In a study prepared for a recent conference, the Johns Hopkins investigators say swapping out certain foods can improve heart health in people at risk for cardiovascular disease — even if the dietary changes aren’t coupled with weight loss.

“The introduction of the right kind of fat into a healthy diet is another tool to reduce the risk of future heart disease,” Meghana Gadgil,  a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, says in a news release.

Gadgil and her colleagues looked at 164 people with mild hypertension but no diabetes. The researchers studied their ability to regulate blood sugar and maintain healthy insulin levels while on a carb-rich diet, a protein-rich diet and a diet rich in unsaturated fats. People whose bodies fail to effectively use insulin usually develop type 2 diabetes, a major risk factor for heart disease.

The researchers say they found a generally balanced diet higher in unsaturated fats like those in olive oil, avocados, and nuts “improves insulin use significantly more” than a diet high in carbs — especially refined carbs like white bread and pasta.

“A lot of studies have looked at how the body becomes better at using insulin when you lose weight,” Gadgil says. “We kept the weight stable so we could isolate the effects of the macronutrients. What we found is that you can begin to see a beneficial impact on heart health even before weight loss.”

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

Photo courtesy of www.artisanbreadinfive.com

How can I substitute olive oil in a baking recipe that calls for butter, like a cake?  

“Olive oil can replace butter and margarine in almost all baked goods,” says Sarah House, recipe specialist for Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, the Oregon provider of high-quality flours and other natural foods. “I use a 3:4 ratio – 3 parts olive oil is equal to 4 parts butter.”

In other words: If a baking recipe calls for a stick of butter (8 tablespoons), for example, use 6 tablespoons of olive oil. (Click here to see a conversion table.)

Are there times when I should avoid using extra virgin olive oil in a baking recipe that calls for butter?

Yes. “The only time olive oil is not an acceptable substitute for solid fats is in recipes that require a lot of creaming of the butter and sugar (super light and fluffy cakes), or when the fat needs to stay solid, as in a frosting,” House says.

Can I substitute extra virgin olive oil in a baking recipe that calls for a different oil, like canola or vegetable oils?

Why not! Extra virgin olive oil tastes better than “neutral oils” like canola and vegetable oil.  “Any dessert that’s already made with some kind of vegetable oil is a candidate for trying,” award-winning cookbook author and dessert guru Alice Medrich says.

We’ve found you can substitute olive oil for other oils on a one-for-one basis. If a recipe, say, calls for half a cup of vegetable oil, use the same amount of extra virgin olive oil. We’ve done this with carrot and chocolate cakes.

Can I use any type of olive oil in baking?

Not if you want to improve the flavor of your baked good. Use a quality olive oil that tastes good. “Only use an olive oil that you enjoy eating on salads, as a bread dip etc.,” Matthew Kadey, a registered dietitian, recipe developer, and magazine writer whose work has appeared in EatingWell and Men’s Health, says. “If you don’t particularly like the taste of a highly processed olive oil, why sully your baking with it. As the old saw goes: ‘Never cook with a wine you wouldn’t want to drink.’”

What’s so bad about using any olive oil off the grocery shelf?

Ask House, of Bob’s Red Mill. She initially tried using an “inexpensive, off-the-shelf extra virgin olive oil” while developing a recipe for olive oil spelt cake with caramelized apples. (Click here to see the recipe for the cake.)

“Wow, was it obvious that I had used low-quality oil.  The flavor of the oil overpowered the rest of the cake and left a noticeable aftertaste,” House explains.  “When I baked the cake a second time using the California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil, the final product was so much better.  There was a lighter, more fragrant olive oil flavor that melded nicely with the nuttiness of the spelt and the warmth of cinnamon and the texture was lighter, almost velvety.”

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

The recipe is part of “Baking a Better Holiday.” Stay tuned here and to our Facebook page for baking tips and recipes featuring extra virgin olive oil – instead of butter. We’ll be featuring recipes from professional bakers, and talented food bloggers.

For this recipe, Sarah told us she wanted to make this cake “as whole grain as possible.”

“Everyone’s go-to whole grain flour seems to be wheat,” she added. “So I decided to use something structurally similar but perhaps not as well known to most bakers.  Spelt has a great mildly nutty flavor.”

Sarah also noted many quick breads contain nuts.  “I wanted to accentuate the nutty flavor of spelt and thought it would be fun to replace nuts with cooked spelt berries,” she said.  “The substitution worked out great, adding a lovely light chew to the cake and increasing the whole grain content for extra nutrition.”

