MANILA, Philippines - Research conducted on the dietary habits of European people reveals that they have a lower incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease due in part to their consumption of olives or olive oil. Apart from containing antioxidants, olives have substantial amounts of other compounds deemed to be anticancer agents.
Chefs often favor olive oil for its flavor and heat tolerance because it doesn’t burn as easily as other cooking oils and has a relatively longer or more stable shelf life; thus, healthy cooking is more possible with the varieties of good quality olive oil available on the market. Now, everyone can enjoy the healthy benefits of olive oil come mealtime. For salads and bread dips, one can use the extra-virgin variant to give these dishes a fruity taste and aroma. Pure olive oil, on the other hand, is ideal for everyday cooking that involves sautéing, basting, frying, and pasta preparation.
The Doña Elena Cuisinera Club (DECC) is a group of cooking enthusiasts who learn better, healthier, and more delicious ways of cooking dishes for their families using recipes approved by Professor Luchie Callanta, senior lecturer from the University of the Philippines’ College of Home Economics and the club’s resident nutritionist.
Professor Callanta points out that unhealthy diets are often due to the constant consumption of saturated fats found in meat like pork and chicken. But reversing the effects of unhealthy eating need not be a tasteless exercise, she says, as there are other delicious alternatives like grilled salmon as well as grilled vegetable salad, or perhaps a pizza Bianca or a pasta dish of garlic Alfredo with broccoli and tomatoes. Of course, each recipe is made healthier with the use of olive oil. An oil rich in mono-unsaturated fat, olive oil has proven anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive properties. Coupled with a healthy and active lifestyle, olive oil has been shown to lower bad cholesterol levels as well as reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. This oil that is widely used in the heart-friendly Mediterranean cuisine is also abundant with polyphenols, a potent antioxidant that scavenges harmful free radicals in the body.
Start that healthy lifestyle change now by exercising, switching to healthier eating habits — and reaching for that bottle of Doña Elena Olive Oil the next time you shop at the supermarket.
For further info, log on to NK http://www.cuisineraclub.com or call the Doña Elena Cuisinera Club Secretariat at 713-8144.