Roasted Asparagus; Salsa Vinaigrette
Olive oil is not a health food, even if it is of the extra virgin variety. There is so much misinformation coming from the mainstream media and government on nutrition that it is no wonder Americans are so confused about what is actually good for them.
Olive oil started growing in popularity back in the 1990’s when the Mediterranean diet started to take hold by way of the media. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive the message to eat tons of vegetables, fruits and beans but rather, olive oil is a health food. Americans started to dredge bread in it; use it for sautéing; pour liberal amounts on pasta and salads. The benefits the Mediterranean diet potentially offered, namely, a diet high in vegetation quickly became overshadowed by one of the most fattening, calorically dense foods on the planet.
The supposed health related benefits from olive oil are derived from studies comparing diets more plentiful in monounsaturated fats and low saturated fat with diets even higher in saturated fat. While the former diet obviously showed superior health benefits to the latter, it did not warrant calling olive oil heart healthy, although some still argue otherwise.
The fact is olive oil is 100% fat. It is 120 calories per tablespoon, packs in more calories per pound than butter (butter: 3,200; oil 4,200) and is extremely low in nutrients (providing only a little vitamin E). In addition, olive oil is a highly processed food, filling your body with empty calories which can add fat to your waistline & heighten your risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity and cancer.
Cooking your food in olive oil or using it as the main ingredient in your salad dressing’s will only make your diet less effective and you will not lose weight as easily. Worse yet, you may find you are not even losing weight at all. It is a good idea to learn to substitute vegetable broth, wine, water or fruit juice for oil or at least considerably reduce the quantities called for in recipes.
It is time to get back to the origin of the Mediterranean Diet that afforded the people on the Island of Crete to live virtually free of heart disease…a diet loaded with veggies, fruits and beans.
Roasted Asparagus
Try roasting any vegetable without olive oil, you might be surprised by the delicious natural flavors you discover!
Preheat Oven: 400 degrees
1-2 pounds of Asparagus (cut rough stems off)
Vegetable broth
Sea salt (optional)
Place asparagus on a large baking sheet. Pour enough broth over the spears to coat the bottom of the pan. Roast asparagus for 10-15 minutes. Add optional sea salt and other desired seasoning such as lemon juice, minced garlic or fresh thyme.
Salsa Vinaigrette:
This dressing is great over a simple salad of mixed greens, chopped avocado and black beans.
½ cup salsa
¼ cup brown rice vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar
¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Dr.Mary,
My husband has relatively high triglycerides and in the late 1990s we tried The McDougall Program which uses no fat and as you suggest in this blog uses water or broth instead. The program has many tasty and easy recipes but after 6 weeks my lips were cracking and bleeding. I also found that I was often hungry again before it was mealtime. Since then I have used small amounts of olive or butter in recipes like salad that one is used to some fat. My lips no longer bleed and I am more satisfied with the food I do eat. I think a little oil is necessary for absorption of fat soluble vitamins. If one uses oil it should have body and flavor.
Last year you suggested I cut out cheese or at least cut it it to small, rare indulgences and that has helped. I still like to cook and eat so weight loss has been slow. My grandson’s wife has given me a subscription to Martha Stewart’s Everyday Foods which has wonderful easy recipes for attractive tasty meals with appropriate portion sizes and fewer calories than what I was used to serving (I have 3 6 ft+ sons.
Salt is a big problem for me (have you seen the book,The Secret of Skinny?). Many of the recipes in Everyday Foods are tasty even without salt. I avoid the ones with soy sauce and the rich desserts.
Thank you for these blogs. They are interesting and helpful pep talks!
Wylie Schaffer
Hi Dr. Mary!!! I met you at Eric’s B-Day celebration! How are you? Great Web Site! I am amazed about this information about Olive Oil! I’ve been using it instead of vegan butter spread thinking that it was better for my health! Thanks for all the great info!
Have you heard anything related to diet and Alzhimers?
I’ve been vegan now for awhile, vegitarian before that, since about 2000, but I continue to eat sugary, salty, fatty foods; ie; frenchfries and chips! My taste buds are telling me that these things are way overboard now! So it is getting better! I love dark chocolate too! Having just went on a beautiful Holistic Holiday at Sea, with Macrobiotic Chefs cooking all of our meals, I did find that eating lots of grains, greens, rice and 100% whole foods was the best way to go! I have the cookbook from the cruise called; Grains, Greens and the Deep Blue Sea!
Another great expirence for me was the World Peace Yoga Convention/Jubilee in Cinncinnatti, OH last October! Lots of great Vegan workshops, Vegan Chef, Mark Stroud, and wonderful presenters; like Will Tuttle,P.h.D, author of “The World Peace Diet, Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony.” So my partner, Danny and I are now World Peace Diet Facilitators and we just did our first book study yesterday! Very cool! I’m also a member of PETA, and I support Farm Sanctuary in New York and California. Did you know there is a Farm Sanctuary right here in North Port? It’s called Black Sheep Crossing! Well, have a great vegan day! Plant Based Diet is the way to go! For the People, For the Planet, For the Animals! Peace! Anna Belle
Anna Belle I had no idea how progressive you and Danny are! Thought leaders in TC’s nutrition community! I want to go to Holistic Health at Sea next year, and I love Will Tuttle! I will blog on diet and Alzheimers right away. I have some great data to share with you.
Thank you! There is a small amount of fat present in fruits and vegetables, so you will get adequate fats from a plant based diet without the addition of refined oils. I agree that salt is a big problem, and I am on the worst offenders. If anyone has great ideas for limiting salt, I would love to hear them!
I don’t have a “weakness” for salt, so eliminating salt hasn’t been a problem for me. Sometimes I leave it out and enjoy the flavors of the food (especially with vegetables), and other times use spices and don’t miss the salt. I’m not terribly creative, so am usually using recipes from a cookbook or the internet, but they taste good to me!
I’m not as worried about avoiding salt as unhealthy fats and proteins, but I applaud all of your efforts in adopting a healthy diet! I don’t think creativity is necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Enjoy your yummy cuisine!