Facebook Profile: Olive Oil

Basic Information 

Birthday: According to estimates, around 4500 B.C. 


Hometown: The olive tree is native of the Mediterranean region. I wasn't introduced to the United States until 1492 when I was brought here by Christopher Columbus.  

Family Members: I come from the olive, a fruit that grows on the olive tree (which is actually considered an evergreen tree!).


Personal Information

Fans: I'm a favorite of chefs and nutritionists. Chefs prefer me over other oils because of my unique and delicious taste, which complements a wide variety of foods. And nutritionists sing my praises because I'm rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, which have been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.



Favorite Activities: I love to be drizzled over poultry or fish for added flavor. I also like to dress vegetables or finish a whole-grain or bean salad. Another favorite seasonal activity: Being used to lightly cook some spring asparagus or to dress a delicious salad of spring greens (combine one to three teaspoons of high-quality extra virgin olive oil—depending on the calorie count of the rest of the meal—with a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.)


Favorite Fact: If you store me properly (in a cool, dark place) I can last for two years, though I'm most flavorful in the first two months. If you store me in the fridge, you'll have to let me come back to room temperature, so the crystals melt, before using.


About Me: I'm available in various forms, depending on how I'm processed. There's Extra Virgin, which comes from the first pressing of the olives. It has a very low rate of acidity, making it ideal for salads and other non-cooking uses. Virgin oil also comes from the first cold pressing, but it's higher in acidity. It has a slightly higher smoke point (the temperature at which the oil starts to smoke) so it can be used both in cooked and uncooked dishes. Olive oil that's not marked Extra Virgin or Virgin are made from later pressings of the olives. They have higher smoke points, and are therefore better for cooking, but they lack the depth of flavor important for dressings.

Favorite Quotation: "Olive oil... asparagus...if your mother wasn't so fancy, we could shop at the gas station like normal people." —Homer Simpson of The Simpsons

Know Your Numbers


When it comes to getting in shape and living healthier, so many people rely on one measure of success—weight. But there are so many other great (and sometimes more telling) ways to know if you're moving closer to your goals. For instance, do you know your:

1. Total cholesterol, HDL ("good") cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol

2. Blood pressure

3. Blood sugar level (if you have diabetes)

4. Triglyceride level

5. Waist circumference (or pants size)

It's important to have specific markers of health to track along the way—doing so will help you stay motivated because you'll know where you started and be able to see how far you've come. Relying on all of these measurements can give you the whole health picture, whereas focusing only on your weight offers a limited—and at times, misleading—view of your progress. Remember, weight fluctuations can have nothing to do with your efforts. Your diet, your menstrual cycle and a variety of other factors can affect the number on the scale. So, while it's fine to keep track of your weight loss, it should be just one of a bunch of numbers that you use to gauge your success.  

Below, a few statements I commonly hear from my clients, on how motivating knowing all of your numbers can be:


"Packing my lunch for work every day can be a real pain sometimes, but it's so worth it when I see that my blood pressure has dropped to close to the normal range over the last five months."

"When I feel tempted to reach for a rich dessert or have a second glass of wine, I think of my BMI chart and how the numbers are consistently getting lower and lower. Keeping my numbers moving in the right direction feels better than any dessert or drink will ever taste."

"I used to put cream in my coffee every day, but when I switched to one percent milk I saw a change in my cholesterol levels after six months. Now I take small changes seriously–they really can make a difference in my health and weight!"

Chewing the Fat

You probably already know how dangerous trans fats are. Not only can they interfere with your weight-loss efforts (foods with trans fat are often higher in calories), they're also raise total cholesterol and also lower HDL or "good" cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk for heart disease.

Unfortunately, many people are confused about where these harmful fats lurk. In a recent survey of 1,000 Americans done by researchers at the University of Colorado in Denver, 92 percent had heard of trans fats and 75 percent knew they were bad, but only 21 percent could name three food sources of the fat.

There are many foods that typically contain trans fat—see the list below and do your best to avoid them whenever possible. And of course, you should always check a product's label. Remember to look not only at the nutrition facts panel, but also the ingredients list. Because of an FDA loophole, products that have .49 g trans fat or less per serving can say they have 0 g. The best way to check for trans fat: Look for "partially hydrogenated fat/oil" on the ingredients list—it's the source of trans fat.

Fortunately, many companies have been making the shift away from using partially hydrogenated oil and they now offer reformulated trans-fat-free products. For instance, Lean Cuisine meals with the Best Life seal don't contain trans fats. Smart Balance Buttery Spread is another Best Life approved product that's free of the harmful fat.

And remember, just because a product is trans-fat-free doesn't mean it's automatically healthful. Companies had to replace the fat with something, and that's often saturated fat. While saturated fat is OK in moderation, too much can increase levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol). So, compare labels and buy products with lower levels of saturated fat.  

Main Sources of Trans Fat

• Margarine
• Vegetable shortening
• Cookies
• Microwave popcorn
• French fries
• Frozen meals
• Crackers
• Ramen soups
• Cake mixes
• Nondairy creamers
• Chips
• Candy

For more healthy-eating advice, check out TheBestLife.com.