turn increases the risk of health problems including heart disease and cancer.

    The Ohio State research team examined the self-reported diets of more than 34,500 adults included in the 2005-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey using an existing tool called the dietary inflammatory index, which includes 45 dietary components. The tool assigns dietary inflammation values ranging from −9 to 8, with 0 being a neutral diet. About 34% of those in the study had anti-inflammatory diets, while 9% had neutral dietary inflammatory levels. But “overall, 57% of US adults have a pro-inflammatory diet and that number was higher for Black Americans, men, younger adults, and people with lower education and income,” said lead author Rachel Meadows, PhD, scientist and visiting faculty member. “The overall balance of diet is most important. Even if you’re eating enough fruits or vegetables, if you’re having too much alcohol or red meat, then your overall diet can still be pro-inflammatory.”

    Dr. Meadows said she’s less interested in labeling foods as “bad” and more interested in thinking about anti-inflammatory foods as tools people can employ to boost health. “Moving toward a diet with less inflammation could have a positive impact on a number of chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even depression and other mental health conditions,” she explained.

    Many people also have elevated chronic inflammation due to non-dietary factors, including stress and adverse childhood experiences, said Dr. Meadows. “There are a lot of factors that contribute to chronic inflammation, and they all interact—even sleep is a key component. Diet can be used as a tool to combat that.” In addition to extra virgin olive oil, top anti-inflammatory foods to add to your diet include garlic, ginger, turmeric, green and black tea, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, legumes including beans and lentils, fatty fish such as salmon, and berries.

    Fitness Flash: The benefits of being a “weekend warrior”

    Fitness Flash

    The benefits of being a “weekend warrior”

    Are you too busy during the week to find time for workouts and try to make up for it on weekends? We’ve heard about the downside of being a weekend warrior, like the potential risk of a sports injury when your workouts aren’t consistent. But a recent study led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the journal Circulation found many positives, most importantly that being a weekend warrior is linked to a lower risk of developing hundreds of future diseases from heart and digestive conditions to mental health and neurological illnesses. Also, compared to inactivity, concentrated physical activity patterns may be just as effective for disease prevention as when exercise is spread out throughout the week.

    “Physical activity is known to affect risk of many diseases,” said co-senior author Shaan Khurshid, MD, MPH, a faculty member in the Demoulas Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Here, we show the potential benefits of weekend warrior activity for the risk of not only cardiovascular diseases, as we’ve shown in the past, but also future diseases spanning the whole spectrum, ranging from conditions like chronic kidney disease to mood disorders and beyond.”

    Dr. Khurshid, along with co-senior author Patrick Ellinor, MD, PhD, co-director of the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, and their colleagues analyzed information on 89,573 individuals in the prospective UK Biobank study who wore wrist accelerometers that recorded their total physical activity and time spent at different exercise intensities over one week. Participants’ physical activity patterns were categorized as weekend warrior, regular, or inactive, using the guideline-based threshold of 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

    The team then looked for associations between physical activity patterns and incidence of 678 different conditions across 16 types of disease categories, including mental health, digestive, and neurological. Their analyses revealed that weekend warrior and regular physical activity patterns were each associated with substantially lower risks of over 200 diseases compared with inactivity and spanned all the disease categories tested. Associations were strongest for cardiometabolic conditions such as hypertension (23% and 28% lower risks over a median of 6 years with weekend warrior and regular exercise, respectively) and diabetes (43% and 46% lower risks, respectively). 

    “Our findings were consistent across many different definitions of weekend warrior activity, as well as other thresholds used to categorize people as active,” said Dr. Khurshid. “Because there appear to be similar benefits for weekend warrior versus regular activity, it may be the total volume of activity, rather than the pattern, that matters most. Future interventions testing the effectiveness of concentrated activity to improve public health are warranted, and patients should be encouraged to engage in guideline-adherent physical activity using any pattern that may work best for them.”

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  • Imperial Bloody Mary Imperial Bloody Mary

    This recipe has twice the tomato-y depth of traditional mixes, thanks to the tomato powder, yet requires little extra effort for all that taste. Enjoy it “virgin” or with your favorite vodka. Multiply the quantities for a party!

    Ingredients

    • 12 ounces best-quality tomato juice
    • 3/4 teaspoon Ground Sun-Dried Tomatoes
    • Splash (about 10 drops) Worcestershire sauce, plus more to taste
    • 1/8 teaspoon Vine-Ripened Black Peppercorns
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
    • Juice of 1/4 lemon
    • Cholula or Frank’s hot sauce to taste
    • 1 jigger vodka (optional)
    • Optional garnish: celery sticks

    Directions

    Add all the ingredients to a small pitcher and stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking by adding more tomato powder,Worcestershire, horseradish, and/or hot sauce. Add 3 or 4 ice cubes to two highball glasses and fill with the Bloody Mary mix. Garnish with a celery stick if desired.

    Yields 2 drinks

  • Savory Puff Pastry Wheels Savory Puff Pastry Wheels

    These look so elegant yet are a snap to make with packaged puff pastry (I love the Dufour brand because it uses real butter). Flaky and delicious on their own, they’re sublime when topped with a slice of Brie and some fig jam. 

    Ingredients

    • 1 package frozen puff pastry dough, defrosted overnight in the fridge
    • 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
    • 1 tablespoon Ground Sun-Dried Tomatoes
    • 1 tablespoon Caramelized Onion Powder
    • 1 small egg, beaten

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 400°F. On a floured surface with a floured rolling pin, gently roll out any folds in the dough. Sprinkle the entire surface with the tomato powder, herbs, and onion powder (use your fingers as needed to spread them out evenly).

    Step 2

    Slice the dough in half lengthwise, then roll up each half lengthwise, jelly roll style. Next, cut each roll into rounds about 1-inch wide. Place the rounds flat on two cookie sheets and brush the tops and sides with the beaten egg. Bake for 25 minutes until nicely puffed and browned.

    Yields about 32 pinwheels

  • Fresh Herb Marinade Olive Oil Hunter News #191

    Fresh Herb Marinade Recipe, Spotlight on Authentic Balsamic Vinegar, and Keeping Your Blood Pressure and BMI Under Control

    Grilled or roasted, even the best cuts of meat benefit from marination, and the following marinade recipe is a hands-down winner. To impart just the right amount of sweetness, it uses the wonderfully rich balsamic vinegar called Condimento Barili Exclusivi from my new T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections collection of artisanal vinegars.

    Also in this issue of the Newsletter are two studies crucial to the fight against heart disease and other ills—one on keeping BMI in check and the other on the importance of blood pressure control.

    Fresh Herb Marinade

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Calamansi Vinegar

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

    Authentic Balsamic Vinegar 

    Condimento Barili Exclusivi

    As those of you who have already been enjoying the vinegars of the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections know, after years of requests from members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, I made it my mission to source the best artisanal vinegars on the planet. That started with distinguishing true aceto balsamico, or balsamic vinegar, from its many pretenders.

