The Do’s and Don’t of Olive Oil

This week we are going to talk all about the Liquid Gold known as Olive Oil.

Olive oil has always been a good-girl.

It’s the prima donna of the un-scientific and undefined darling diet of 2020’s, The Mediterranean Diet (seriously, it has no real definition, no parameters, and no science to back it up).

It got a hall-pass during the last 50 years of the low-fat era as a “healthy fat” even though all fat was presumed to cause heart disease.

It’s even in the Bible used to anoint kings!

But questions still arise and not all olive oil is created equal, especially when it comes to our health. So let’s dive into the Do’s and Don’ts of olive oil!

Plus, I’ll be sharing my top product recommendations for the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil for your kitchen.

• Don’t Buy Olive Oil: Do Buy Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Many of the health benefits from olive oil come from its active antioxidant polyphenols and high concentration of a particular fatty acid called oleic acid.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil intake has been associated with lower risk of getting or dying from cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.  It can also help improve blood sugar and insulin control and lowers our risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

We may not get these benefits if we strip away the healthiest part of the oil. When we process fats and oils with chemicals, we strip them of their healthy parts and we are left with toxic oils that are actually bad for us.

So, we want to only buy minimally processed oils. Extra Virgin is a legal definition given to olive oil that meets high processing standards.  Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is going to have the good things we want in it.

We DON’T buy plain Olive Oil, Light Olive Oil, Virgin, or Refined Olive Oils. These are processed versions of olive oil that are bad for us and cause inflammation, not reduce it.

• Don’t Worry About Smoke Points: Do Use EVOO For High Heat Cooking

All fats and oils start to break down under increasing amounts of heat. This breakdown is called oxidation.  When oils oxidize, they can cause all sorts of problems like inflammation and oxidative stress.  [1]

Fortunately, due to its minimal processing, EVOO contains very high levels of antioxidant polyphenols, which help the oil to prevent oxidation when we heat it within normal cooking temperatures. [2]

So while you may have heard about EVOO having a low smoke point, it really doesn’t, up to 410 degrees Fahrenheit and it doesn’t break down like othe oils with higher smoke points such as canola.  You can roast vegetables, saute meat, and bake with EVOO and not worry.

• Don’t Expose EVOO to Light or Heat While Storing: DO Store EVOO in Dark Cool Place

Many cooking shows use beautiful clear glass bottles with fancy stainless steel tips to hold their EVOO in during the show. But, that is all for show, because as we learned earlier, all fats and oils break down under light, heat, and exposure to oxygen.  The worst thing you can do is store your EVOO in a clear plastic bottle and put it on your counter.

The best thing you can do is buy your EVOO in a dark metal or glass container as oxygen can actually pass through many plastics.  Store your EVOO away from your oven or stovetop in a cool dark place.  You don’t need to put it in the refrigerator, as it will harden and be usable.

To wrap up our session, I’m going to go ahead and give you my top three Extra-Virgin Olive Oil products. 

My top EVOO recommendations based on high polyphenol and oleic acid content and low rancidity are: 

• California Olive Ranch® Everyday Olive Oil
• Lucini Italia® Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kirkland Signature® Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Now, if you don’t have access to these products, just make sure you still buy a product with the words “Extra-Virgin Olive Oil” on the label.  That’s the most important part.

If you would like to learn more about the best foods for your health and why, it’s time to join the Freese Method 12-Week Online Group Coaching Program, where I will guide you through what to eat, what not to eat, when to eat, why we eat and how to keep eating well so that you can have a metabolism that can burn fat and achieve glowing health.

Remember, you absolutely have what it takes to lose weight, you just need to repair your metabolism first!