Ode to Olive Oil: Soffritto Olive Oil Review!

My newest purchase: Cinnamon Pear White Balsamic and Blood Orange Infused Olive Oil

How I adore Olive Oil, it is truly a magical oil and because of its many health promoting properties it's really no wonder Homer dubbed it "liquid gold".  Did you know that only 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil a day can lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose levels in as little as 2 weeks? Some people are even able to take Olive Oil instead of Statins (talk to your ND about this!) and therefore never have to risk the nasty side effects of prescription medications.

The problem isn't with taking it (2 tbsp a day is easy if you make it into a dressing for your salad!) but rather the problem is finding REAL, QUALITY OLIVE OIL amidst the world wide Olive Oil scam that was described in Tom Mueller's book Extra Virginity: Truth In Olive Oil.  Basically, there are people out there that are selling you something labelled as pure extra virgin Olive Oil but is in fact only about 30% Olive Oil and 70% heart clogging oils like Sunflower, Safflower, Soy and Canola oils.  And these people are actually....THE SUPERMARKETS!

Yup, because there are no laws that limit what you can put on an Olive Oil label the big shady multinationals are constantly selling people an inferior product that is actually incredibly unhealthy in order to make a few million dollars.  Completely unethical and heart breaking (quite literally), I know.  

The good news? You can find little shops run by people who are ridiculously passionate about offering a real and honest product because they love the taste and want you to love good food too.  In Calgary, one of these shops is called Soffritto and it is run by an uber passionate, super friendly, extremely knowledgeable man named Gordon.  Gordon deals with high quality olive oil by sourcing it from the orchids directly and cutting out the middle man so that he gets all the high quality olive oils delivered fresh to his store.  Not only does he offer traditional Olive Oils, there are also infused Olive Oils (blood orange and truffle, to name a few) as well as a plethora of gorgeous Balsamic Vinegars.  Soffritto saves you money and ensures freshness by offering their oils and vinegars in big bulk canisters that they use to fill individual dark glass bottles to keep the light out (remember, light and heat make your Olive Oil go rancid more quickly).   Check out some of the different flavours below.

Raspberry Balsamic 

Dark Espresso Balsamic 

My favorite: Traditional Style Balsamic.  There are no words...

The man himself: Gord making a kick-ass Quebec cheese tray (Soffritto caters,too!)

Truly life changing and if you are in Calgary, you'll want to check out Soffritto.  If you aren't in Calgary but have a bit of money to spend, you can give Gord a call and he will ship you out anything you want!

Soffritto 
380 Canyon Meadows Drive SE
Calgary, AB
403-278-6670

Blissed out on Body Blitz

How does an aspiring ND spend her birthday in the city of Toronto?

The illuminated dead sea pool, with the circular cold plunge pool

This past Sunday, I was lucky enough to be given a very generous gift for my special day: 2.5 hours in the waters at Body Blitz.  Isn't it so romantic to be able to say "this weekend, I'm taking the waters"?

If you've not heard, Body Blitz is the first female only hydrotherapy spa in Toronto and the perfect pilgrimage for weary relaxation seekers.  The spa is equipped with a dead sea pool, green tea pool, cold plunge pool, eucalyptus steam room and infrared sauna.   The walls have a poster of the suggested circuit you should follow for the 2.5 hours, but you are also free to simply hang out wherever and enjoy the waters. I myself fell asleep in the lovely red lounge chairs for about 20 minutes in between circuits.

The plush lounge chairs overlooking the dead sea pool

A sample of the circuit goes something like this:
Soak in the dead sea salt pool for 5-10 minutes.  Move to the eucalyptus steam room for another 5-10 minutes.  Submerge yourself in the cold plunge pool for 1 minute.  Move to the infrared sauna for 5-10 minutes.  Submerge yourself in the cold plunge pool for 1 minute.  Soak in the green tea pool for 5 minutes.  Rinse off in the shower and take a final plunge in the cold pool.

Another view of the dead sea pool, with the green tea pool in the front corner

So, how did I feel after my treatment?  Being suspended in a body of water is so therapeutic.  It takes pressure off the joints and makes me sublimely happy to float about in the pool.  Not only is it relaxing in this sense but the circuit, which alternates between hot and cold, is very good for increasing circulation which can energize the body as well as have a wonderful detoxifying effect.  

Overall, I was incredibly pleased with my trip to the Blitz and I would strongly suggest it to anyone looking for a relaxing experience in the city.  A great gift for a loved one or a special treat for yourself!

Body Blitz

471 Adelaide Street West

Toronto, Ontario

(416) 364-0400

In Need of Nature

Most of the people I know underestimate the importance of their relationship with nature. There have been studies that indicate that when people are in nature, their stress response is instantly lowered. One particular study looked at the benefit of running in a wooded area versus simply running on a treadmill. Not surprisingly, subjects that ran outdoors derived more overall benefit from their running program than those that did theirs in a concrete gym.

When I was growing up, I was incredibly fortunate to have my house back onto a provincial park and I would spend most of my time walking in the valley, surrounded by nature. Here are some photos of Fish Creek Provincial Park:

I admit that since moving to Toronto, I'm often starved for wilderness. Walking around the city is fun, but I need some grass and trees every so often to keep me in a good mood.

That is why, this past Friday, I banished myself to the Toronto Island for some much needed nature. For only $6.50, I could regain my sanity by being immersed in nature without actually leaving the city of Toronto. $6.50 is the cost of the ferry ride and although you have 3 islands to choose from, I have found that Hanlan's Point is the most beautiful and rugged. I abandoned my mobile phone and packed a huge blanket, a good book, some fresh fruit and water and spent the whole day walking along the beach, dancing in the grass and dozing in the shade of the enormous maple trees.

Here are some photos of the trip:

The best part? I came back home completely rejuvenated and have been in the best mood since!

Do yourself a favour and get out there and rekindle your relationship with nature. Your body and mind will thank you for it.