    With so many bottles on store shelves labeled “balsamic,” it’s important to know how to choose correctly. First and foremost, the vinegar must be completely crafted in Modena, a city within the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, according to exacting, centuries-old standards enforced by the local consortiums. Anything else is, quite simply, not balsamic vinegar. Also, it can only be made from very specific grapes. Of course, the ultimate quality of a Modena balsamic depends on the skill of the producer, including knowing what wood to pick for each period of barrel-aging.

    For the past five years, I’ve worked with the artisans at Società Agricola Acetomodena to bring you the finely crafted balsamic vinegar, Condimento Barili Exclusivi, in my collection. The “condiment” designation allows producers more freedom to craft a vinegar that goes beyond strict requirements of traditional balsamic vinegar, or aceto balsamico tradizionale, and with the perfect balance of acidity, sweetness, and woodiness from the barrel aging—thick, rich, tangy, and velvety. I liken it to when vintners create a cuvée, blending wines from various barrels to create a finished product that is greater than the sum of the parts.

    Why you should have this vinegar in your kitchen: Balsamic vinegar is a culinary essential. It adds the perfect finish to cheeses, salads, grilled foods from vegetables to meat, and even fruits, like strawberries, figs, and pineapple. Pair it with your fresh-pressed olive oils to enhance mature or fresh cheeses, from aged Parmigiano-Reggiano to fresh burrata, and to make sauces, marinades, and vinaigrettes. Drizzle a few drops as a finishing touch on flatbreads, steak, risotto, French toast, and even ice cream.

    Quick Kitchen Nugget: Whipping Cream

    Quick Kitchen Nugget

    Deciding Between Vinegars

    It’s important to always have a wide selection of vinegars in the pantry. Sometimes I want a sweeter note, other times one that’s more tart. While I don’t believe in any hard-and-fast rules, I do like to pair milder vinegars with milder oils so that one doesn’t overwhelm the other. 

    Think about the foods on your plate, too. If you’re making a salad with bitter greens, add sweetness with a sweeter vinegar like Condimento Barili Exclusivi or a mildly acidic note with citrusy Calamansi Vinegar. If you’re making a chopped salad with provolone and salami, a vinegar like my Raspberry Vinegar will balance the richness of the meat and cheese. 

    I also like to combine vinegars. For a vinaigrette with great complexity, use equal amounts of a sweet vinegar and a tart one. The beauty of having many wonderful vinegars is that you can have fun discovering the pairings you like best. 

    For Your Best Health: Is Your Blood Pressure Under Control?

    For Your Best Health

    Is Your Blood Pressure Under Control?

    According to a study in JAMA Network Open that looked at data on more than 3,000 people over the age of 18, the numbers are alarming: More than half the adults in the US with uncontrolled high blood pressure aren’t even aware that they have it. This was especially true for younger adults between the ages of 18 and 44 years—high blood pressure, or hypertension, is not just a disease of older age. There is also concern about people who take medication for high blood pressure: For more than two-thirds, it remains uncontrolled. Because this was a weighted study, researchers were able to estimate that of the approximately 120 million American adults with hypertension, for about 92.9 million people it’s not under control.

    The researchers stated: “These findings have serious implications for the nation’s overall health….Uncontrolled hypertension, which is a leading factor associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and events, including heart attack and stroke, is also associated with an increased risk of diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cognitive decline.

    “Additionally, despite engagement with the health care system, we found that 70 percent of adults with uncontrolled hypertension who were aware of their condition reported taking antihypertensive medication. While antihypertensive medications are effective in reducing blood pressure and preventing CVD across demographic groups, our results support existing evidence that a prescription alone does not guarantee improved hypertension control at the individual or population level….These findings underscore the need for efforts to improve outcomes across levels of the hypertension control cascade.”

    This study points to the importance of having your blood pressure checked regularly and following up regularly as well to see if treatment for high blood pressure is working.

    Fitness Flash: Keeping BMI in Check

    Fitness Flash

    Keeping BMI in Check

    According to a study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, to keep weight in check, it’s important to consider not only what you eat but also the times when you eat. Two specific habits associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) in the long term are keeping a longer overnight fast and eating breakfast early.

    This research, led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), involved more than 7,000 volunteers between the ages of 40 and 65 who answered questionnaires about their weight and height; eating habits, including meal times; other lifestyle habits; and socioeconomic status. In 2023, after five years, more than 3,000 participants made a follow-up visit to the research team, where their measures were registered again and new questionnaires were completed.

    Woman eating breakfast to keep BMI in check

    “Our results, in line with other recent studies, suggest that extending the overnight fast could help maintain a healthy weight if accompanied by an early dinner and an early breakfast,” explained Luciana Pons-Muzzo, researcher at ISGlobal at the time of the study and currently at IESE Business School. “We think this may be because eating earlier in the day is more in line with circadian rhythms and allows for better calorie burning and appetite regulation, which can help maintain a healthy weight. However, it is too soon to draw definitive conclusions, so recommendations will have to wait for more robust evidence.”

    Added Camille Lassale, ISGlobal researcher and senior co-author of the study, “There are different ways of practicing what is known as ‘intermittent fasting’ and our study relates to one of them, which is overnight fasting. What we observed in a subgroup of men who do intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast is that this practice has no effect on body weight. Other intervention studies in participants with obesity have shown that this tactic is no more effective than reducing calorie intake in reducing body weight in the long term.” 

    “Our research is part of an emerging field of research known as ‘chrononutrition,’ which focuses not only on analyzing what we eat but also [on] the times of day and the number of times we eat,” says Anna Palomar-Cros, a researcher at ISGlobal at the time of the study. “At the basis of this research is the knowledge that unusual food intake patterns can conflict with the circadian system, the set of internal clocks that regulate the cycles of night and day and the physiological processes that must accompany them.” 

    This study provides continuity to a line of ISGlobal research on chrononutrition, which in recent years has published two other studies with results in the same direction. In these studies, it was observed that eating dinner and breakfast early was associated, respectively, with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

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  • Fresh Herb Marinade Fresh Herb Marinade

    This marinade imparts deep flavor to meat, especially when marinated overnight. Consider the following herbs a suggestion—make this recipe your own by combining your favorites, fresh or dried. Note: This Condimento Barili Exclusivi marinade is excellent for beef, lamb, and game; you can adapt it to chicken, pork, and fish by using Condimento Bianco Senape from my collection instead of Barili Exclusivi.

    Ingredients

    • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
    • 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
    • 1 sprig fresh basil
    • 3 fresh sage leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
    • 1/4 cup Condimento Barili Exclusivi 
    • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

    If using fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs, strip the leaves and place them on a cutting board along with the tarragon, basil, sage, garlic, and salt. Coarsely chop them all together. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the vinegar and black pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until thoroughly blended. 

