Archive: Around Town

	A few years ago, my heart stopped functioning properly. A cardiac artery was blocked, and I felt some strange and scary symptoms. The blockage was relieved with a stent, and the hospital that installed it included a detailed lecture to all such patients. They don’t want to see us again. Heeding that information has kept me healthy, and I want to share what I’ve learned.

Getting used to reading labels has its rewards. Such as better health. Fewer or no further heart problems. Longer life. Better quality of life. Little things like that. Just think: Take care of yourself, and you have more years in which to drive your spouse crazy. What’s not to like?

Remember, when you look at the nutritional breakdown, don’t worry about fat content or even cholesterol. Sure, they matter, but saturated fat content is an easy reference, and it’ll tell you what you need to know most efficiently: If a serving contains more than two grams of saturated fat, put it back. Over two, not for you. Got it?

In general, oils are better than solid fats, and canola and extra virgin olive are the best oils. Your go-to cooking oil can be a 50-50 mix of the two: You get olive oil flavor for less cost and with a higher smoke point. Frying with straight olive oil is tricky, and for deep frying, only canola will do. Even that will smoke if you don’t use a fry thermometer.

You may be noticing that yes, you can eat fried foods on a heart-healthy diet. However, you can no longer fry with lard, peanut oil, butter, or bacon grease, for instance, so say goodbye to those great flavors. And even though you can get away with frying, try to stay under control, and don’t pig out, even though you don’t eat pig any more.

Recently, I’ve been thinking I’m onto something about extra-virgin olive oil. I learned that really fresh oil is best, just like really fresh vegetables. Before the oil begins oxidizing, breaking down, and losing its fresh flavor and maximum goodness, it has a somewhat peppery note in the flavor. That flavor comes from the polyphenols, which are good for you but very perishable. It can actually make you feel like choking if you taste fresh oil straight from a spoon.

And I thought good olive oil had a smooth flavor.

So how does this knowledge apply to us peons who don’t feel like forking over $20 a quart for the really good, fresh stuff? (By the way, the freshest oils come from Florida, Texas, and California.) Here’s a helpful strategy: Wherever you buy supermarket olive oil, check the use-by date on the bottle. Buy the bottle with the furthest-away date. I can find dates at least a year and a half from now, which means, I’m guessing, that the bottler thinks the oil inside will be good for two years. Yikes.

The gourmet bottles carry the date they harvested the olives. How long the oil is good is up to your palate. I’ll have to hint for some as a birthday present.

Disclaimer: I may sound as if I know what I’m talking about, but this stuff comes only from my own research and experience. Your doctor is the final authority.

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