Canary Island Garlic and Herb Olive Oil

Avocado Summer Salad Recipe~~Lakeland Civic Center Christmas in July Show July 7 & 8

Lakeland Florida  16th Annual Buckler's Christmas in July Art and Craft Festival .  The weather is fantastic here.  Just got back from a family reunion  of course a whole lot of visitin and lots of eatin going on.  I grew up in the home town of Walt Disney, anybody out there a Disney buff and can tell me where that is?
  Well got to get back to work and sell splash if you can come on over to the show and do some shoppin!
  A recipe from the reunion with avocado, large black olives and grape tomatoes
  2 large black avocados
10 to 15 large black olives
15-20 grape tomatoes
4 tablespoons of Canary Island Garlic and Herb olive oil
   Stir together and let sit
   Right before serving sprinkle feta cheese over the top
OOOh that is some kinda good!
See ya at dinner,
Kristi
Kristi@vigoacuisine.com

TDC-Olive Project

Okay, this one is really cool. The European Union in 2004 decided to fund research regarding the olive.
Since then, many studies and papers have come out of it.  I found a couple of leaflets (in pdf format)
that I thought you'd find really interesting.  If you'd like to learn more. You can visit their site at http://www.tdcolive.net/references.htm

Nutritional                  characteristics of olive oil - click here for the PDF

Edible                  fats in European cooking habits - click here for the PDF

Consumption                  studies - click here for the PDF

Cardiovascular                  Diets - click here for the PDF

              Therapeutic benefits of olive oil and olives -- Click here for the PDF

Research shows olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties

 

Publication Date: 18 November 2005

                                      

               

       

Good quality olive oil could have some of the same qualities as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

An American research team in Philadelphia found that 50ml of extra-virgin olive oil had the same anti-inflammatory properties as about a tenth of a dose of ibuprofen.

Active ingredient suppresses inflammation

The active ingredient is a natural chemical called oleocanthal. As with NSAIDs, oleocanthal works by suppressing the enzymes involved in inflammation.

However, as a 50ml dose of olive oil would be insufficient to cure a headache, the British Nutrition Foundation is taking a cautious view.

Not useful as a treatment in itself

Dr Stephen Allen, a consultant in chronic pain management, said: ‘The active chemical in virgin olive oil is, on its own, very weak and is obviously not useful as a treatment in itself. However, while oleocanthal has a similar action to ibuprofen, it has a very different chemical structure. Perhaps in the future this will lead us to synthesising a new group of drugs that are as effective as NSAIDs but without all of their side effects.

‘Until then, people should see olive oil as being part of a healthy diet – and great to use on salads.’

Source: http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/NewsRoom/Latestnewsstories/Researchshowsoliveoilhasanti-inflammatoryproperties

      

The health benefits of Olive Oil

A recent paper (1) published by Dr. Chopra's research group at the Northern Ireland Center for Diet and Health, University of Ulster, had some interesting conclusions.

Health benefits from lycopene in tomato products have been suggested to be related to its antioxidant activity. Dietary fat may influence the absorption and hence the antioxidant activity of lycopene. The study compared the effect of consumption of tomato products with extra-virgin olive oil versus sunflower oil. The different oils did not affect the absorption of the lycopene into the body, but the tomato/olive oil combination generated increased plasma antioxidant activity by around 20%. Therefore one conclusion drawn from the research was that it would seem that consumption of tomato products with olive oil, but not with sunflower oil, improves the antioxidant activity of the plasma.

Researchers are faced with the question of whether the combination of tomato and olive oil does something synergistically, or whether the beneficial antioxidant effects are caused by olive oil alone. Extra virgin olive oil is particularly rich in the phenolic antioxidants as well as squalene and oleic acid, and high consumption of the foregoing in the diet provides considerable protection against colon, breast and skin cancer, coronary heart disease and aging by inhibiting oxidative stress. Research has shown that scavenging of the hydroxyl radical was significantly higher among extracts of olive oil. This effect was only minimal in seed oils. In addition to their direct antioxidant capacity, extracts of olive oil are also potent inhibitors of xanthine oxidase activity. A constant high olive oil intake in the diet, especially extra virgin olive oil, provides a constant supply of antioxidants. This may reduce oxidative stress through inhibition of lipid peroxidation, a factor that is currently linked to a host of diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

There is a low incidence of skin cancer among Mediterranean populations, and olive oil consumption could be a contributing factor to this low cancer rate. Olive oil contains significantly higher amounts of squalene than seed oils, and squalene is to a large extent transferred to the skin. German researchers believe that this transfer mechanism is probably accomplished by scavenging singlet oxygen generated by ultraviolet light. Japanese scientists also claim that virgin olive oil applied to the skin after sunbathing could protect against skin cancer by slowing tumor growth.

Researchers at the University Hospital "Germans Trias Pujol" in Barcelona, Spain, compared the benefits of olive oil with safflower and fish oil on rats to determine if the type, and not just the amount, of fat in the diet had an impact on cancer tumor growth. They found that the research subjects on the olive oil diet had less precancerous tissue and fewer tumors than the animals fed the other oils.