    Yields about 2/3 cup

  • Lemon Mousse with Blueberry Compote Olive Oil Hunter News #190

    Lemon Mousse with Blueberry Compote Recipe, Spotlight on Calamansi Vinegar, Whipping Cream, Achieving Greater Work Satisfaction, and Travel – A Fountain of Youth

    I hope you’re in the mood for citrus because I have a rich and creamy lemon mousse recipe to share with you. The secret to its depth of flavor is Calamansi Vinegar, part of the quartet of the latest T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections collection of artisanal vinegars. I’m also sharing two studies that touch on the work-life balance so important for well-being. The first reveals a simple step to increase work satisfaction, while the second focuses on time off and details an unexpected benefit of travel.

    Lemon Mousse with Blueberry Compote

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Calamansi Vinegar

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

    Calamansi Vinegar

    Condimento Bianco Senape, or White Condiment with Mustard

    If you’ve never tried Calamansi Vinegar, you’ll find that it adds a zesty layer of flavor to recipes that call for citrus. Drizzle it over seafood dishes like ceviche and tuna tataki, crudo, vegetable and grain salads, greens (raw or cooked), and roasted vegetables. It’s excellent in a marinade for grilled fish and as a finishing drizzle on chicken piccata and other dishes with a lemon sauce. Swap it for lemon juice in aioli and in homemade mayo and for lime juice in guacamole and in mango salsa. It enhances citrus-based desserts, from granita to lemon curd, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks like margaritas or plain sparkling water. A scant teaspoon—the equivalent of a squeeze of lemon—delivers a punch of flavor.

    Just what is a calamansi? Also called a calamondin or Philippine lime (where it’s now primarily grown), it’s a citrus fruit native to many countries in Southeast and East Asia, such as Indonesia and (southern) China, and a staple of many cuisines in these regions. It’s often described as a cross between a kumquat and a mandarin orange, though its taste makes me think of exotic yuzu enhanced with a blend of traditional citrus—lime, lemon, tangerine, and orange. In my Calamansi Vinegar, you’ll taste notes reminiscent of fresh ginger, lemongrass, lemon verbena, lemon candies, and makrut lime leaves. 

    Quick Kitchen Nugget: Whipping Cream

    Quick Kitchen Nugget

    Whipping Cream

    A simple step often overlooked is to chill your bowl and beaters in the fridge for 15 minutes before whipping heavy cream (if you’re in a rush, just pop them in the freezer for 5). Keep your cream in the fridge right up until you’re ready to whip it so it too will be cold. If you start to whip on a low speed, you won’t find yourself covered in splatters; gradually increase the speed as the cream thickens. If you’re mixing other ingredients into the whipped cream, make sure they’re cold or no warmer than room temperature since warmth will deflate the cream. To retain as much loft as possible when folding in any ingredients, use a spatula in a “J” motion, from the center of the bowl to the outer edge, making quarter-turns of the bowl with every stroke. 

    For Your Best Health: Achieving Greater Work Satisfaction

    For Your Best Health

    Achieving Greater Work Satisfaction

    On average, we spend three and a quarter hours a day looking at our phones. In a recent study from Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany, researchers found that cutting back this time by one hour a day is not only good for our mental health but also helps us feel happier and more motivated at work, with a better work-life balance.

    For their study, the researchers assigned each of the 287 participants all from different professional sectors to one of four groups of roughly equal size: The smartphone group reduced their private smartphone use by one hour a day for one week, the sport group increased their daily physical activity by 30 minutes, the combination group did both, and the control group didn’t change their routine at all. All participants completed online questionnaires before these interventions, immediately afterward, and two weeks after the intervention period ended, providing information about their well-being with regard to both work and mental health.

    The researchers found that in the smartphone and combination groups, work satisfaction and motivation, work-life balance, and mental health had improved significantly. What’s more, the feeling of work overload and symptoms of problematic smartphone use were significantly reduced. All interventions led to a reduction in depressive symptoms and increased the participants’ sense of control.

    “A conscious and controlled reduction of non-work-related screen time, in combination with more physical activity, could improve employees’ work satisfaction and mental health,” concluded Julia Brailovskaia, PhD, corresponding author of the study and a professor at Ruhr, adding that these interventions could either become part of established company programs or serve as a time- and cost-efficient, low-threshold stand-alone program.

    Fitness Flash: Travel - A Fountain of Youth

    Fitness Flash

    Travel: A Fountain of Youth

    Researchers from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia believe that travel could be a great way to forestall aging. For the first time, an interdisciplinary study has applied the theory of entropy to tourism, finding that travel could have positive health benefits, including slowing down the signs of aging. Entropy is defined as the general trend of the universe toward death and disorder. The entropy perspective suggests that tourism could trigger entropy changes, with positive experiences mitigating entropy and enhancing health.

    “Aging, as a process, is irreversible. While it can’t be stopped, it can be slowed down,” ECU PhD candidate Fangli Hu said. She noted that positive travel experiences could enhance individuals’ physical and mental wellness through exposure to novel environments, engagement in physical activities and social interaction, and the fostering of positive emotions. These potential benefits have been acknowledged through practices such as wellness tourism, health tourism, and yoga tourism.

    Travel therapy could serve as a groundbreaking health intervention when viewed through an entropy lens, she added. Tourism typically exposes people to new surroundings and relaxing activities, and novel settings can stimulate stress responses and elevate metabolic rates, positively influencing metabolic activities and the body’s self-organizing capabilities. These contexts may also trigger an adaptive immune system response, the research found.

    T. J. Robinson and Duccio in Chile
    T. J. Robinson and international olive oil expert Duccio Morozzo della Rocca in a Chilean olive grove selecting the best of the best fruit—the first step in our quest to bring you, Club members, the finest oils on the planet.

    “Put simply, the self-defense system becomes more resilient. Hormones conducive to tissue repair and regeneration may be released and promote the self-healing system’s functioning,” said Hu. “Leisurely travel activities might help alleviate chronic stress, dampen overactivation of the immune system, and encourage normal functioning of the self-defense system. Engaging in recreation potentially releases tension and fatigue in the muscles and joints. This relief helps maintain the body’s metabolic balance and increases the anti-wear-and-tear system’s effectiveness. Organs and tissues can then remain in a low-entropy state.” 

    Travel that encompasses physical activities such as hiking, climbing, walking, and cycling, can also boost metabolism and energy expenditure. “Participating in these activities could enhance the body’s immune function and self-defense capabilities, bolstering its hardiness to external risks,” Hu said. “Physical exercise may also improve blood circulation, expedite nutrient transport, and aid waste elimination to collectively maintain an active self-healing system. Moderate exercise is beneficial to the bones, muscles, and joints in addition to supporting the body’s anti-wear-and-tear system.”

    It’s still important to account for the flip side of travel: The research pointed out that tourists could face challenges such as infectious diseases, accidents, and water and food safety issues, all of which should be considered when planning a trip.