Sarah said the use of olive oil helps to “lighten the otherwise dense and heavy whole grain flours.”

What’s the importance of using an extra virgin olive oil that actually tastes good – in other words, not just any ordinary olive oil. We’ll let Sarah explain. She initially tested the recipe using what she called an “inexpensive, off-the-shelf” olive oil.

“Wow, was it obvious that I had used low-quality oil,” Sarah added.  “The flavor of the oil overpowered the rest of the cake and left a noticeable aftertaste.”

Sarah had much better results using one of our oils. “There was a lighter, more fragrant olive oil flavor that melded nicely with the nuttiness of the spelt and the warmth of cinnamon,” she said. “And the texture was lighter, almost velvety.”

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

The Mediterranean Diet Foundation’s revised pyramid spells out the servings you should eat on a daily or weekly basis of various foods. For example, you should eat one to two servings of fruit at every main meal as well as one to two servings of bread, rice and other cereals that are “preferably” whole grain, according to the Barcelona-based nonprofit. A serving size is based on “frugality and local habits.”

In a statement, the group says the revamped pyramid better reflects the “balanced lifestyle” of the Mediterranean people. The pyramid continues to promote grains, olive oil, fruits, vegetables and seafood. And, as before, you should eat red meat and sweets sparingly.

The Mediterranean Diet Foundation is the latest group to overhaul its version of the Mediterranean diet pyramid. The most well known pyramid is touted by our friends at the Boston food think tank Oldways, which updated their pyramid a couple years ago.

As with other food pyramids, being at the bottom of the heap is a good thing. The lower section of the Mediterranean Diet Foundation pyramid depicts “foods that should sustain the diet,” like veggies, olive oil and fruit. The upper section of the pyramid details foods that should be consumed “in moderate amounts.”

You should eat no more than one serving of red meat a week, for example. White meat can equal two weekly servings. Fish and seafood, however, can be consumed more frequently: twice or more a week. Wine is recommended in “moderation.” (Click here to see our October In Season eNewsletter showcasing Mediterranean cuisine and recipes.)

To better illustrate the Mediterranean lifestyle as a whole, “regular” physical activity and “adequate” sleep are highlighted in the revamped pyramid, along with the practice of sharing meals with family and friends.

“It is not just about prioritizing some food groups from others, but also paying attention to the way of selecting, cooking and eating,” the Mediterranean Diet Foundation says.

The organization adds that it collaborated with nutritionists, anthropologists, sociologist and agricultural experts to develop the “new richer design.”

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

“Use olive, canola, and other plant oils in cooking, on salads, and at the table, since these healthy fats reduce harmful cholesterol and are good for the heart,” the Harvard School of Public Health says this month in a news release outlining its healthy eating guidelines. “Limit butter and avoid trans fat.”

The university’s nutrition gurus note pointedly that Uncle Sam essentially is “silent” on the use of “beneficial fats.” By contrast, Harvard’s new Healthy Eating Plate icon, pictured above, features a cruet entitled “healthy oils” as well as other detailed recommendations.

The university’s guidelines come after the the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled its plate-shaped dietary icon in June. The USDA’s “MyPlate” replaced the food pyramid which guided Americans for nearly two decades.

The new USDA icon, based on the dietary guidelines the department issued last January, recommends half your plate consist of vegetables and fruits; vegetables account for the larger share. Grains and proteins make up the other half.

Harvard’s Healthy Eating Plate is more detailed, emphasizing varying proportions of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, “healthy” proteins, “healthy” oils, and the consumption of water.

In its critique of the USDA’s guidelines, Harvard says Uncle Sam:

• Fails to note that some high-protein foods—fish, poultry, beans, nuts—are healthier than red meats and processed meats
• Doesn’t distinguish between potatoes (which Harvard says should be eaten in limited quantities) and other vegetables
• Fails to note that “whole grains are better for health than refined grains”
•  Recommends dairy at every meal, “even though there is little evidence that high dairy intake protects against osteoporosis but substantial evidence that high intake can be harmful”
• Says nothing about sugary drinks and the need to “avoid” them
• Doesn’t mention the “importance” of staying active

“Unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture Pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating,” says Walter Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

“The Healthy Eating Plate is based on the best available scientific evidence and provides consumers with the information they need to make choices that can profoundly affect our health and well being.”

