Welcome! My Name is Tom.
I’m a native of San Diego, California, and that’s where I live.
Since my teen years I’ve had a heart condition commonly known as Atrial Fibrillation. At first, healthcare professionals told me that it was anxiety, but I wasn’t experiencing any symptoms of anxiety or depression.
I just knew that my heart doesn’t always have a steady beat, and it is more noticeable after a large meal.
An unhealthy diet is one of the most critical factors that leads to poor heart health, poor vascular health and many chronic medical conditions.
I decided to explore the world of natural foods that could help minimize my atrial fibrillation, and any foods that were heart healthy. The more that I watched documentaries, read articles and searched for natural cures, I found that inflammation is the cause of many unhealthy conditions, including atrial fibrillation. So, I focused on inflammation and found a natural anti-inflammatory food that I knew very little about – extra virgin olive oil.
Inflammation in simple terms is swelling. You can get an external injury that causes swelling, or you can eat unhealthy processed food that causes the internal swelling of your intestines, veins and arteries.
The more inflamed that your veins and arteries become, the smaller the space inside where your blood needs to flow. Internal inflammation can cause serious (potentially deadly) medical conditions like strokes, heart attacks and cancers.
This site is intended to help you learn how cardiovascular inflammation and other ailments may be mitigated by incorporating extra virgin olive oil into your healthy diet. The good news is that you can incorporate extra virgin olive oil into any diet. But you will benefit more if you maintain a healthy diet that includes leafy greens, low sugar intake and plenty of lean natural protein.
Cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil is polyphenol rich. It contains powerful antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties similar to Ibuprofen (commonly known as Advil or Motrin). The most popular extra virgin olive oils that promote health come from areas like Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy. These regions have been producing high quality olive oils for thousands of years. Olive farmers take great pride in their products, and many apply traditional artisanal processing methods that have been handed down for generations.
Many store bought EVOO’s are blends from multiple countries, and some brands are even diluted with non-olive oils. I look for single estate oils that are certified by various oversight organizations within the industry. They are produced from single estates (orchards) owned by proud cultivars that maintain family traditions and values. Read our article – Why Single Estate is the Best Choice.
I suggest avoiding blended olive oils. Many popular brands of extra virgin olive oil are blends from multiple regions. The olives are collected from various countries at different times of the year. They are then processed with chemicals and high heat methods to obtain a specific flavor and purity. Although that may sound okay, the process eliminates the health benefits of the olive oil.
That process also limits traceability and does not meet the definition of extra virgin olive oil. Producers of blended oils rarely meet the standards required to be certified as true extra virgin olive oil, however they still label them as EVOO. There are many imposter olive oils claiming to be qualified as extra virgin, and authorities are investigating many companies as you are reading this. Believe it or not, organized criminal cartels are involved in the lucrative business of fake EVOO.
With most store-bought olive oils, you will need to decipher a code on the bottle to find the origins of the olives. With many blended oils, there will be multiple origins of the olives. There is a lot of room for fraud. If you want some of the best health results, I recommend that you look for single estate, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil. You will need to do some research, but rest assured, this site is designed to help you gain the knowledge that you will need to find the best extra virgin olive oils.
There are many healthful extra virgin olive oils from the Mediterranean area. I found that my favorites originate from Morocco. As I continue to find beneficial information regarding extra virgin olive oil, I will share it with you here on this site.
Spreading the Health
If you wish to feel healthier, then start by adding high-quality EVOO oil to a healthy diet. Extra virgin olive oil is a polyphenol rich superfood. It is rich in antioxidants and monounsaturated (good) fats. I want to help as many people as possible to learn more about this magical and tasty superfood. Since I began drinking two tablespoons of Moroccan extra virgin olive oil daily, I have noticed that I’m not constantly hungry, I don’t crave sweets and my overall health is good. Extra virgin olive oil is definitely nature’s gift to our health.
Extra virgin olive oil has many beneficial characteristics. Browse and search through the articles on this website to learn all about extra virgin olive oil and how to spot the “real thing”. Your personal taste in olive oil will vary, however, a high-quality extra virgin olive oil should not have a sharp bitterness, it should not burn your throat or upset your stomach. My daily drinking EVOO is Atlas, from Morocco.
I want to help you save the time and money involved in finding the best, reasonably priced, extra virgin olive oil. As a fellow enthusiast, I look for the best. You shouldn’t need to pay $50.00 USD or more for an excellent extra virgin olive oil. The best olive oils are expensive, but you can’t put a price on your health. I spend about $25.00 USD per bottle, and it lasts me about 3 weeks when drinking two tablespoons per day.
In my opinion, the best polyphenol rich EVOO is Morocco Gold. It is delicate, smooth as silk and has a slightly fruity taste. It has no bitterness and is a joy to drink daily. It is one of the higher priced olive oils, at about $30.00 USD for a 500 ml bottle. My go-to EVOO is Atlas, from Morocco, and it costs about $18.00 USD for a 500 ml bottle. It is smooth, polyphenol rich, and the flavor and quality is basically the same as Morocco Gold.
I sincerely hope that you have fun finding your favorite extra virgin olive oil. Thank you!
Please consult with your doctor or licensed medical professional prior to making any changes to your current diet.
Please leave comments, questions or suggestions below.
Tom – Site Owner and Olive Oil Lover