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  • Lemon Mousse with Blueberry Compote Lemon Mousse with Blueberry Compote

    Calamansi Vinegar adds depth to the lemon curd that’s then folded into whipped cream for this silky mousse, and it imparts just the right amount of tang to the berry compote. Both the mousse and the compote can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Layer any extra compote with yogurt for breakfast the next day!

    Ingredients

    For the compote:

    • 4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, divided
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1 tablespoon Calamansi Vinegar
    • Pinch of fine salt
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil  

    For the curd:

    • 3 large or 5 small lemons
    • 2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
    • 3/4 cup sugar 
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
    • 2 tablespoons Calamansi Vinegar
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch of sea salt
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  

    For the mousse: 

    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

    Optional garnish: 

    • Fresh lemon zest 

    Directions

    Step 1

    Make the curd: Zest the lemons with a microplane grater, and then juice them—you should have 1 or more tablespoons of zest and 1 cup of juice. Some pulp is fine to include in the juice, but remove any seeds.

    Step 2

    In a saucepan, whisk the eggs and yolk thoroughly, and then whisk in, one ingredient at a time, the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vinegar, vanilla, and salt. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk constantly as it comes to a very low boil. Cook for 2 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary to prevent a rapid boil. The curd should be thick enough to coat the whisk.

    Step 3

    Remove from the heat. (If you see bits of egg white, use the blade of a spatula to press the curd through a fine strainer into a bowl.) Slowly whisk in the olive oil until completely blended. Pour the curd into a glass bowl or jar and allow it to come to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and placing in the fridge to thicken further, about an hour. 

    Step 4

    Make the blueberry compote: Mix 3 cups blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, water, vinegar, and salt in a frying pan (this allows for more even cooking than a saucepan). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the blueberries break up and the mixture thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. While still warm (but not hot), fold in the olive oil and the last cup of berries. Let it come to room temperature before serving (refrigerate if not using within an hour).

    Step 5

    Make the mousse: Whip the cream and sugar until stiff. Gently fold in the lemon curd with a large spatula until mostly combined. Chill until ready to serve.

    Step 6

    To serve, spoon ample amounts of mousse into dessert bowls or glasses. Stir the compote, then place dollops randomly around the mousse. If desired, use a microplane grater to top each serving with lemon zest.

    Yields 8 servings

  • Pork Medallions with Berry Sauce Olive Oil Hunter News #189

    Pork Medallions with Berry Sauce Recipe, Spotlight on Raspberry Vinegar, How to Dredge, A New Approach for Managing IBS, and Standing Desks for Better Health

    Members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club know that I’m a huge fan of pork tenderloin. This boneless cut allows for a faster prep and a more elegant presentation than chops.The recipe I’m sharing uses the Raspberry Vinegar from my new T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections  quartet of vinegars to deglaze the pan (deglazing is a quick trick for creating an instant sauce). It add sweet-tangy notes I know you’ll enjoy. 

    This edition of the newsletter also focuses on new research for people bothered by IBS with an easier-to-follow alternative to the FODMAP diet. The other study I’m sharing looked at different types of workstations to discover which style could be better for easing the aches and pains that come from sitting for hours in front of a screen.

    Pork Medallions with Berry Sauce

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Condimento Bianco Senape 

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

    Raspberry Vinegar

    Condimento Bianco Senape, or White Condiment with Mustard

    Look at the ingredients on a supermarket (or even gourmet store) bottle of “raspberry” vinegar and chances are real raspberries won’t be listed, but artificial flavors and colors and sugar will be. For a true raspberry vinegar crafted from raspberries and nothing but raspberries, I’m thrilled to introduce you to the ultimate Raspberry Vinegar from Gölles, the Austrian purveyor of all-fruit vinegars. If you’re used to artificially flavored vinegars, prepare to be blown away. This vinegar is tart and bracing because it is crafted from real fruit using time-honored traditions, and the only sugar comes from the berries themselves. 

    “It was important for us to make it in a pure way—it has one ingredient: raspberries,” said Alois Gölles, whose father started their family-run business in the 1950s. “Our approach is to make raspberry juice, ferment it into raspberry wine, and then transform that wine into vinegar—no adorations, no other ingredients. We do the same with all our fruits, whether quince or apples or pears. And that’s why our products taste unique: it’s the fruit and nothing else. That means no preservatives either,” said Alois. 

    Raspberry Vinegar lends itself perfectly to dressings made with nut oils, such as walnut or hazelnut. Use it on fruit-based salads and to add balance to fruity desserts that would otherwise taste too sweet, such as a raspberry sorbet (you’ll find my recipe for that sorbet along with 29 other dishes in the report that comes with my vinegar collection). Make it part of a chicken or mushroom marinade, and use it to deglaze your pan when making reduction sauces. Raspberry Vinegar also adds punch to drinks, from your morning mixed fruit power smoothie to a raspberry shrub spritzer. 

    Quick Kitchen Nugget: How to Dredge

    Quick Kitchen Nugget

    How to Dredge

    To get a nice “crisp” on sautéed proteins like pork, chicken, and beef, it helps to dredge (or lightly coat) the meat in seasoned flour. But it’s important to do this once your pan is hot enough to start cooking and not before, or else the flour will turn gummy. Heat your frying or sauté pan over medium-high heat; when it’s hot (a drop of water will sizzle and evaporate), add your olive oil, then quickly dip both sides of one piece of the meat in the flour, shake off any excess, and place the meat in the oil. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Tip: A wide pie plate is perfect for both mixing seasonings into the flour and for dredging.

    For Your Best Health: A New Approach for Managing IBS?

    For Your Best Health

    A New Approach for Managing IBS?

    IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, is more common than you might think, affecting between 10 and 15 percent of the population. If you’ve been diagnosed with IBS, you’ve likely attempted the FODMAP diet, which excludes a wide range of foods that have FODMAPs or fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols—short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. Problem foods run the gamut from wheat, dairy, beans, and lentils to very specific fruits and vegetables, which is why you often need an app to help identify them and stay on track. Following the FODMAP diet is a complex process because you eliminate the foods, then add them back one at a time to try to identify the ones that bother you the most. Now scientists at Lund University in Sweden have developed an alternative and far less restrictive approach to quelling IBS symptoms like pain and tightness in the abdomen, diarrhea, and/or constipation: reducing sugars and starches. 

    A few years ago, Bodil Ohlsson, MD, PhD, professor at Lund University and consultant at Skåne University Hospital, decided to investigate the role of sugars and starches in IBS following a geneticist’s discovery: A genetic variation that hinders the breakdown of sugars and starches in the gut is overrepresented among people with IBS. Dr. Ohlsson’s first study of a starch- and sucrose-reduced diet (SSRD) found that, after four weeks, participants who ate significantly less sugar and starch, including sweet treats and highly processed foods, greatly reduced IBS symptoms. For the current study, she and her team decided to compare the two approaches head-to-head.

    “One hundred and fifty-five patients diagnosed with IBS were included and randomly allocated to follow either SSRD or low FODMAP for four weeks,” said Dr. Ohlsson. Participants in both groups had to follow the basic principles of each diet, but they chose how often they ate. 