The researchers believe constituents of olive oil, such as flavonoids, squalene and polyphenols, may help to protect against cancer. Flavonoids and polyphenols are antioxidants, which help prevent cell damage from oxygen-containing chemicals called free radicals.

Another study by researchers at the University of Oxford adds to the growing body of evidence that shows olive oil is as effective as fresh fruit and vegetables in keeping colon cancer at bay.

Dr Michael Goldacre and a team of researchers at the Institute of Health Sciences compared cancer rates, diets and olive oil consumption in 28 countries including European countries, the United States, Brazil, Colombia, Canada and China. Countries with a diet high in meat and low in vegetables had the highest rates of the disease and olive oil was associated with a decreased risk.

The researchers suspect olive oil protects against bowel cancer by influencing the metabolism of the gut. They think it cuts the amount of a substance called deoxycyclic acid and regulates the enzyme diamine oxidase which may be linked to cell division in the bowel.

A study in the March 27, 2000 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, which was produced by Dr. Ferrara's research team, shows that a diet high in MUFA from olive oil can also help reduce blood pressure levels.

Ferrara and his colleagues found that while consuming the extra-virgin olive oil diet, research subjects reduced the amount of antihypertensive medication necessary to control blood pressure levels by 48%, versus only a 4% reduction on the sunflower oil diet. In addition, eight subjects on the extra-virgin olive oil diet required no antihypertensive medications; all subjects on the sunflower oil diet required antihypertensive medication. The authors conclude that a diet lower in total fat and saturated fat and a diet that contains higher amounts of MUFA can lower blood pressure levels and reduce or eliminate the need for medications in people with hypertension.

So why does olive oil lower blood pressure? One possible reason is its polyphenol content. Polyphenols are potent antioxidants which help arteries dilate, thereby reducing blood pressure. Ten grams of extra-virgin olive oil contains five mg of polyphenols; sunflower oil has no polyphenols.

Constantine Alexander
              Certified Olive Oil Consultant 

(1) Lee, A.; Thurnham, D.I.; Chopra, C. Consumption of Tomato Products with Olive Oil but not Sunflower Oil increases the Antioxidant Activity of Plasma. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 29:1051-1055; 2000 [Nov. 15th, 2000 issue]

http://www.eat-online.net/english/education/olive_oil/health_benefits.htm

Olive oil acid 'cuts cancer risk'

I did a quick google search on Olive Oil research and found this interesting article
from 2005 from the bbc online.

Scientists in Chicago say they have uncovered why a Mediterranean diet
rich in olive oil seems to cut the risk of developing breast cancer.

The key is an ingredient of olive oil called oleic acid, they say.

Northwestern University laboratory tests on breast cancer cells showed
the acid sharply cut levels of a gene thought to trigger the disease.

Cancer charities said the study, in Annals of Oncology, was interesting,
but more research was needed.   

The researchers found that oleic acid cut activity levels of a gene called Her-2/neu,
which occurs at high levels in over a fifth of breast cancer
patients and is associated with highly aggressive tumours with a poor prognosis.

Not only did oleic acid suppress activity of the gene, it also boosted the effectiveness
of a breast cancer drug called herceptin, which has helped to prolong the lives of many patients.

Lead researcher Dr Javier Menendez said: "Our findings underpin epidemiological
studies that show that the Mediterranean diet has significant protective effects
against cancer, heart disease and ageing."

Caution urged

Dr Menendez said it might be possible to delay or prevent herceptin resistance in
breast cancer patients carrying high levels of the rogue gene by including olive oil in their diet.

However, he stressed that lab results did not always translate into clinical practice.

Professor Tim Key, deputy director of Cancer Research UK's epidemiology unit, in Oxford,
said: "The only established diet-related risk factors for breast cancer are obesity and alcohol.

"Some previous studies among women have suggested that Mediterranean-style diets might be associated
with a lower risk, but the data are not consistent and there is currently no strong direct evidence
that olive oil can reduce breast cancer risk.

"This new research shows interesting effects of olive oil on breast cancer cells under laboratory
conditions, but much more work will be needed to determine whether this is of any importance
for breast cancer in women."

Antonia Bunnin, of the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, agreed that it was not yet clear
which dietary factors influenced the chance of developing breast cancer.

"More research is needed but the potential of oleic acid to alter the expression of certain genes
associated with aggressive tumours - and increase the effectiveness of herceptin - is interesting.

"We look forward to further research in this area."

Last Updated: Monday, 10 January, 2005, 00:12 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4154269.stm

Dash-of-Splash Health Note...

Kristi & I are always on the lookout for healthful eating options.

Our friend Nancy DesJardins is a Registered Nutritional Consulting Practitioner (RNCP) up in Canada. She wrote an article on 20 choices to a healthier lifestyle.

In it she talks about olive oils and fats. We thought it was interesting, so here are the relevant excerpts.

