Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, Blood Type…agh!
These days there are so many diets to choose from that it’s hard to know which one is best, which one will work, and which one is compatible with our lifestyle and our pocketbooks.
That’s why when I heard this quote at last week’s Olive Oil Conference held in Chicago I wanted to stand up and shout “hooray!”
“Eat whole authentic foods. Find what’s best for you and just do it.”
~Darren Seifer, Olive Oil Conference 2018
This is hands down the BEST diet advice I have ever heard. It eliminates the confusion, overwhelm and stress when it’s time to go grocery shopping or choosing an item off the menu.
It’s a simple and achievable goal: eat authentic foods and feel good while doing it.
Everything that comes after should only be as a SUPPORT to that main goal.
One of the MOST supportive elements to any healthy diet is the inclusion of a High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
In fact, a research study that was summarized by Dr. Frank Sacks at the Harvard School of Public Health proved exactly this when they compared groups of people on diets that included olive oil as a main staple to 2 other similar diets that did not. It was found that the group consuming olive oil regularly had much better outcomes. So much so, that it was deemed unethical to continue to restrict olive oil consumption in the control group!
The group that was supplemented with EVOO showed a significant decrease in many risks factors, from decreased blood pressure to lower incidence of cancers.
Another practitioner, Dr. Simon Poole, saw such dramatic improvements in his patients when they followed a diet focused on Olive Oil and whole fresh foods that he wrote a book about it called the “The Olive Oil Diet” which I highly recommend!
BUT, if you’re anything like me and waiting 2 days for Amazon Prime to ship your copy of the book is way too long, here is a quick summary of the“Olive Oil Diet” which is adapted from the Mediterranean diet to get you started:
Vegetables: at least 2 servings every meal •
Fruits: 1-2 servings every meal •
Wholegrain cereals: 1-2 servings every meal •
Olives, nuts and seeds: 1-2 servings every day •
Extra virgin olive oil: every meal (30 mls + per day) for preparing, flavoring, finishing
Dairy: 2 full-fat fermented servings daily •
Eggs: 2-4 servings per week •
Legumes: at least 2 servings per week •
Fish/seafood: at least 2 servings per week •
White meat: 2 servings per week •
Red meat: no more than 2 servings per week •
Processed meat: no more than 1 serving per week •
Wine: 1 glass per day for healthy women and 2 glasses for healthy men, with meals
Desserts: no more than 2 servings per week
There is so much to learn and experiment with olive oil and what an adventure this is!
Ciao for now,
RoseAnne