    Results were impressive. In both groups, IBS symptoms improved in 75 percent to 80 percent of the patients, which, Dr. Ohlsson said, “was even better than we expected.” In addition, weight loss after four weeks was greater in the SSRD group. Sugar cravings also decreased the most in this group, which is a positive sign, as IBS patients weigh more on average than healthy people do, Dr. Ohlsson added.

    “We wouldn’t really even call SSRD a diet. It’s how everyone should eat, not just those with IBS. And unlike low FODMAP, SSRD is easy to understand and easier to follow. You can eat everything when you are invited to dinner, just less of certain things. If you rest your stomach for the rest of the week, you can indulge a little one day!” she said.

    Fitness Flash: Standing Desks for Better Health

    Fitness Flash

    “I’m Still Standing…”

    The well-known perils of sitting at a desk all day long include daytime exhaustion, high blood pressure, and musculoskeletal discomfort, just to name a few. Although devices such as standing desks can ease physical symptoms and even boost productivity, the specific effects of different workstation configurations weren’t always clear. To get some answers, a team of researchers from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health decided to compare predominantly standing (or stand-biased), traditional, and sit-stand (hybrid) workstations by measuring the computer usage and activity levels of 61 office workers for 10 days.

    Participants were divided into one of three study groups according to the type of workstation they used—stand-biased, sit-stand, or traditional—with those using traditional seated workstations serving as the control group. The researchers defined sit-stand workstations as desktop units with a fully height-adjustable work surface paired with a traditional office chair. Stand-biased desks were defined as fixed work surfaces at approximately standing elbow height in conjunction with a drafting stool or chair with an extended cylinder, or seat post.

    The researchers collected data on the amount of time the workers spent at their workstations, along with demographic data and information on how they used office equipment such as footrests, monitor arms, keyboard trays, or anti-fatigue mats. They also asked participants about their discomfort levels.

    Woman standing at desk for posture and health

    To monitor physical activity, researchers provided participants with an activity sensor that ran for one workweek to quantify and measure the participants’ activity levels and energy expenditures. To measure productivity, the team monitored participants’ workstation computer use through hidden and silent data-logging software. The resultant files for each participant were downloaded and aggregated to ensure a minimum of 10 workdays of computer use data, which were analyzed using statistical analysis software.

    “What makes our research unique is our use of computer utilization as a possible indicator of, and proxy for, work productivity in all three workstation types,” said Kaysey Aguilar, DrPH, MPH, instructional clinical professor at the School of Public Health. “We found no significant difference in the number of key clicks between the three groups, but the stand-biased group had a significantly higher word count and more errors than the traditional group. In addition, the 24-hour activity data revealed that the stand-biased group had significantly more standing time, less sitting time, and fewer transitions per hour compared to their traditional counterparts.”

    The study also found that while 80 percent of office workers using a traditional desk and chair experienced lower back discomfort, that number dropped to just over 50 percent among workers with stand-biased desks. 

    “The bottom line is that the risk of health issues from sedentary work can be alleviated through alternative desk options, like sit-stand or stand-biased workstations,” Aguilar says. “These are win-win solutions because they benefit worker’s health while maintaining the high productivity employers expect.”

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  • Pork Medallions with Berry Sauce Pork Medallions with Berry Sauce

    Pork and fruit is a winning culinary combination. Rather than using the more traditional apples, this recipe calls for a double dose of berries, both whole blackberries and pure raspberry vinegar to create a tart foil for the pork. For a delicious side dish, a grain, such as bulgur or barley, mixed with caramelized onions would be ideal, adding sweetness to the plate.

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
    • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 to 1-1/2 pounds
    • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/3 cup Raspberry Vinegar
    • 1/3 cup white wine or homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
    • 2 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed and patted dry
    • 4 springs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

    Directions

    Step 1

    Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a pie plate. Cut the tenderloin into medallions about 3/4- to 1-inch thick. 

    Step 2

    Heat a frying pan large enough to hold the medallions over medium heat. When hot, add the oil, then quickly coat both sides of each medallion in the flour mixture, shake off any excess, and add to the pan. Sear for 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Transfer the medallions to a dish. 

    Step 3

    Deglaze the pan with the vinegar. Add the wine or broth and the berries, and briefly bring to a boil. Add the medallions back into the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until an instant-read thermometer reaches 145°F, about 5 more minutes. Divide the medallions among four dinner plates. Raise the heat on the stove back to medium, and use a potato masher to partially purée the berries; cook for 3 more minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Spoon the berry sauce over the medallions.

    Yields 4 servings

  • Potato Frittata Olive Oil Hunter News #188

    Potato Frittata Recipe, Spotlight on Condimento Bianco Senape and Blackcurrants, Steaming Potatoes, and A Surprising Benefit of Exercise for Women

    Autumn is a wonderful time to get together with family and friends, and what better way than over brunch? If you’re looking for a simple yet satisfying dish, my potato frittata fits the bill. It features Condimento Bianco Senape, a unique vinegar in my brand new collection of artisanal vinegars from the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections. Sweet, fragrant, and with a hint of mustard, it’s crafted in the style of a fine Italian balsamic (read below to learn why there’s actually no such thing as “white balsamic”). You’ve never tasted anything like it before—get ready to fall in love! 

    Also in this issue…I’m sharing fascinating research on blackcurrants, a powerful member of the berry family that might hold the answer to protecting women’s bones in midlife and beyond. Keep reading and you’ll also find out about a surprising benefit of exercise.

    Potato Frittata

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Condimento Bianco Senape 

    Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

    Condimento Bianco Senape 

    Condimento Bianco Senape, or White Condiment with Mustard

    I want to set the record straight—“white balsamic” is not a recognized type of vinegar in Italy. That’s because, by its very nature, balsamic vinegar must be made solely with grape must (grape juice made from all parts of the grapes) that naturally darkens to its signature purple-brown color. That being said, my new Condimento Bianco Senape, or White Condiment with Mustard, is reminiscent of a fine balsamic because it’s crafted in the perfect ratio of two parts white cooked grape must to one part white wine vinegar by the amazing vinegar producers known for their balsamic vinegars, Società Agricola Acetomodena in Modena, Italy. Both the grape must and wine vinegar are made solely from Acemodena’s own Trebbiano grapes, which give it its unique light color, and not their Lambrusco ones, which give traditional balsamic its deep color. 

    The idea for creating a complex, mustard-seed infused white wine vinegar in the sweet style of balsamic came from Patrizia Vecchi, the wife of Acetomodena owner Paolo Vecchi. She was inspired by the ancient Roman cooking technique of using a white vinegar along with honey and mustard to get a delicious crust on spit-roasted pork. The white mustard seeds, which are entirely edible, add a subtle layer of flavor to my Condimento Bianco Senape that would be lost in a traditional balsamic. 

