[music] Living Longer with Loi is made possible by [music] Ormelia [music] General Shale Brick [music] The Greek National Tourism Organization [music] and by the Behrakis family.

[music] I am Chef Maria Loi.

I grew up on a farm in Thermo, a small village in Greece.

My pappou that's "grandfather" in Greek, was an inspiration to me.

He was always sharing the wisdom of the Greek way of life.

When I left the farm, my life changed, also my work and my body.

I felt out of control.

Then one day I said, "Enough is enough."

I am going to follow my passion for cooking and the need to help others transform their lives the way I did.

You can live a healthier and happier life.

I am going to give you the tools you need to do exactly that.

I did it.

You can do it.

Let's go!

[music] This week on Living Longer with Loi, we are in Thessaloniki, the culinary capital of Greece and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

Here at the world-famous American Farm School.

The only one of its kind.

Our team of experts will share the latest research findings surrounding what I call liquid gold.

Olive oil.

Kiki, could you please tell us what you know about olive oil?

I know that you know a lot.

As you said, we can say a lot.

But what we always have to keep in mind is that olive oil is the juice of the olive fruit.

So we talk about a product that is really, really fresh.

And in that respect, as freshly made juice, it has all these components that are really beneficial for our health.

Olive oil, juice.

That's a new name for olive oil.

What's your take on that?

Yeah.

Listen, I think olive oil.

I always tell my patients that aside from all the other benefits that everybody knows about, there are two amazing benefits of olive oil.

Um, it's a skin issue and it's an anti-aging issue.

But I always tell patients instead of actually using it and thinking of it as an ingredient, they should actually think about it as an actual food because olive oil is food.

And you know, I use it on my hair too.

It's very good for your hair.

Strong, shiny.

Oh, I want to ask you something because everyone asks: What about frying with olive oil?

I don't fry, but what's your opinion?

Actually, there is a myth that we cannot fry with olive oil.

And it is a myth.

It is an excellent choice.

And of course, as I said, we have to use olive oil in all applications.

So of course it is suitable for frying.

And actually it's a really, really good choice for frying because it is very resistant.

And I think it adds to the rest of the ingredients.

A lot of studies have shown that in many dishes we have a synergistic effect.

So if we use olive oil together with the other nutrients that are, for instance, in tomato or in onion, we get a very synergistic effect that actually increases the benefits for our health.

And speaking of research, Dr.

Majure.

Well, Maria, I'm just always interested in the research because we have so much to learn.

I mean, there are over 200 active chemicals in olive oil.

We are just scratching the surface and we know about some of them, and they're tightly linked to outcomes.

We know that there's a reduction in cardiovascular disease.

We're talking heart attacks.

We're talking strokes.

We're talking improvements in survival, but also cancer, cognition.

People's mental health can actually improve or the rate of decline can decrease with olive oil.

This is more and more established because of this body of evidence that we now have related to olive oil, but we have a lot to learn.

I knew that olive oil from like my grandfather used to tell me about, how it was going and if the olive oil is bad, it doesn't get you here.

I didn't understand what it was that, you know, I said, here, get you here, like over here, you know, has to bother you.

So what it meant, right?

That is such a fascinating story.

The term oleocanthal.

It's a Greek, it's Greek.

It's a, it's a Greek word.

Okay, oil and canthal-agathi.

It's like a thorn.

A thorn?

Yeah, that's exactly what it is.

But it's still burning.

But it's a nice burning.

Very pleasant.

Good olive oil Yes.

It's good.

Right.

It was a very astute researcher who noticed that this was the same person who was researching on ibuprofen, one of the anti-inflammatory medicines.

Aspirin, and he thought maybe, that burning might be linked.

And they actually weren't linked, at least not directly.

But the oleocanthal that you're talking about is one of the primary polyphenols.

And those polyphenols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and probably is part of the benefits that we have with olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil.

It's the best.

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) Of course it's the best.

And if, like you said, with other components like feta cheese.

Exactly.

Feta cheese.

Look at that.

Just pour it.

Okay, Maria, what's the difference between extra virgin olive oil and just olive oil?

Like what is that?

Or maybe, Kiki, you could tell us.

Yeah, ask Kiki She's the expert.

Yes, exactly.

So actually there are some criteria that have been established.

And based on these criteria, we can categorize the olive oil as extra virgin, which is the top quality, and then if it is not that good based on these chemical criteria, we go to virgin olive oil.

But apart from that, in recent years, we also have the establishment of the sensory evaluation, which is actually an evaluation using our senses.

And for an olive oil to be extra virgin, it means that there are no defects.

So it really, really has to be of top quality.

What about the polyphenols, for example?

Actually, polyphenols are the ingredients that give the bitterness and the pungency.

