Is that really cheese?

This is America.  People love cheese.  It is amazing to me just how many varieties of cheese exist and how many people love them.  Not long ago, some friends (who have super cute dogs named Izzy and Mathman :) ) introduced me to Robusto cheese and truffle cheese.  Out of this world delicious, and amazing on a French baguette.

Although cheese in and of itself has been eaten for centuries, not all cheeses are made equal.  The premium cheeses imported from farms that actually pasture-feed their cows (meaning grass, natural habitat) versus the majority of commercial farms in America that feed their cows corn, soy, or some concoction thereof produce cheeses that are vastly different.  The grain-fed cows produce milk heavy with Omega-6’s and little Omega-3 fatty acids, whereas pasture-fed are more balanced with more Omega-3 fatty acids.  OK, so why does this matter? 

Diets heavy in Omega-6 without the balance of Omega-3 tend to cause people to become fat, and it increases the risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, and inflammation.  This is major.  And, this is happening. 

In a previous post, I wrote that olive oil is for beautiful women (and for men, we hope you are beautiful too).  One reason is because olive oil is low in Omega-6 fatty acids.  Vegetable oils such as corn and cottonseed are high in Omega-6’s.  

Moderate consumption of cheese (which was done for centuries) should not significantly contribute to burgeoning waistlines; however, it does in this country, in our modern age.  I see a few choices.  Research and get to the source of your cheese if you want to consume regularly.  Or, balance it out with foods that have A LOT of Omega 3’s (somehow…seems difficult).   Or, eat on occasion…which is what I do.

For more information: http://www.eatwild.com/healthbenefits.htm

Olive Oil for Beautiful Women

Food and love can be found in one place.  Olive oil is a staple in the Mediterranean diet.  It can be used in sauteing, baking, dressing, or dipping, basically cooking anything except in high temperatures (like no deep frying or major pan frying).  I love olive oil, and here are my reasons:

1) super healthy, great for your skin and does not leave you feeling fat like saturated fats or vegetable oils do
2) versatile - growing up we really only used corn oil, but olive oil works really well in Asian cooking or any type of cooking
3) look for extra virgin and cold pressed/first pressed -- this process is not the conventional, chemically refined way that vegetable, corn, canola, Crisco, or other cheap oils are made
4) with some salt and freshly ground pepper, olive oil is perfect for dipping that french baguette or Italian bread.  And, because olive oil is not saturated fat, you can drench your bread and really enjoy.

Why else for olive oil?  For all those Claudia Bassols fans out there from the TV show Spain On the Road Again, she says that basically every morning she has a piece of bread with some salt, maybe pepper, and TONS of olive oil -- and man, she does put a lot on.  She says you can put as much olive oil as you want, because it just won't make you fat.  Of course, I don't think she means you can drink it in obscene amounts, but I do think she is right from my personal experience, and she shows it.

Check her out at http://www.claudiabassols.com/.  She has beauty, personality and warmth.  One of the most beautiful women in the world, in my opinion.