    You’ll use this mustard vinegar to effortlessly create a rich and silky vinaigrette just by whisking in fresh-pressed olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. I love its sweetness yet will also blend it with other vinegars when I want a bit more tartness. Use it as a marinade for poultry, pork, and fish. Drizzle it on steak and burgers, gourmet sandwiches with prosciutto and other meats, bruschetta with tomatoes, fresh salads like rocket with pine nuts and a drizzle of honey, and my eggless Caesar salad which along with the potato frittata are just two of the many recipes included in the Vinegar Report that comes with the collection. 

    Quick Kitchen Nugget: Steaming Potatoes

    Quick Kitchen Nugget

    Steaming Potatoes

    Steaming potatoes keeps them from falling apart and preserves more of their nutrients than boiling. Simply scrub and slice or cube your potatoes and arrange them in a steamer basket set over two inches of simmering water in a stockpot. You can load the basket with two layers of potatoes, but try to keep some space between the pieces for the steam to get through. The potatoes are done when the tip of a knife easily pierces the flesh; start checking after 25 minutes.

    For Your Best Health: Blackcurrants for Better Bones?

    For Your Best Health

    Blackcurrants for Better Bones?

    Research done at the University of Connecticut (UConn) has identified blackcurrants, a tart berry known in French foods and liqueurs as cassis, as a potential way of countering the bone density loss experienced by women in the years surrounding menopause. 

    For many years, Ock Chun, PhD, MPH, professor of nutritional sciences in UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), has been investigating the berry’s potential to ameliorate a host of conditions including postmenopausal bone loss and osteoporosis. One of her previous studies showed that in mice, blackcurrant supplements helped prevent bone density loss postmenopause, and that the best time to start taking these supplements is in the transition between pre- and postmenopause, before bone loss has significantly progressed. With these findings in hand, Chun and her team wanted to see whether the benefits would translate to people. The new study, published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, found that the supplements prevented the loss of, and in some cases even increased, whole-body bone mineral density in women.

    Blackcurrants

    The study involved 40 perimenopausal and early postmenopausal participants between the ages of 45 and 60. They were randomly assigned to take either one or two capsules of blackcurrant powder (392 milligrams per capsule) or a placebo daily for six months. The researchers found that the supplements prevented the loss of whole-body bone mineral density and that the group of participants who took two capsules a day actually showed overall increases in bone mineral density at the end of the six-month trial period.

    The researchers looked at changes to the gut microbiome and immune system, which interact to play a key role in bone metabolism. They found that the blackcurrant supplements decreased levels of proteins called interleukin-1 beta and RANKL. Interleukin-1 beta stimulates the expression of RANKL, which causes bone resorption and thus a decrease in bone density. “The reduction in RANKL is important because that can cause shifts toward excessive bone resorption, so we’d want to see a decrease in that,” said graduate student Briana Nosal, first author of the paper.

    Taking the supplements also increased Ruminococcus 2, bacteria found in the gut microbiome that help degrade polysaccharides and fibers. This is a key function that transforms the foods we eat into energy. This led the researchers to infer that it could be one of the bacteria driving the protective effects blackcurrant has on bones. “It’s all related, and there’s a lot of research showing the gut can regulate various systems in the body,” Nosal said.

    The researchers identified a total of four proteins that had increased expression in the group of participants who took two daily supplement capsules. These could serve as potential biomarkers for the changes in bone density that they observed and potentially allow researchers or medical professionals to quickly and easily assess whether the blackcurrant supplementation is benefiting bone density.

    This study is especially important for perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women who have or are at risk of developing osteoporosis. While medications for osteoporosis do exist, compliance is low due because of side effects. If a blackcurrant supplement can improve bone density without the same side effects, it could prove to be an effective alternative.

    As the research team continues to study the relationship between blackcurrant and its benefits to the body, they’ll try to better understand why exactly they’re seeing these results and “how all our findings connect to each other,” Nosal said. “Conducting that multifaceted research will really paint the picture of how everything works, the different mechanisms, and what we can do for next steps.”

    Fitness Flash

    A surprising Benefit of Exercise for Women

    Recent research led by Donald S. Wright, MD, MHS, of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Yale School of Medicine and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that sticking with an exercise program is linked to older women staying out of the hospital.

    This retrospective study evaluated 718 older adults with a mean age of 69.5; three-quarters were women. The researchers compared the outcomes of those who participated in a structured, individualized exercise training program at a privately owned gym in their community for at least three months (411 participants) to the outcomes of those who did not. The structured program consisted of guided sessions of cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training monitored by exercise physiologists. Participants completed a baseline physical assessment and quarterly reassessments of physical performance including measuring vital signs, strength (bicep curl or grip strength), mobility (as measured by the ability to easily go from sitting to standing), balancing on one leg, and aerobic capacity. These data were paired with regional hospital data and a national mortality database. Participants were followed for over two years. 

    When the researchers compared outcomes of older adults who participated in the exercise program with outcomes of those who did not, they found that the risk for all-cause hospitalization was 46 percent lower among the women in the exercise program. Surprisingly, this benefit was not seen among the men. 

    The researchers pointed out that the study doesn’t establish cause and effect between exercise and not needing healthcare, just a link, albeit a positive one for women. It’s also not known whether the people who dropped out of the structured exercise program exercised independently, potentially narrowing the observed differences between the groups. They also warned that participants may not be fully representative of the broader US population because they were all from one area of the country and had all been motivated to sign up for the gym program on their own.

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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.

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Olive Oil Hunter News #166

Flourless Walnut Cake Recipe, Spotlight on Egg Whites and Springform Pans, The Mediterranean “Diet” and Brain Benefits of Exercise

Craving a delicious gluten-free cake but unsatisfied with alternative flours? This recipe breaks the mold, so to speak, with nutrient-packed walnuts and cocoa. What’s more, it can be part of a healthy way of eating, one that emphasizes lifestyle—yes, the Mediterranean diet. The importance of taking a holistic approach to the way you eat is the message of the latest research showing that yo-yo dieting is dangerous rather than being a helpful weight loss solution. I’m also sharing a positive consequence that comes from the release of dopamine during exercise beyond its feel-good mood boost.

Flourless Walnut Cake

  • Flourless Walnut chocolate cake Flourless Walnut Cake

    You don’t have to forgo dessert when you want to cut out flour. Ground nuts make a delicious and healthy alternative. I’ve included a luscious chocolate glaze, but this cake is delicious on its own or topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

    Ingredients

    For the cake:

    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
    • 3 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa, divided use
    • 8 ounces shelled walnuts 
    • 6 large eggs, separated
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch fine sea salt

    For the glaze:

    • 8 ounces dark chocolate
    • ½ cup half-and-half
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Lightly brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan with olive oil and then place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, brush it with oil, and sprinkle it with 1 tablespoon cocoa; rotate the pan to distribute the cocoa on the bottom and sides. Shake out any excess.

    Step 2

    In a nut grinder or food processor, grind the walnuts until medium-fine (you may need to do this in batches). Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cocoa and set aside.