The brouhaha comes as two in three adults and one in three children are overweight or obese in the United States. Harvard says its Healthy Eating Plate is based on scientific evidence showing that “a plant-based diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy proteins lowers the risk of weight gain and chronic disease.”

Sincerely,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

© 2009 Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust www.oldwayspt.org

Eating a Mediterranean diet, keeping a healthy weight, exercise, and not smoking may extend your life by up to 15 years — particularly if you’re a woman, a new study suggests.

The 10-year study, at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, concludes that sticking to all “four modifiable healthy lifestyle factors can substantially reduce premature mortality in women and men.”

Women especially may benefit. The study — which tracked 120,000 men and women who were aged 55 to 69 in 1986 — said women who eat a Mediterranean diet and follow the other healthy habits may live up to 15 years longer.

Men may prolong their lives by up to 8-1/2 years.

The Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seafood, nuts and olive oil. The diet is low in meat, with alcohol consumption ranging from half a glass to two glasses a day.

“This study shows that a healthy lifestyle can lead to significant health benefits,” Piet van den Brandt, Professor of Epidemiology at Maastricht University, said. “Very few research studies worldwide have analyzed the relationship between a combination of lifestyle factors and mortality in this way.”

He noted the effects of a Mediterranean diet “were more evident in women than in men,” adding: “Within this diet, nuts, vegetables and alcohol intake had the biggest impact on lower mortality rates.”

The study appears in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

They also can select vegetables and fruits at the market, pick basil leaves for pesto, form meatballs, or bake muffins. Getting them involved in meal preparation is the key.

“They take ownership of the family meals,” said Sanna Delmonico, who heads Napa, Calif.-based Tiny Tummies, which helps parents raise healthy eaters. “They’re committed to the food and the process.”

Culinary teacher and author Joyce Goldstein echoed: “It’s a whole issue of control.”

“Let them pick out the food,” added Goldstein, who has three grown children and three grandchildren. “They also have a palate. And they want to assert it and show what they like to eat.”

Encouraging kids to develop healthy eating habits is a hot topic. First lady Michelle Obama and British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver have launched crusades to battle childhood obesity.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents in this country has almost tripled since 1980.  Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese. The above chart shows the trends since the 1960s by age group.

Delmonico and Goldstein, who earlier this year teamed a workshop on children’s nutrition, offered these suggestions for getting children more involved in preparing meals:

• Give kids hands-on experience making a dish such as pesto. “Kids can pick the basil leaves off the stem,” said Goldstein, whose grandson Adam has cooked with her at the Culinary Institute of America’s Napa Valley campus doing just such a task. “They can put the leaves in the food processor. They can turn it off on.”
• “Watering plants (like herbs and tomatoes), peeling garlic, shucking corn,” said Delmonico, who’s also a nutrition instructor at the CIA’s Napa Valley campus.
• “Kids love to roll meatballs,” said Goldstein. “They volunteer like crazy. Anything with hand work is a big thing.”
• At the farmers’ market, “let them make some decisions,” added Goldstein. “They could pick out the food.”
• “They can peel bananas — though not very neatly,” Delmonico laughed. “They can tear lettuce.”

Delmonico has personal experience with yet another approach: Let children grow their own vegetables. Her daughter, now 16, didn’t like tomatoes … until she got her own cherry tomato plant. “She couldn’t stop eating the tomatoes,” Delmonico quipped.

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

The study, which tracked French seniors for five years, found that those who regularly used olive oil were 41% less likely to suffer a stroke versus those who never did. Researchers adjusted for factors like body mass index, physical activity, and diet.

“These results suggest a protective role for high olive oil consumption on the risk of stroke in older subjects,” the study says.

“Intensive users” of olive oil were those people who used olive oil for cooking, as a dressing, or with bread. The study tracked 7,625 adults age 65 and older from three French cities. They had never suffered a stroke. The participants in the study mainly used extra virgin olive oil.

“This is the first study to suggest that greater consumption of olive oil may lower (the) risk of stroke in older subjects, independently of other beneficial foods found in the Mediterranean diet,” study author Cecilia Samieri, with the University of Bordeaux and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux, France, wrote in an email quoted by WebMD.

The Mediterranean diet, by the way, is rich in vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seafood and olive oil.

So what might be the tie between olive oil and reduced stroke risk?

