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

Product Review: Sunwarrior Raw Protein Powder (Warrior Blend)

I love that we are constantly learning new things and that research is continually being updated and modified.  I previously believed that I was getting enough protein (after all, who has ever heard of a protein deficiency?) but a current research article has suggested that we may be getting much less than we need.

The ideal amount of protein consumption seems to be at least 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight.  In my case, that means that I would need roughly 50 grams of protein a day to meet my daily requirement.  Luckily, if I happen to fall short of that, I can whip up a smoothie with some Warrior Blend from Sunwarrior, since one serving offers up 17 grams of raw protein from peas, chia seeds and cranberries!

I purchased the natural flavour (because I like to flavour my own smoothies) and I am pleased to report that there is no chalky or gritty taste.  The Warrior Blend delivers lovely protein without any horrible after taste (ahem, like Vega).  It's so silky, in fact, that I have incorporated it into the Avocado Chocolate Mousse recipe from Jae Steele that I simply adore:

1 can of coconut milk (sorry, not raw!)
1/4 or 1/2 cup raw cocao powder (taste to it see what amount you prefer!)
1/4 or 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (taste it to see what amount you prefer!)
2 large avocados
1 scoop of Warrior Blend protein powder

Blend first 4 ingredients together until smooth.  Add the protein powder and stir to incorporate (I heard that blending protein powder too vigorously isn't great for the taste), making sure there are no lumps.  Enjoy!

Summary: With no aftertaste or texture, this protein powder is easily masked in all your recipes while giving you 17 g of your daily protein!  One thing to note is that with any plant-based (read: incomplete) protein source, you should often alternate it with another source.  For example, I use hemp protein powder and the Sunwarrior blend and simply alternate the days I use them.

Have a powerful, protein-packed day!