-- Always choose cold pressed oils and broaden your spectrum of oil variety to include flax, sesame, sunflower, hemp oil, assorted nut oils, and olive oil.

------------------The Splash is cold pressed!------------------

-- Choose Lemon, Oil & Herbs to top you salad, as opposed to cooked, processed dressings.

-----------------The easiest way to use Splash!----------------

-- If you are sensitive to sugar, it's a good idea to add oils like flax, hemp, coconut, or olive to smoothies or fruit salads. This will allow slower time release of sugar into your bloodstream.

DO NOT ELIMINATE FAT FROM YOUR DIET.

Fats from cold water fish, flaxseeds and other nuts and seeds, and olive oil provide essential fatty acids. It's essential to protect us from disease, for homeone balance, and to absorf the fat-soluble vitamins - A,E,D & K. Healthy natural fats (and cholesterol) are crucial to our health.

Have fat with every meal; along with vegetables! Natural fat gives you energy; carbs/sugar make you fat. If you don't get enough fat, you will continue to feel hungry.

Thanks Nancy!

86-Year-Old Weight Lifter Inspires Woman

http://visitors.polkvoice.com/default.asp?item=400496

86-Year-Old Weight Lifter Inspires Woman

At 4 feet, 8 inches and 94 pounds, 86-year-old Cuban-American Flora Vigoa has more spunk on a slow day than most of us have on a good day.

Vigoa makes overcoming obstacles and challenges look so easy you begin to think that big things really do come in small packages! This small package is so full of energy that most of her 40-something friends can't even keep up. Let me tell you her story.

In 1959 Vigoa and her family were living in Havana, Cuba and like most families, working, raising children and going to the beach to enjoy the great fishing. Then life took the first of several unexpected turns.

Fidel Castro had just taken power in Cuba and Vigoa had a sinking feeling that this was not going to turn out to be a good thing. After several years and through much prayer, she was able to convince her husband they needed to leave Cuba and come to the United States.

Before leaving Cuba, however, Vigoa finally got her dream house. It even had a walk-in closet. Just months after moving into her dream home, the paperwork went through and in 1962 the Vigoa family bought airplane tickets to Miami. Vigoa knew that when the government found out they were leaving the country for good, all of their worldly goods would be confiscated. So Vigoa devised a plan.

Slowly but surely Vigoa came up with ways to give her valuables to her relatives with out the government knowing. You see, the government would pay people to spy on their neighbors and alert them of "suspicious" activity. So if you were seen moving a refrigerator out of your house, you would immediately be reported. Well, it just so happened that Flora had just gotten a new refrigerator. Needless to say, she definitely did not want the government to take her new fridge, so here is what she did.

Vigoa has always been a wonderful seamstress, so she made some children's clothes and took them over to the refrigerator repairman's house for his children. Instead of payment, she asked for a repair tag. The next day her husband loaded the refrigerator into a truck and drove off. A few hours later a government official showed up and demanded to know why she moved her refrigerator. Vigoa simply showed him the repair tag and he left. She was able to give her brand-new fridge to her mother-in-law!

Several weeks before the flight to Miami, which ended up being the last commercial flight allowed to leave Cuba for the U.S., the government sealed off the house with yellow tape and posted a sign that said it was now government property and anyone breaking the seal would be arrested. Now all of their possessions were sealed inside. Vigoa and her husband and two children were forced to leave everything except for one suitcase for the entire family. She was in her 40s and only able to speak Spanish when she left for a new life in America.

Fear never stood between Vigoa and her dreams for her family. She got to Miami and got a job right away in a factory sewing on big machines. Even though she had never seen anything like it before, she taught herself how to sew on them. The American dream was becoming a reality for Vigoa and her family.

Over the years there have been joys and pain. Eventually Vigoa moved to Central Florida, where she lives near her daughter, Miriam Vigoa. Now she is retired and loves spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A great passion of Flora Vigoa's is working out at her favorite gym several times a week. She was going six days a week but decided to cut back to three for a change of pace! Even after she tripped in the yard while taking out her recycling bin and broke two ribs and got a stress fracture in her lower back, she refused traditional painkillers and treatment. She has since totally recovered.

Flora Vigoa's latest feat of super strength is her most amazing one yet. Recently, she had an accident and broke her arm and neck. It is a total miracle that she survived the neck fracture. She has no paralysis, no neurological damage and no circulation problems.

She was flown to Tampa and the doctors put a screw in her neck. After a week in rehabilitation, she was already walking by herself down the hall and riding the bike in therapy. Her roommate said, "Look at her doing so good.  really got to get on the ball!" All the nurses call her "amazing" and the doctor called her "solid as a rock." They all agree that eating right and working out -- no matter your age -- has truly saved her life.

Flora Vigoa started lifting weights when she was 83! She has great bone density and muscle tone. She is such an inspiration that other residents now go on walks with her.

I just found my New Year's resolution. It is never too late to make powerful changes in your life. Flora started pumping iron at 83 and it saved her life. I'm sticking with her plan.

Contributed by Kristi Linebaugh