A Mediterranean Diet Rich in Olive Oils: Healthy and Delicious. Conference & Olive Oil Guided Tasting

In English. By invitation only
Reception immediately following the tasting

The Mediterranean Diet is one of the most varied, flavorful, and, above all, healthiest diets, the Department of Agriculture included it in their recommendations in the 2015 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This diet is not complete without olive oil.

The Mediterranean Diet has a powerful effect on our health. Studies like the PREDIMED Study has quantify specific effects.

Olive Oils from Spain and the Regional Government of Jaén are offering the opportunity to discover even more about the benefits of olive oil in a workshop that will take place at the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago, on October 4th, at 6pm, in which health and gastronomy will meet.

Dr. José María Ordovás, director of the Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, will discuss the healthy advantages of the Mediterranean Diet from a truly novel approach, and its effect on our genes: “Extra virgin olive oil, when it is consumed as part of the Mediterranean Diet, has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular diseases. But then we also find something more subtle, which has to do with the interaction between our diet and genes. And it’s that people who are more disposed to certain diseases are the ones who most benefit from the healthy effects of the Mediterranean Diet”.

The workshop will also include the participation of Teresa Pérez Millán, general manager of Olive Oils from Spain Interbranch Organization, who will guide the tasting of extra virgin olive oils. She will also explain the main characteristics of the product and she will give tips to show its extraordinary versatility, which enriches any dish, giving it a healthy boost. In short, she will offer a few simple guidelines to discover all the aromas and flavors of the healthiest vegetable oil: olive oil, the foundation of Mediterranean Diet, the most varied and flavorful diet.

Jose M Ordovás PhD is Professor of Nutrition and a Senior Scientist at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston Massachusetts where he is also the Director of the Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory. He is a Senior Scientist at the CNIC Madrid, Dr. Ordovás was educated in Spain at the University of Zaragoza and did postdoctoral work at the MIT, Harvard and Tufts. He has published over 700 scientific articles in peer review journals and edited several books. He is considered as one of the founders of Nutrigenomics and one of the most renowned world experts.

Teresa Pérez has been the manager of Interprofesional del Aceite de Oliva Español since 2008. An agricultural engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, she is a specialist in agri-business and executive management: expert in olive oils. She is an executive of the organization and responsible for the technical team. Working alongside the governing bodies, Teresa designed the strategies in the different areas of activity and managed their implementation from the launch of the first extension of the standard.

Program:

6-6:30 pm - Dr. José María Ordovás presentation. In English
6:30-7:15 pm – Guided olive oil tasting by Teresa Pérez Millán. In English
7:15-8 pm – Reception