The Foodie Physician

Ingredient 911: The Wonders of Olive Oil

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This post was sponsored by Olive Oils from Spain.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

People are always asking me for healthy eating tips.  What’s one of the best ways to make sure that you’re eating the right types of foods?  Cook at home!  When you cook at home, there’s no mystery involved.  You are the one controlling the ingredients and the cooking methods.  Healthy eating is not about following a restrictive diet and denying yourself the foods you love. It’s about eating a well  balanced diet filled with a wide variety of delicious and nutritious whole foods and leading an active, fulfilling lifestyle.

One of the most basic changes you can make to your every day cooking routine that can significantly improve your health is to cook with olive oil.

 

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First, let me give you a little background on olive oil.  Did you know that Spain is the largest producer of olive oil in the world?  Spain provides around 50% of all the olive oil produced worldwide and is the largest exporter of organic extra virgin olive oil to the USA.  Spain has taken great strides in developing and promoting the quality of its olive oils and they invest more in R & D than all of the other olive oil-producing countries combined.  With more than 260 different olive varieties, Olive Oils from Spain have a unique range of flavors, aromas, and textures.  Some of the world’s best chefs cook with Olive Oils from Spain, including José Andrés.  I’ve actually had the good fortune of dining at his amazing restaurant The Bazaar in both Beverly Hills as well as South Beach, and it’s no wonder he has such a stellar reputation!

 

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It’s interesting how diet advice changes over the years as new research emerges.  For years, we were taught to follow a low-fat diet if we wanted to lose weight.  Fat was the enemy and we should avoid it at all costs.  Now, we know that we need fat in our diets and it actually plays an important role in our health. The key is not cutting out all fat, but rather eating the right types of fat.  Focus on eating unsaturated fats like those found in foods like extra virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and cold water fish.  Try to limit the amount of saturated fats in your diet. You should also limit the amount of trans-fats, which are unhealthy manmade fat found in many packaged foods.  Saturated and trans fats can increase your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and some cancers.

 

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Extra virgin olive oil, on the other hand, is composed of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid.  These fats help lower your risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels and normalizing blood clotting.  They also help regulate your blood sugar.  Extra virgin olive oil also contains many other powerful compounds like antioxidants, polyphenols, anti-inflammatories, and vitamin E, which have many important health benefits and can help prevent chronic diseases.

Olive oil is one of the main ingredients in the Mediterranean diet. The heart-healthy Mediterranean diet is a healthy eating plan based on typical foods and recipes of Mediterranean-style cooking.  It emphasizes eating primarily plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (like lentils and beans), and nuts and replacing butter with healthy fats like olive oil.  It also encourages limiting red meat and instead enjoying seafood and poultry, along with some red wine in moderation.
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There are officially three different types of olive oil recognized by the International Olive Council (IOC): extra-virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil and olive oil. Although in stores you’ll most commonly find olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. All of them are excellent sources of monounsaturated fatty acids, which makes them an essential part of any healthy diet.  To learn about the differences between these varieties, visit the Olive Oils from Spain website.

 

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Research has shown that following a Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease.  It’s also associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.  One of the most significant studies to show these cardioprotective effects was the PREDIMED study out of Spain, which was a randomized controlled trial that included over 7000 participants who were at high risk for heart disease.  The study found that eating olive oil in the context of a balanced, Mediterranean-type diet reduced the incidence of stroke, heart attack or cardiovascular death by 30%.

 

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So how can you incorporate olive oil into your home cooking to reap all of its health benefits?  Here are just a few ways:

–     –  Use olive oil when you’re sautéing vegetables, seafood or meat in a pan
–     –  Use olive oil to make homemade salad dressings
–      – Use olive oil as the base of your marinade when marinating vegetables, seafood or meat
–     –  Use olive oil in your baked goods like bread or muffins
–     –  Use olive oil to brush on your food when grilling
Since it’s officially summer, that means it’s grilling time!  And with the Fourth of July right around the corner, you may be looking for some delicious and nutritious grilling recipes that can feed a crowd!  My Grilled Garlic Shrimp Skewers with Parsley Oil are the perfect solution.  Easy to make and packed with flavor, this dish really showcases the versatility of Olive Oils from Spain.  First, I make a simple but flavorful marinade for the shrimp using olive oil, lemon juice and spices.
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Then, I thread the shrimp onto skewers, alternating with lemon slices, and toss the skewers on the grill.

 

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The shrimp cook in a matter of minutes and the lemons get a nice char.  To drizzle over the skewers, I also make vibrant, green herb oil by blending olive oil with fresh parsley.

 

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I like to arrange the skewers on a serving platter and drizzle some of the parsley oil on top.  Tell your guests to squeeze the charred lemon on the shrimp for an extra punch of flavor before digging in!

To get the full recipe, head over to Olive Oils from Spain blog HERE.
To learn more about Olive Oils from Spain, visit their blog.  Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
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Comments

  2. Yay! I'm all about the healthy fats! :] It's something I try to tell my patients about (with varying degrees of success on whether or not they believe me, but I try…). I'm in the process of trying to add/set up nutrition as part of the curriculum here! *-* Fingers crossed!

    Those skewers look delicious! So many colors! :]!

    Reply

  4. Great post Sonali- I am 100% in support of the Med Diet! Such a powerful healthy eating plan that really deserves the attention it gets. I love your recipe too- and the Moscow Mule in the photo too! There's a small specialty olive oil shop in Temecula that I usually get olive oils from, but now will have to check this out!! Thanks!

    Reply

  5. I like that you recommend to use it in raw options such as salad dressings, because another important thing to remember about olive oil is that when it is heated to a temperature too high, it becomes rancid and can release free radicals into our food. Keeping it on a low heat, and enjoying it in raw options is the best way to avoid this. Thanks for all the great info Sonali!

    Reply

  8. And we wonder why the Greeks live sooooo long?!?! I'm a huge fan of the Mediterranean diet! I love olive oil and I cannot wait to try this recipe! So fresh!

    Reply

  9. Olive oil is definitely a go-to for cooking for me and this is such a wonderful way to highlight it! Parsley is definitely an under-appreciated herb.

    Reply

  11. I love this!! However – olive oil should not be used for cooking at high temps. It's preferable to not cook it at all, as you mentioned due to the monounsaturated structure. Curious your thoughts about the newest research on saturated fat as well – the source seems to be more important than saturated/unsaturated (as in coconut oil, eggs, and pastured butter being OK, and factory farmed meats not OK)

    Reply

    • Thanks for your comment, Amanda! And yes, the new research is definitely intriguing, especially with products like coconut oil, which I've started to incorporate into a lot of my recipes. And yes, I am a big fan of eggs, which have so many health benefits. For now, I'll continue to follow the "everything in moderation" path until more definitive evidence is there.

      Reply

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