Health Watch: calories and olive oil

In the 1980's salt was the enemy, as a nation we were becoming heavier and heavier and health officials were starting to notice that maybe we need to be cutting back on how much we are eating. So the thinking was cut back on calories and people will lose weight, and the easiest way to cut back on calories is to cut out fat. Now cutting out fat is a good way to lose weight, however you actually have to cut out calories too. And today we do acknowledge the fact that fat is an essential part of our diet. Vitamins A,D,E and K are not absorbed if you don't eat fat because they are fat sailable. So now we want to look at how can we make healthy choices when we are looking to consume fat. Interesting characteristics about fat is they are liquid at room temperature and one of our healthiest options is olive oil. Now you've noticed that in the supermarket there are all types of different olive oils and according to web MD an extra virgin oil or a virgin olive oil are both the first pressing of the olive. The difference is how acidic they are. Both virgin and extra virgin olive oil are very strong in flavor and the healthiest types of olive oils. Olive oil has a shelf life of 18-24 months so you want to ask the person if you can and purchase olive oil and ask how old it is so it doesn't go rancid too quickly and store it in a cool dry place. But remember olive oil is still very high in calories so it is really important to eat a little bit of olive oil but if you eat too much you're going to gain weight. My name is Julie Jensen, and I'm a registered dietician with Regional Health."