Life’s Elixir: Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Yiasas!
You are always welcome at my Kefi table. Here we share a plethora of ways one can optimally live in the mind, the body and the spirit.
After all, all three must be fed to stay well. A food which contributes to the wellbeing of the triage mentioned above is extra virgin olive oil.
In case you are not aware, you cannot have olive oil without the olive.
Furthermore, while the almighty olive has been pressed for thousands of years to take its juice and make the oil for eating purposes, we also are grateful for the generations of health benefits it has provided to the human race yesterday, today and for tomorrow.
This is due to the fact that extra virgin olive oil is not chemically produced or pressed.
This week, as we have reached the halfway mark of the Mediterranean Diet and Longevity Series, it is quite appropriate to serve up important information about extra virgin olive oil, as it is the primary fat consumed on this meal plan.
For this reason, Kefi Life is grateful to this week’s podcast guest Dr. Kiki Zinoviadou, Dean & Chair of the 'New Food Product & Business Development's MSc program at Perrotis College- a division of the American Farm School.
Dr Zinoviadou, based in the heart of northern Greece in the historic city of Thessaloniki, enlightens us on the science, culture, understanding and impact of olive oil on the human body. When you tune in this Thursday, you will learn why olive oil is not just an ingredient- but the very foundation of the Mediterranean way of life.
Points of interest for this episode include the scientific view of olive oil, namely the composition of fatty acids. Seventy five percent of the fatty acids in olive oil are mono saturated, while other oils are all saturated. Why is this important?
Several studies reveal that mono saturated fats are more beneficial to our health. Especially by protecting us against cardiovascular disease and by keeping our veins more elastic.
Essentially the consumption of extra virgin olive oil does not allow the bad cholesterol to remain on the veins.
Something else that proves to be noteworthy is that apart from its own nutritional value, olive oil has synergistic effects with other ingredients in the Mediterranean Diet. For example, most Greek meals begin with the simmering or in Greek -Sigarima, of onions and garlic. The process of simmering of these two (and other vegetables) results in the release of more antioxidants.
This information is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sharing the magnificence of extra virgin olive oil.
Please tune into the Kefi Life podcast - episode 220 this Thursday and enjoy my conversation with a well versed and passionate educator of olive oil and food science.
In the meantime, remember that olive oil is neither a trend nor a fad, it is the golden thread of the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Ola Kala- All is well.
Sending you filakia-kisses,
Kiki