And as we say, the more bitter, the better.

So high levels of polyphenols make the olive oil more bitter.

But that doesn't mean that an olive oil that is not that bitter is not as good as well.

And actually, I think that's better for this because I use this olive oil for all of my sports medicine patients who have arthritis.

And so these polyphenols really decrease the inflammation part of the whole joint system.

So it decreases inflammation and people obviously have less pain.

And that's been seen even with rheumatoid arthritis.

The symptoms and the development of rheumatoid arthritis seem to be less in people that consume more extra virgin olive oil.

Even after exercising, just being sore afterwards, that really goes away with olive oil.

So that's why wherever I am, see, even in dolmades here I put olive oil.

Beautiful, amazing dolmadakia from Thessaloniki.

Okay.

Olives.

It's over here.

Olives are another excellent product that we can get from the olive tree because they are also really, really good for our health as they contain, again, a lot of bioactives and also a lot of probiotics.

You see, I always have when I have olive oil, I have feta and olives, of course.

And bread.

This bread comes from Kavala.

And this feta comes from Epirus.

They say, "Which feta is good?"

I say, "From Greece."

And the dolmadakia, that's just rice and herbs.

When you add the olive oil, you make it a fantastic meal.

We can make desserts as well.

You see those desserts there?

We call them melomakarona.

It's full of olive oil.

You know, honey, walnuts.

And just a bit of flour.

Healthy.

I make everything with olive oil because that's the only fat that I use.

Because you need good fat to fight bad fat.

Yeah.

That's right.

-Have some.

-Thank you.

You're welcome.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yes.

It's like a bite.

It's.

Oh, it's my pleasure.

Don't be jealous.

Well, you know, one thing we didn't mention is that olive oil is primarily composed of monounsaturated fatty acids.

And that is really important because we know that it's tied to lower levels of the bad cholesterol, the cholesterol that causes coronary artery disease, like the LDL cholesterol.

And that's what leads to heart attacks and strokes.

And so the eating, drinking, living with olive oil is directly related to our cardiovascular health.

And it's one of the reasons why it shows up in so many studies to be protective.

And I think one of the beautiful things about Dr.

Majure and I is that you're teaching this in a grand level.

And what we're doing is we're giving it to our patients and because of the variety as you said we can drink it, we can drizzle it, we can make desserts, we can really do anything with it.

And now our patients are just getting healthier and healthier and healthier and living longer.

That is the goal.

They benefit from it.

Living longer with Loi.

Yes!

Right.

But it's important to educate the youth so they can also start from a young age to get used to the taste and flavor.

Exactly.

I really thank you.

Coming from the States here in this amazing place, the American Farm School.

It's unique.

I have to say, it's unique.

It has been here for 121 years, but more are coming.

And it has always been educating young students to be stewards of the land and also to be responsible citizens that really, really respect the environment.

And that's the spirit that we try to nourish them.

As the founder said, we have to work with our head, our heart and our hands.

Hands, yeah.

I love it.

Let's drink to that.

Yes.

With olive oil.

Right.

Cheers.

Cheers.

To our health, to your health.

You know what?

I am going to take a walk and I'm going to cook.

We're making lentil soup today.

Greek style.

Easy, tasty, healthy.

What do we need, Cesare?

I think you need to start with the lentil?

Yes.

And I see you have two different types of lentils.

You can see very well with these glasses.

I love the lentil.

So I see one is a bigger, one is smaller.

Do they give a different flavor?

Because they come from a different area?

Actually... How do you know that?

I thought the one that came bigger and one smaller one, maybe because of the soil, have a different characteristic.

And then you put it together to give more flavor.

How do you know all these things?

Did someone tell you?

I grew up on a farm like you.

Not like me.

I had a pig, I had a cow, rabbits, turkeys... Ducks.

You know how many turkeys they have here?

So, you see, I have it mixed because those actually, you can see it better here.

You know, the thin ones.

They are from Lefkada.

It's a beautiful island.

So we'll put it inside there.

Okay.

Okay.

What else do we need?

I see the onions.

You want to put the onions?

Two onions.

I love lentils with a lot of onions.

Two onions.

So let's put a little bit of salt.

No, no, no salt, no salt.

Salt, always at the end.

Otherwise they become hard.

Oh.

You want the water for the soup?

I think so, okay.

Because I don't know how they make a soup in Greece.

So How much water do you like?

Put more, please.

Yes, that's it.

Bravo!

Okay.

You see these lentils?

Yes.

We call them "tsoufies."

They are not good to eat, so we have to remove them.

Okay.

That's why they're on the top.

So practically, you're fishing too?

I'm fishing.

Of course.

In Italy, we eat lentils only for Christmas and New Year.

Now we'll put olive oil.

Olive oil.

Now?