    Step 3

    In a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, whip the egg yolks until pale yellow and thickened, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar, then the vanilla and the remaining olive oil, and continue beating until very thick, about 3 more minutes. Use a spatula to fold in the walnut-cocoa mixture.

    Step 4

    In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add the salt and gradually increase the speed to high; beat until glossy and stiff. Working in two or three batches, gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture. Transfer to the cake pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until the cake starts to come away from the sides of the pan; the tip of a sharp knife inserted in the center should come out clean except for a few crumbs.

    Step 5

    Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes (it will sink a bit), then invert onto another rack. If the cake doesn’t turn out easily, run a spatula around the inner rim to release it from the sides of the pan. Peel off the parchment and invert it again onto a cake plate. Let it finish cooling.

    Step 6

    For the glaze, place 7 ounces of the chocolate in a small, microwave-safe glass bowl along with the half-and-half and melt at 50% power for 3 minutes, until the chocolate is almost fully melted (if needed, microwave in additional 1-minute increments). Add the last ounce of chocolate and let sit on the counter for 2 minutes to cool down, then stir until smooth. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Wait until the glaze cools to room temperature, then pour over the top of the cake and use a long offset metal spatula to spread it in an even layer. Let it set for about an hour before serving.

    Yields 8 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight: Salad Greens 

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Freezing Egg Whites

While it’s possible to freeze extra yolks and whites when a recipe calls for more of one than the other, yolks are not as forgiving as whites—better to use them in a custard or curd. Whites, on the other hand, not only freeze well but whip up perfectly after defrosting. The easiest way to freeze them is to place each white in a compartment of a large ice cube tray; when frozen, pop them out and into a freezer-safe bag, then back in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge the day before you’ll be using them.

Quick Kitchen Nugget: Storing Salad Greens

Quick Kitchen Nugget

Springform Pans

While parchment paper is a great way to avoid having a cake stick to the bottom of a cake pan, a springform pan goes a step further. It’s invaluable when making a torte or cheesecake that’s so pliable it could break down the middle when trying to get it out of a regular baking pan.

Springform pans

Once you unlatch the springform pan’s removable ring, it’s easy to slide a cake lifter under the cake or simply cover the top of the cake with a large dish and flip it to remove the bottom and peel off your parchment—I like to think of the parchment as a double layer of protection. (If the sides of the cake happen to be sticking to the ring, slide a rubber or silicone spatula between the cake and the side to gently free the cake before unlatching the ring.) Always transfer your cake from the springform base as soon as it’s cool. Cutting a cake on the base will scratch it, and there’s also the chance that your dessert could pick up the taste of the pan’s material if left on it for too long.

The classic springform pan is metal, and many come with a nonstick coating. Like most other kitchen tools, springform pans are now available in silicone, which is good for sturdier bakes, but not always for soft or dense ones or when you want to build a crust up the sides because of the material’s flexibility. Good-quality silicone pans are also less likely to leak than metal ones (the possibility of leakage is why many recipes suggest wrapping a springform pan with foil).

Springform pans are available in many sizes, from 6 inches for a petite cake up to 12 inches. For a first pan, the 9-inch size will be the most versatile.

For Your Best Health: A Monthly 5-day Modified Fast to Boost Longevity

For Your Best Health

Think Twice Before You “Diet”

Diet is a word with different meanings. When we talk about diet at the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, it’s in the context of the Mediterranean diet. Though it can help you lose weight, it’s a way of life, not something you go on and off of. And it offers a social dynamic, which makes people feel that they’re part of an inclusive group.

When most people use the word diet, they typically mean a weight-loss diet, something research has told us again and again doesn’t work. That’s because people follow such a diet for a set time and then, unfortunately, revert to old ways of eating, usually regaining the lost weight and then some…only to try another weight-loss diet in the future. A new study, done at North Carolina State University, found just how toxic yo-yo dieting, also known as weight cycling, is and how difficult it can be to break the cycle.

“Yo-yo dieting—unintentionally gaining weight and dieting to lose weight only to gain it back and restart the cycle—is a prevalent part of American culture, with fad diets and lose-weight-quick plans or drugs normalized as people pursue beauty ideals,” said Lynsey Romo, PhD, corresponding author of the study and an associate professor of communication at NC State. “Based on what we learned through this study, as well as the existing research, we recommend that most people avoid dieting, unless it is medically necessary. Our study also offers insights into how people can combat insidious aspects of weight cycling and challenge the cycle.”

For the study, researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 13 men and 23 women who had experienced weight cycling during which they lost and regained more than 11 pounds. All the study participants reported wanting to lose weight due to social stigma related to their weight and/or because they were comparing their weight to that of celebrities or peers. “Overwhelmingly, participants did not start dieting for health reasons but because they felt social pressure to lose weight,” Dr. Romo said.

The study participants also reported engaging in a variety of weight-loss strategies, which resulted in initial weight loss but eventual regain. Regaining the weight left people feeling worse about themselves than they did before they began dieting. This, in turn, often led to increasingly extreme behaviors to try to lose weight again. “For instance, many participants engaged in disordered weight management behaviors, such as binge or emotional eating, restricting food and calories, memorizing calorie counts, being stressed about what they were eating and the number on the scale, falling back on quick fixes (such as low-carb diets or diet drugs), overexercising, and avoiding social events with food to drop pounds fast,” said Dr. Romo. “Inevitably, these diet behaviors became unsustainable, and participants regained weight, often more than they had initially lost.”

“Almost all of the study participants became obsessed with their weight,” says Katelin Mueller, co-author of the study and graduate student at NC State. “Weight loss became a focal point for their lives, to the point that it distracted them from spending time with friends, family, and colleagues, and reducing weight-gain temptations such as drinking and overeating.”

“Participants referred to the experience as an addiction or a vicious cycle,” Dr. Romo said. “Individuals who were able to understand and address their toxic dieting behaviors were more successful at breaking the cycle. Strategies people used to combat these toxic behaviors included focusing on their health rather than the number on the scale, as well as exercising for fun rather than counting the number of calories they burned. Participants who were more successful at challenging the cycle were also able to embrace healthy eating behaviors, such as eating a varied diet and eating when they were hungry, rather than treating eating as something that needs to be closely monitored, controlled, or punished.”

Fitness Flash: A Surprising Advantage of Exercise 

Fitness Flash

Your Brain on Exercise

Dopamine, the neurotransmitter and hormone tied to pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation, is known to increase when you work out. Recent findings suggest it is also linked to faster reaction times during exercise. The researchers in the UK and Japan behind the discovery say it could lead to a new therapeutic pathway for cognitive health because of dopamine’s significant role in several conditions including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, ADHD, addiction, and depression.

