How Does your Olive Oil Rate?

A week ago June Pagan, one of the Chef’s I work, with alerted me to a class action suit against companies that manufacture extra-virgin olive oil.

Olive oil is high in omega 3 or anti-inflammatory fats and the one that I highly recommend so hearing this news was quite disturbing.

A study at UC Davis Olive Center revealed that 69% of imported olive oil and 10% of California olive oil failed to meet IOC/USDA standards and were either adulterated or had poor quality due to being mixed with cheaper refined oils.

This means that the oil you are using could be mixed with omega 6 or pro-inflammatory oils, negating the health benefits of the olive oil.

The companies named were Bertolli, Filippo Berio, Carapelli, Star, Colavita, Mezzetta, Pompeian, Rachael Ray, Mazolla and Safeway Select.

Ten retailers and supermarkets, including Bristol Farms, Gelson's Markets, Vons/Pavilions, Ralphs, Stater Brothers, Albertson's, Target, Walmart, Kmart and Nob Hill Foods were named is in the lawsuit as well.

Lead counsel Daniel J. Callahan. “These companies placed corporate profiteering over their integrity and the integrity of their product and have been knowingly misleading and defrauding California consumers for years.”

Organic Authority quotes tips from Linda Sikorski, head buyer for Market Hall Foods in Oakland:

1. Check the label. Does it say “extra-virgin” olive oil? Is there a harvest or milling date, in addition to the best-use date? Is the harvest date within 12 months? Extra-virgin oil is “best used” within 18 months. Make sure the oil is purchased well in advance of the best-used date.
2. What about the bottle? Is the bottle’s color dark, which reduces light exposure? Is it on the top shelf, exposed to direct light? Light dramatically shortens shelf life, so look for signs that indicate the bottle has been on the shelf too long (for example, dust).
3.  Look for the COOC seal, which assures the olive oil is extra-virgin, grown in California and from the most recent harvest.
4. Know your retailer. Buy from retailers who know their producers, growers and importers. Ask for a taste. Many specialty retailers are generous with sampling, as they want you to know what you’re buying.
5. Verify when buying online. Check for the harvest date, and always buy from the most recent harvest. Ask before you complete your purchase.

Since hearing the news I visited Whole Foods and found a good quality olive oil named Columela, an extra virgin cold-pressed oil.  Unbeknownst to me it the highest rated extra virgin olive oil by Cooks Illustrated, a service that rates many food items and appliances.  Look in your cabinet and see what you are using.  If it is one of the above companies I suggest you take it back to your store and buy something with the suggestions above.  Your health depends on it.

The Power Breakfast

Many of my clients ask me "what do you eat on a typical day?"  Since I hear that more often than not, I thought I would share over the next few weeks some of my favorite meals and how they break down nutritionally for balance and health.  We always hear breakfast is the most important meal of the day so why not make it power packed with nutrients?  Why not have something to jump start your metabolism for the day and make it delicious and enjoyable at the same time?  Here's my favorite breakfast:

Susan’s Power Breakfast:

½ cup of 2% low fat organic cottage cheese

½ cup of low fat plain organic yogurt

3 tablespoons of part-skim ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds

1 tablespoon of raw cashews

½ cup of mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)

1/3 medium banana (on the greener side)

Sprinkling of Cinnamon

Organic breakfast tea with 2-3 tablespoons of organic 1% milk

The nutritional breakdown of this breakfast is:

400 calories

31 grams of protein

36 grams of carbohydrate

7.5 grams fiber

15 grams of fat

450 mg. of calcium

Beginning your day with a strong breakfast is important to maintaining a healthy metabolism.  A protein-based breakfast not only jump-starts your metabolism but stabilizes blood sugars and appetite throughout the day.  This breakfast contains approximately 4 ½ ounces of protein, a moderate amount of healthy carbohydrate from the fruit, nuts, and dairy products and monounsaturated and omega 3 fats coming from ground flax seeds and cashews.

One-third of the recommended needs for calcium are provided.  The berries are powerful antioxidants known as flavonoids which are known to lower inflammation in the body and help prevent cancer and heart disease.  The less ripe banana contains resistant starch which is now thought to play an important role in intestinal health.  Lastly, it contains one-third of the recommended amount of fiber also important for proper digestion and gut health.

It is quick, easy and satisfying and meets many nutritional needs in just one meal.

Health for the New Year

Many people start the New Year off with a rigorous eating or lifestyle plan only to be back to old habits by the end of January.  How do you sustain change with your eating and lifestyle throughout the year?

The answer to that question is different for each person, but here are a few tips to start off 2010.

1.  Have reasonable expectations – many of us start with harsh plans only to be pulling out our hair by day 3 and then doing nothing.  Ask yourself:  “what do I expect of myself and is that reasonable?”  If not, what is a reasonable expectation for eating, exercise, sleep or other lifestyle changes?

2.  Think of what to ADD to your life rather than what to delete.  This approach is friendlier and allows you to feel in control.  Incorporating more protein at meals helps even out your blood sugars and can keep you from eating everything that crosses your path.  Adding omega-3 –fats helps lower inflammation in the body.  A small serving of a dark green leafy and orange/yellow/red vegetable can do wonders for increasing disease-fighting vitamins and minerals in your body.  AND a square or two of dark chocolate adds important phytochemicals essential for health.

3.  Change ONE thing at a time.  One week focus on one or two things you want to add to your diet.  The next week add 15-20 minutes of walking several times per week.  Change what is most reasonable and doable over a years’ time.  It does not matter what you weigh today – it matters more what you weight a year from today.

Having a lifestyle that works does not happen overnight: it evolves over time.  Keep your expectations for 2010 reasonable and slowly add one thing at a time till you are in the health you desire.  Your body will thank you as 2011 turns the corner.