Yes.

Okay.

No, no, wait... Here, here.

I want you to do like, one, two, three, four.

And that's tablespoons of olive oil.

You go around.

[music] Okay, enough.

Good.

Do you know how many spoons you put?

Four tablespoons.

So now I will take it inside.

You take it inside.

Okay.

See you later.

Give it to the girls to cook it.

Soup is ready.

What a beauty.

Look at this, Cesare.

Creamy.

You don't use a pot.

You don't use meat.

Only vegetables.

Yeah.

The Greek lentils.

Okay.

Now, if you make it the way I made it, it's going to be like that.

Okay.

See the onion?

Look at this.

Oregano.

[music] No, no, no.

What are you doing?

You have to leave this here.

Never.

I saw something like that.

And it smells so good now, right?

And now we put salt.

Salt, pepper.

Fresh pepper.

Yes.

You can always add it to your plate.

You know that because some people don't like it.

But we know that we like it.

Okay, so the olive oil you want in the plate?

Or you want it in the pot?

-Also here.

Okay.

It's never enough for me.

Nice.

Oh, look at this.

And now we have the vinegar.

We'll put it on the plate.

On the plate.

Okay.

Let me serve it.

Okay.

That is very cool.

It is cool.

And what is the difference instead of to be sprinkled inside, to have all that branch?

You can put the whole thing inside, which you cannot eat.

Like the wooden thing.

Let's taste it.

Make me all this smell here.

And then you continue to talk and we don't taste.

I think it needs a little bit more olive oil.

You know, now I'm in the olive oil mood.

I don't use vinegar, so I don't know how much you put inside.

I put just a touch like this.

But if you want more... Now it's perfect.

Now we stir.

Yes, you stir it.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

It's enough.

I want to eat.

Okay, so now we can eat.

Let's taste.

It's soft, already looking good.

This is so fantastic.

It's so great.

This is so good.

You know why I put the vinegar?

In order for your body to absorb the iron from the lentils?

You have to have either vinegar or pasta or rice.

I love it.

Another great dish.

Make this dish.

You will make your life healthier and happier.

Sorry, I disappeared.

I was cooking.

So now that we've learned some things about the positive effects of olive oil, we will see how we should try olive oil.

And what are the attributes that we have to check once we consume olive oil?

-Okay.

-Okay.

So then you take the olive oil.

It will give you these beautiful glasses.

Would you expect them to be colored or not?

I would have thought not colored.

What does the coloring do for it?

So the truth is that the color is not an official quality characteristic of olive oil.

So the reason that we use colored glasses is that we're not affected by the color.

A lot of consumers think that the greener an olive oil is the better it is.

But this is not the case.

It has to do with the variety.

So actually, we will use both our smell and our taste in order to evaluate the quality of the olive oil.

But the first thing that we have to do is actually to warm it up.

Yes, because all the aromas are volatile compounds.

So that means that they have to evaporate so that they can be perceived.

So we warm it up a bit, bringing the oil from our chest all the way up.

And the first thing that we evaluate is the fruitiness, how much the smell reminds us of the smell of the olive fruit.

It can be, as we say, green, fruity if the olives were harvested when they were greener, or ripe fruity that we get more ripe aromas.

So we bring it close.

And try to perceive the aromas.

Then we take a sip.

So we spread it a bit all over the mouth.

And the other characteristics that we evaluate are pungency, how spicy it feels and the bitterness, it helps to perceive the aroma.

With this.

It's a real evolution.

Yeah.

You feel it change and then ah, yes.

Oleocanthal.

Yes, exactly.

In the mouth you can feel that it's fruity.

It has a lot of herby aromas as well.

And actually, the reason that scientists all over the world decided to initiate this sensorial evaluation is the fact that a lot of oils, they had the same chemical characteristics, but then they were really, really different.

So now it is an official method that is used actually for the classification of olive oil.

Kiki, how many different types of olives are there?

Olives maybe I should ask.

Actually in Greece we have about 100 varieties.

Koroneiki is the most popular one that is actually cultivated all over the world, because it's a very resistant tree that is resistant to harsh weather conditions.

When we talk about extra virgin olive oil, of course we talk about cold-press extraction.

That means that actually the olives they are taken, they are squeezed.

Then there is the process of what we call malaxation.

We give the oil paste a massage, so that the olive droplets coalesce and come to the top, and then we just get it and that's it.

So cold press is better.

Of course.

It makes a huge, huge difference.

Is extra virgin olive oil ever not cold pressed?

If you don't use cold extraction, you will not get the characteristic.

So when people read extra virgin olive oil.

It has to be.

It's cold-pressed.

Otherwise you cannot get this quality.

And you know something else?

From my village.

And that's the way that I make my olive oil today.

We harvest by hand.

