I should probably be careful here as I’m off to Rome soon.
^^^ And I don’t want to get taken away by the mafia…
BUT…
Olive Oil FRAUD…
Has recently led to US Congress demanding that the Food and Drug Administration samples and tests imported ‘olive oil’ to see if it has been…
And I quote: ‘adulterated or misbranded’
Some bottles labelled as ‘olive oil’ have been shown to contain ‘seed oil’
Which CAN pose a serious health risk to those who are allergic to seed oil.
Frustrating, right? (particularly given that we talked about how to lowering cholesterol yesterday and consuming olive oil was one of the options)
Because we often choose the ‘high quality’ brands…
You know, like Bertolli?
Opt for the ‘Extra Virgin’ olive oil
^^^ which may actually have added health benefits
BUT…
The truth is, do we even know the difference between ‘cold-pressed’ and not?
Or ‘extra virgin’, virgin, and refined etc?
We often just assume they must be better.
And they actually should be.
I mean, ‘extra virgin’ olive oil is pretty difficult to make (hence why it is more expensive)…
You need fresh olives in great condition…
No solvents…
And a pretty intensive monitoring system (for the mechanical process and to ensure stable temperatures to avoid rancicidty <<< is that a word or did I make that up?).
It’s the purest form of olive oil.
So it’s no wonder they’re cutting corners.
^^^ Maybe they’re linked to the mafia? (right, I should stop talking about them now or I won’t be coming home from Rome alive…)
Using blends of refined oils (where they remove flaws to make it more ‘appealing’ to us)
Or even just adding in ‘seed oil’ to bulk it out…
And then labelling it as the ‘good stuff’.
After all, what do we know?
If you’re anything like me, I can’t tell you the difference – taste wise – between Extra Virgin and your standard olive oil.
And it begs the question…
Should I be able to?
Have we just got used to ‘rancid’ olive oil
^^^ Which apparently, is less bitter?
Rancid oil that probably isn’t as good for us?
And it’s bit like how we seem to have got ‘used’ to common diet misconceptions to help us lose weight
^^^ Because we’ve heard something so many times we think it’s true…it becomes ‘common sense’
A bit like :
* Eat breakfast to spike your metabolism
* Green tea is the secret to a smaller dress size…
* Don’t eat carbs after 6pm…
* White rice is bad for you (tell that to the Japanese…)
We just assume (because we hear it so often…)
That it’s true.
Which is exactly we you should be critical about EVERYTHING.
Too often…
We just take take their ‘word for it’
Forgetting that when it comes to diet and exercise…
This is your health we’re talking about.
Your energy levels
How you look
How you feel
Confidence
Self esteem
Longevity
So….
Don’t be afraid to ask ‘why’ and ‘how’
And question everyone
Iincluding me…
Especially me (I thrive off of questions and it actually helps me educate you in a way you can better understand it!!)
Because that’s how you’ll learn.
That’s how you’ll become your own health detective, learn your body, and be in control of your diet and exercise habits so you can lose weight and keep it off (once and for all)
Enjoy the rest of your weekend
Matt ‘sleeping with the fishes’ Fruci
PS. Does this mean we should avoid Olive oil?
NO, I’m not saying that (And no, the mafia don’t have me at gunpoint right now…they’re still looking for me)
But all this ‘fraud’ just goes to show that:
‘It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.’
^^^ Mark Twain
