Dear suspicious,
"Natural" chicken ...
"Grass-fed" beef ...
"Whole-grain" bread ...
"Free-range" eggs ...
"Pure" honey ...
"Certified humane" meat ...
"Olive" oil ...
Wait - what?
The first time I tried legitimate olive oil, purchased from a neighbor who had personally pressed it on his property in New Zealand, I realized something was wrong with the so-called olive oil I'd been consuming my entire life.
The olive oil we buy in supermarkets today is almost all (even expensive, Trader Joe's brands) made up of cheap vegetable oils - not what you thought you were paying for, and definitely not what you want to be eating, as they contain toxic chemicals and - even if you avoid some of the chemistry by buying organic olive-oil-vegetable-canola-blends - you'll be eating poor fats and putting yourself in a higher risk category for heart disease and maybe even cancer.
When buying olive oil (we use mostly coconut oil right now, but I do enjoy a little of the ol' l'olio di oliva every once in a while), which is wonderful for your health when it is pure, check the label for COOC to see if it is Seal Certified. Check this buyer's guide for other marks of authenticity for olive oil, and for a list of resources and trusted brands (hint: Bertolli did not make the list).
Buon appetito!
Mrs H
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