Several theories exist, Samieri said, telling WebMD it may be people turn to olive oil instead of saturated  fats. “Moreover,” she wrote, “previous research found that the polyphenols from virgin olive oil account specifically for its ability to lower oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL)” or bad cholesterol.

However, Samieri said it was too early to issue public health recommendations about the use of olive oil to guard against stroke.

“We need to remember that this is an observational study,” Nikolaos Scarmeas, with Columbia University in New York, told Reuters Health. He warned that while the research showed a correlation between olive oil and stroke risk, that doesn’t ensure there’s a cause-and-effect.

Sincerely,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

The U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled its new plate-shaped dietary icon this month. It replaces the food pyramid which guided Americans for nearly two decades. Critics called the pyramid confusing.

The new icon, based on the dietary guidelines the USDA issued in January, recommends that half your plate consist of vegetables and fruits; vegetables account for the larger share. Grains and proteins make up the other half; grains, particularly whole grains, account for the bigger share. Seafood, meanwhile, gets a shout-out as a good protein option.

Dairy — considered a voluntary choice — is off to the side. And olive oil and most other plant-based oils get Uncle Sam’s nod of approval.

Nutritionists and experts generally applaud the new plate approach, saying it’s easier to understand than the food pyramid. The healthy eating campaign comes as more than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.

“The plate does a better job of reflecting current thinking about healthy diets than previous guides,” nutrition and public policy expert Marion Nestle tells the San Francisco Chronicle.

“What I like best are the messages that come with the plate. My favorite? ‘Enjoy your food, but eat less.’”

While olive oil and other oils aren’t considered a food group, the USDA says “they do provide essential nutrients and are therefore included in USDA recommendations for what to eat.”

The guidelines suggest most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated (PUFA) or monounsaturated fats (MUFA). Olive oil, in particular, is high in monounsaturated fats.

“The MUFAs and PUFAs found in fish, nuts, and vegetable oils do not raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels in the blood,” the USDA says. “In addition to the essential fatty acids they contain, oils are the major source of vitamin E in typical American diets.”

The USDA does, however, note that a few plant oils — including coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil — are “high in saturated fats and for nutritional purposes should be considered to be solid fats.” Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature, like butter and shortening.

“Most solid fats are high in saturated fats and/or trans fats and have less monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats,” the USDA says. “Saturated fats and trans fats tend to raise “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels in the blood. This, in turn increases the risk for heart disease.”

The USDA, as a result, advises Americans should “cut back on foods containing saturated fats and trans fats” to reduce the risk of heart disease.

The new dietary guidelines also suggest we should:

• Get at least half our grains from whole grains, including whole-wheat flour, bulgur (cracked wheat), oatmeal, and brown rice
• Eat beans, peas, or soy products like tofu “as a main dish or part of a meal often”
• Go “lean with the protein,” opting for lean cuts of beef, pork chicken and bison
• Eat seafood at least twice a week, particularly fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, and herring
• Avoid oversized portions
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch

On the role of olive oil in Mediterranean cuisine

“It really anchors the Mediterranean diet.” Olive oil is “the primary cooking fat.” Bill Briwa, senior chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in California’s Napa Valley, where the conference took place.

On extra virgin olive oil as a “whole food”

“Recognize extra virgin olive oil as an unprocessed product. It’s fruit from a tree that’s crushed and separated.” Bill Briwa

On olive oil in a healthy diet

“Healthy, delicious olive oil helps food taste great.” That kind of good taste is more likely to inspire people to stick with a healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet. “Nobody is going to eat any diet that doesn’t taste good.” The food needs to be “delicious” and prepared in a “simple” way. Kathy McManus, director of the department of nutrition at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital

On cooking with olive oil

“There’s this mistaken belief that olive oil has a very low smoke point. That’s not true.” Olive oil can withstand temperatures of 375 degrees to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Bill Briwa

On what to do if olive oil begins to smoke while you’re cooking

“Take the pan off the heat. Or put some food into the pan (to absorb the heat).” Bill Briwa

On what that smoke means

“As soon as it smokes, that’s an indication that olive oil is as hot as it can be. As a chef, smoke is my friend.” Bill Briwa

On how much olive oil to use over the course of time in cooking

“If you can’t use up a (500ml) bottle in six weeks, you’re not using enough olive oil.” Bill Briwa

Bon appétit,

Your friends at California Olive Ranch