We take it to the mill.

That's why we have the best olive oil.

So some of the olive oil that you might see in stores or produce otherwise is not necessarily extra virgin olive oil, is that right?

But it is labeled.

So if it is virgin olive oil, it is labeled like that and the price is lower.

So people should look at that when they're trying to think about the health benefits of the olive oil.

What are the standards for that?

That's a really good question.

So one of the basic characteristics is acidity.

So the level of free fatty acids.

Then it has to do with the.

If it is oxidized or not.

So extra virgin is not oxidized.

So there are some chemical characteristics and an extra virgin olive oil should not have any sensorial defects.

This is also really, really important.

Preserve it like in your house, for example.

How long can you have a bottle of olive oil?

Where should you put it?

Officially, the shelf life of an olive oil is 1.5 years from the time of bottling.

And what we should do at home is that we should have olive oil has three enemies: oxygen, temperature and light.

That comes with heat as well.

And that affects the polyphenols, right?

So that's why to preserve the health benefits, you need to do those things.

The other thing you have to tell your patients is that they can use some of the oil for cooking, but most of it should be added in the end so that it goes on top fresh.

Absolutely.

That's the Loi method.

That's the Loi method.

You know what?

I am going to take a walk and I'm going to cook.

Hi, I'm Stephanie Sassos, registered dietitian and nutrition director at Good Housekeeping, and we're here with the fabulous chef Maria Loi.

We're so happy to have you at the institute.

You know something?

Yeah, tell me.

I feel at home here.

I love that... you're going to show us how to put a Mediterranean twist on some classic recipes.

You have your Greek village salad in your book as a fellow Greek.

You know, I love it, but you have a very unique take on it that I want to see.

This is Greek sushi?

Greece on your plate, but it's a bit influenced by the Japanese.

All right, so let's do it.

I will show you how to cut the cucumbers.

I'm obsessed with this.

I put this on a paper how it is and then cut.

This here.

Ah, very thin.

Oh, I love that.

You can do it with A mandolin.

You just put it here.

Beautiful.

See?

What do you do now?

You can cut you can take all the seeds out from the tomato and you cut them like this.

And now you have the tomatoes.

Pepper?

-I love pepper.

It's so good.

And now you have olives.

Okay, we cut it like this.

Just go like that.

Onions, you can use any kind of onions you like.

It's up to you.

And then we have the feta.

This is the star ingredient.

Always.

You have to have it in brine.

I don't want to hear those feta things like in that plastic wrap to be feta.

The real feta has to come from Greece.

Do you put any salt or not?

-You have feta.

- Right?

So it's salty enough.

Put the oregano, please.

I would love to.

Wow, it smells so good.

Where do you get this from?

From Mount Taygetos in Greece.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah.

Why do I have this paper?

Oh, yeah.

Just to go like this.

It's like the wrap that you use for the sushi thing.

Okay, you go again.

Okay.

And that's it.

It's so.

Good.

That's incredible.

Yeah.

You can even leave it like this.

Or you can bring what we have.

Add extra virgin Greek olive oil.

It's going to be the perfect match.

I think we're done here.

They're so cute.

Of course.

I love it.

Can we eat one?

You can eat two.

I need two.

It looks so good.

And you just go like that and you say yassou.

Yassou.

Yassou.

Living a healthier life also includes relieving yourself of stress.

The guru of mindfulness, Jehangir Mehta, will guide us.

[relaxing music] When you love something, you keep it close to your heart.

And when you love it that much, you keep it even closer.

So hold a branch of olive if that's what you love.

[relaxing music] Hold anything or smell anything you like in life.

And keep it as close to the hand that is going to feed you.

Cold press.

Yeah, you can use these beautiful olives, cold press them and massage yourself daily.

It will be great.

Bite on it and remember, the only thing better in life, which is good, is when you eat a bitter olive.

Other than that, don't be bitter.

It's not good for your heart.

There are many, many ways that we can create aspects in life to create mindfulness.

The first thing in life is to take a moment.

The aspect of breathing, slowing down and understanding nature.

Do not speak.

Wait a few seconds.

The emotion will get much, much, much less.

If you just take a moment, as Yogananda has put it beautifully, just as there is oil in every part of the olive, there is love in every part of your presence and creation.

And there couldn't be any better way than this beautiful space with olive and olive oil.

[relaxing music] It's been a great show.

One final note: I'd like to remind you that every day you should start your day with one tablespoon of olive oil.

You will feel the difference in your life and your body.

Let's get on the road to a happier and healthier life.

I did it!

You can do it.

Goodbye.

[music] Living Longer with Loi is made possible by [music] Ormelia [music] General Shale Brick [music] The Greek National Tourism Organization [music] and by the Behrakis family.

[music]