Olive Oil Nutrition Tidbit:

An olive is a fruit, not a vegetable, so technically olive oil is a fatty fruit juice. Unlike other fruit juices, it’s purely an oil that’s sugar-free and contains no carbohydrates.

I try to include at least 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil in my daily diet, not only for its nutritional benefits- see below- but also because a high-quality olive oil has so much flavor. Olive oil can vary on levels of acidity, spiciness, bitterness and sweetness. My Italian masters program in food culture and communications, housed in a castle in the countryside at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, in Piedmont, included lessons and exams on the sensory analysis of Italian “good, clean and fair” food products, including extra-virgin olive oil, not to mention other gastronomical pleasures, such as artisanal meat, cheese and wine. Needless to say, I highly recommend any “foodie” to enroll in a food sensory class and take your taste buds on a wild adventure!

Here is my personal sensory analysis of Wild Oats brand Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, and I encourage you to do your own taste test!

Sweet:  A tad sweet

Spicy: Very peppery

Acidity: Mild acidity level

Bitterness: Slightly bitter

Other: Hints of lemon and orange

Personal recommended usage: kale or spinach salads, cold pasta salads, drizzled on top of low fat cottage cheese or used to dip whole-grain bread.

Here are the nutrition benefits of Wild Oats Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:

Nutritionally Authentic:

USDA Certified Organic food product

Only one ingredient: Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil- nothing else added at all

It’s an Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (which means that it’s the purest kind of olive oil)

A Walmart Great For You product

Nutritionally Affordable:

Rich source of heart healthy omega-3’s with an affordable price tag

Nutritionally Accessible:

Available at Walmart

Medical Nutrition Therapy Tips and Solutions:

Cancer: Choose organic extra-virgin olive oil to lower risk of certain cancers.

Diabetes: Although olives are technically a fruit, extra-virgin olive oil is sugar-free and contains no carbohydrates.

Heart Health: A recent study found that consuming 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) of extra-virgin olive oil per day reduced risks of cardiovascular events by 30 percent in people without heart disease.

Elderly, and Those Who are Failing to Thrive or Malnourished: Stir in a tablespoon or two of Wild Oats organic extra-virgin olive oil into pureed foods or soups to add heart-healthy calories to the diet for those who are frail, need additional calories or are malnourished.

It’s that time of year again when the suns rays beckon us to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather. While most of us are used to applying sunscreen before we play outdoors, you might be surprised to learn that you are using a sunscreen with potentially harmful ingredients. Check out some natural sunscreen options and check out my previous natural sunscreen article to learn reasons why it’s important to go the more natural route.

Goddess Green Sunscreen
Goddess Garden’s top-rated spray kids natural sunscreen makes applying sunscreen to your child’s skin easier than ever! Made in a recyclable bottle, it’s sunscreen that is good for you and good for the environment. Formulas are all 100% biodegradable and are packed with nourishing organic ingredients like aloe vera and sunflower oil. www.goddessgarden.com

Coola Suncare Collection
Coola offers a variety of organic-focused suncare products including classic and mineral based lines. Their Patented Hydresia O technology derived from eco-certified and USDA certified organic Safflower Oleosomes, enhances sun protection and helps time-release actives, resulting in less actives and more protection! Make sure to check out their new SPF sprays featuring delicious scents like Citrus Mimosa and pure ingredients like raspberry seed oil, a natural sunscreen enhancer. www.coolasuncare.com

Natural Lip Protection
There are various natural lip products that provide great protection for your lips while you are playing outside. Alba Bontanica makes a very emollient natural lip care stick with SPF 25 that glides on easy and stays on. For super dry summer lips, check out Bodyceuticals Calendula Lip Balm. Calendula flowers have been used since ancient times to heal and nourish the body and help protect against burns.

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and yet over 30 million American adults are breakfast skippers !  In younger adults (between the ages of 18 and 34), 28% of men and 18% of women regularly skip breakfast.  That number drops between 35 and 54 years old to 18% of men and 13% of women, and, after 55, the number falls again to about 10%.

In my previous post “Don’t make a habit of skipping breakfast!” , we looked at a study from Baylor School of Medicine that showed that eating breakfast decreased our risk of becoming overweight or obese, and also of developing Type 2 Diabetes.

A new study was just published from researchers at the University of California – Davis that looked at the effect on women of chronically skipping breakfast, specifically related to stress hormones. I’ll go over the results of the study in a moment, but first, a few words about stress hormones.

