Dear Friends,

Almost every day, new medical research tells us how healthy it is to follow a plant-based Mediterranean Diet.

But is it enough to eat lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and legumes in order to follow the Mediterranean Diet?

The answer is NO!

If those vegetables and fruits come from intensive farming, we are NOT following the Mediterranean Diet, since those crops would likely lack most micronutrients (polyphenols/antioxidants, Vitamins, minerals etc).

We follow the Mediterranean diet only when we eat legumes, fruits, whole grains and vegetables that do not come from intensive farming and are rich in micronutrients, especially antioxidants.

If not, we are eating just calories!

The Mediterranean diet is more about eating foods “naturally” rich in micronutrients, Vitamins, antioxidants than a simple plant-based diet.

Those antioxidants have three effects:

1)they help the plants to “naturally” defend themselves against diseases (which means, that they don’t need chemicals).

2)they result in super tasty products;

3)They have a rejuvenating effect on us, preventing many chronic diseases.

BTW buying produce from small farmers or organic products does not guarantee that our vegetables are rich in these micronutrients.

The only way to find out is to send samples to the laboratory or to go visit the producers, have a look at plants and use our senses to detect antioxidants.

To understand better why these micronutrients are so important, please have a look at this interesting BBC article which shows that while agricultural yields have gone up with intensive farming, the nutrient levels (vitamins, minerals etc) of dozens of popular vegetables have declined since 1950.

This is contributing to a phenomenon called “hidden hunger“, where people feel sated but may not be healthy, as their food is calorie-rich but nutrient-poor.

To give you an example of what this means, a study shows that we would have to eat eight oranges today to derive the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from one!!

This means that either we switch to eating pills (which is depressing and anti-social) or we do two things:

1)either we move from intensive farming to a more sustainable agriculture

2)we change the incentives systems and we move towards a food production system which monitors nutrition in food and pays farmers for effective nutrient yield, not just mass of produce.

BTW, solutions 1)& 2) are basically the approach I follow when I select our extra virgin olive oils.

I get the laboratory analysis of each olive oil and buy only those that have very high antioxidants content, among the evoos coming from sustainable farmers.

As my birthday approaches in a few hours, I am reflecting on the past 15 years since I moved back to Lecce.

I am a very tiny drop in the ocean, but I can’t THANK YOU enough for your trust and “activism” in supporting my mission which is: to empower people to increase their health span and feel energized and rejuvenated in a natural way (by following a healthy lifestyle and by eating foods rich in antioxidants and taste. Not pills!)

15 years ago nobody was talking about extra virgin olive oil, the importance of antioxidants in EVOO or about ancient grains and legumes.

You have been so patient when I gave you my olive oil tasting courses and taught you how to detect antioxidants with those not-so-elegant exercises.

You have been so curious and enthusiastic when I introduced you to those visionaire farmers who taught us about ancient grains, legumes, vines and crops.

You have contributed so much, by putting together big group olive oil orders, sharing information about what I was doing….not mentioning your friendship and love.

My hope is that as more consumers find out about the importance of having micronutrients in our food, we move towards a more sustainable agriculture and humanistic capitalism, where big farmers, big investors and big food manufacturers transform the way they do business.

We cannot count only on small farmers. We need the big guys to change.

I’ll leave you with this interview with Brunello Cucinelli, owner of the Cucinelli fashion company.

His company is listed on the stock exchange and is proof that a more conscious and humanistic capitalism is possible, even at a bigger size. Companies can make profit and at the same time take care of their employees, community, consumers and the planet.

Be well!