The study measured the release of dopamine in the brain using the scanning device called positron emission tomography (PET). It tracked the metabolic and biochemical activity of the cells in the body. Explained Joe Costello, PhD, of the University of Portsmouth School of Sport, Health & Exercise Science in the UK, “We know cardiovascular exercise improves cognitive performance, but the exact mechanisms behind this process have not been rigorously investigated in humans until now. Using novel brain imaging techniques, we were able to examine the role dopamine plays in boosting brain function during exercise, and the results are really promising. Our current study suggests the hormone is an important neuromodulator for improved reaction time. These findings support growing evidence that exercise prescription is a viable therapy for a host of health conditions across the lifespan.”

Women working out on exercise bikes

As part of the study, three experiments were carried out with a total of 52 men. In the first, individuals were asked to carry out cognitive tasks at rest and while cycling in the PET scanner so the team could monitor the movement of dopamine in their brain. The second used electrical muscle stimulation to test whether forced muscle movement to stimulate exercise would also improve cognitive performance. The final experiment combined both voluntary and involuntary exercise. In the experiments where voluntary exercise was carried out, cognitive performance improved. This was not the case when only forced electrical stimulation was used.

“We wanted to remove voluntary muscle movement for part of the study, to see if the process in which acute exercise improves cognitive performance is present during manufactured exercise. But our results indicate that the exercise has to be from the central signals of the brain, and not just the muscle itself,” said Soichi Ando, PhD, associate professor in the Health & Sports Science Laboratory at the University of Electro-Communications in Japan. “This suggests that when we tell our central command to move our body during a workout, that’s the process which helps the dopamine release in the brain.”

“These latest findings support our previous theory that cognitive performance during exercise is affected by changes to brain-regulating hormones, including dopamine,” added Dr. Costello. “There could also be a number of other psychophysiological factors, including cerebral blood flow, arousal, and motivation, that play a part.”

The paper, published in The Journal of Physiology, says further studies are needed and should include a range of participants, including women and older individuals, over a longer period of time to fully understand how dopamine release is linked to cognitive performance following exercise.

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Olive Oil Hunter News #163

Mini Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies Recipe, For Your Best Health: The Mediterranean Diet (Still No. 1)

Among the most important news items I share in this newsletter are results of scientific studies on the benefits of olive oil and, in a larger context, the Mediterranean diet. I love to report on research that shows how this way of eating—and living—has positive impacts on heart and brain health and can help ward off serious chronic diseases including diabetes and dementia. 

It’s also rewarding to see how the diet has been adopted here in the US and how many of our esteemed institutions, such as the American Heart Association and the Cleveland Clinic, recommend it. An annual survey that so many people appreciate reading is the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of dietary plans or “Best Diets.” And for the seventh year in a row the Mediterranean diet triumphs in the top spot. I’ll detail the highlights of the magazine’s reasoning right after this delicious recipe for cookies you can enjoy guilt-free—in moderation, of course.

Mini Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies

  • Pistachio thumbprint cookies Mini Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies

    With a minimal amount of sugar, these cookies pack all the heart-healthy benefits of nuts, a key food—along with extra virgin olive oil—of the Mediterranean diet. Though sweets are the smallest food group on the Mediterranean diet food pyramid, we know that an occasional treat can help us stay on track with this healthful way of eating. This recipe shows that you don’t have to make huge sacrifices to enjoy it.

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup shelled pistachios
    • 1-1/2 cups almond flour
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large egg whites
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
    • 1/4 cup raspberry or apricot all-fruit (no sugar added) preserves, such as Polaner or St. Dalfour

    Directions

    Step 1

    Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper. Use a spice or coffee bean grinder to pulverize the pistachios (you may need to do this is batches). Transfer to a large bowl along with the almond flour and sugar, and mix thoroughly.

    Step 2

    In a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and salt at a low speed until frothy, then increase the speed and beat until you get soft peaks. Briefly whip in the olive oil and the extracts. Fold the whites into the nut mixture with a large spatula until fully combined. The dough will be very firm.

    Step 3

    Using a 1-inch ice cream scoop or melon baller, make dough balls and evenly space them on the parchment-lined pans. Use your thumb to make an indentation in the top of each cookie, flattening the centers and then filling each with a half-teaspoon or so of preserves.

    Step 4

    Bake just until set, about 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Wait 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a rack to cool. When completely cooled, store in an airtight tin. 

    Yields about 44 cookies

For Your Best Health: The Mediterranean Diet is Still No. 1

For Your Best Health

The Mediterranean Diet: Still No. 1

According to the U.S. News & World Report 2024 rankings, created in partnership with The Harris Poll and with input from a panel of leading health experts, the Mediterranean diet has once again taken the No. 1 spot in the Best Diets Overall category, thanks to its focus on diet quality and primarily plant-based foods. The Mediterranean diet also claimed the top spot in the categories Best Diets for Diabetes, Best Heart-Healthy Diets, Easiest Diets to Follow, Best Diets for Bone and Joint Health, Best Family-Friendly Diets, and Best Diets for Healthy Eating, and the No. 2 spot in the Best Weight Loss Diets and the Best Plant-Based Diets categories. 

One of the reasons it’s both adoptable and adaptable is that there are so many cuisines to choose from when looking for recipes. Dishes that are popular in Turkey and Greece will offer different tastes than those from Italy, France, or Spain or from Morocco and other North African countries. But the unifying elements are the same: the emphasis on vegetables, fruits, extra virgin olive oil, nuts, whole grains, legumes, herbs, spices, and other plant-based foods that leave you feeling satisfied; minimal food processing; and a convivial atmosphere in the kitchen and at the table. 

The Mediterranean diet also ranks high for what it leaves out:saturated fat, added sugars, and excess salt—all so prevalent in the typical American diet and so likely to leave you wanting more because foods with a low-nutrient profile are not truly satisfying. Eating them regularly also poses health risks. Eating a Mediterranean-style diet, on the other hand, translates to a longer life, a higher quality of life, and a lower risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, dementia, and heart disease.

The Mediterranean diet food pyramid is a great way to visualize the foods to focus on and how often to eat them. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, and olive oil make up most of your daily intake. Seafood can be enjoyed a few times a week; animal proteins like poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt less often; and red meat less often still. But you also have a lot of leeway, so you don’t need to feel guilty about eating foods not on the pyramid. Nothing is totally eliminated, though you’re advised to eat foods like sugary desserts, butter, heavily processed foods like frozen meals, candy, and refined grains and oils sparingly.

Mediterranean Food Pyramid with Olive Oil and recommended servings
Mediterranean Food Pyramid

To get started on the Mediterranean diet, or to more closely follow it, U.S. News & World Report suggests these tips:

  • Think of meat as your side dish and whole grains or vegetables as your main dish. 
  • Look beyond Greek and Italian cuisines for inspiration—in all, 22 countries border the Mediterranean Sea!
  • As with any diet, do some advance meal planning so you won’t be tempted by convenience foods after a long day at work. For instance, cook up a batch of grains or lentils on the weekend to use for meals throughout the following week.
  • Make water your main source of hydration. Wine is considered optional and then only in moderation—one to two glasses per day for men and one glass per day for women.

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