….The major stress hormone that we measure is Cortisol.  We look at its production, its ebb and flow, its blood levels.  Cortisol is produced by our adrenal glands (we have 2 of them) in response to signals that come from our brain through the HPA Axis (Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis).  It is all very complicated.  For us, here, just know that levels that are too high or too low or that spike at the “wrong time” can lead to health problems….

OK, back to the new study .  It included only women, between the ages or 18 and 45.  Some were normal weight, some overweight and some obese.  Some were regular breakfast eaters and some were skippers.  Cortisol levels were measured at different times during the day.  The breakfast skippers showed higher cortisol levels during the rest of the day and abnormal ebb and flow.  This was not found in the breakfast eaters.  The study also found that the breakfast skippers had higher blood pressure which could be a component for the development of heart disease.  To quote the researchers: “Habitually skipping breakfast is associated with stress-independent overactivity in the HPA axis which, if prolonged, may increase risk for cardiometabolic disease.”

What does that mean for us?  And “us” includes the men too.  Well, there are many stresses in our lives that put a strain on our HPA Axis.  Cortisol has a powerful and diverse effect on our health.  We may not be able to control all the stresses but we can make a simple choice that has definite benefits.  Let’s eat breakfast!  It really may be “the most important meal of the day” …

Additional Resources:
Why we should eat protein at breakfast!

Cortisol: Why “The Stress Hormone” is Public Enemy #1

Applesauce has been a nutritious snack option for years, but did you know that it also can be used as a healthy alternative in recipes? We’re excited to put our organic applesauce to the test in recipes, but need some suggestions to get us started. What are your favorite recipes using applesauce as an ingredient substitution? Share them with us for a chance to win a Wild Oats prize pack. Comment or reply with your selection on our Twitter or Facebook page and you’re automatically entered!

To share your recipe through Facebook, simply comment on our Mission Monday post by 8:59pm PT/11:59pm ET tonight to be entered to win!

To share your recipe on Twitter, tweet it to us including #WildOatsMission and #sweeps by 8:59pm PT/11:59pm ET tonight to be entered to win!

Full Sweepstakes rules and details can be found here: bit.ly/1DoNN9U

One of my favorite days of the year is finally here! National Grilled Cheese Day is a day to let your imagination run wild and indulge in all the possibilities of fried bread and cheese. This year, how will you celebrate National Grilled Cheese Day?

I like to try a new taste sensation… One year, I concocted a Gruyere and crabmeat on sourdough grilled cheese, and it was spectacular. Another year, I tried fried green tomato and jack on a cornbread focaccia. Let’s just say that that particular grilled cheese did not turn out as I had hoped. But last year, it was pimento cheese and jalapeño on Texas toast. And that one was a keeper.

So this year, I’m trying something completely new. I’ll be grilling up my grilled cheese in a cast iron skillet, as usual, but this year I will also be grilling my bread on both sides. I’ve read that buttering and grilling the bread on one side, then flipping and adding the cheese while grilling the other side, will result in a crispier sandwich. Can’t wait to try that one!

My love of cast iron is, of course, legendary, so now seems the right time to try a double-sided, cast iron grilled cheese. Cast iron makes the best grilled cheese because it makes use of fabulous cast iron, of course, but also because it’s guaranteed to be a melty masterpiece. And, it can help all you “newbies” to continue the seasoning process on your cast iron skillet. Remember, the more you use it the better it gets!

One addition I will try this year is adding a tablespoon of preserves (I’m thinking fig) to my grilled cheese combo of Gruyere and cheddar. I love a bit of salty/sweet action, especially when it’s a surprise as it would be in this sandwich.

Yes, it’s all kinds of wrong, but I do love a good grilled cheese. There is almost nothing more comforting to me than a ooey-gooey, crispy-on-the-outside, melty-on-the-inside grilled cheese sammy. But I’m long past the white bread and american staple of my childhood. And I am certainly not one of those stodgy traditionalists that thinks only pre-sliced bread and store-sliced cheese can make a grilled cheese, either.

So, if like me, you’re into National Grilled Cheese Day, and are going to celebrate with your own creation, here’s to you! And to all the wonderful, oozy, creamy, crunchy goodness that this most special national day represents.

Here are a few good selections from around the web to get your creative juices flowing:

Marla Meridith’s Cast Iron Grilled Cheese.

Vegan Grilled Cheese Recipe

Grilled Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Sandwich