I’m Marisa Silva and I want to share with you all I have discovered about olive oil and how to use it to:

• improve your health,
• awaken yoursenses, and
• liven up your cooking.

Through my traveling around Crete, I discovered how happy and healthy its inhabitants are. This island is rich in olive groves which has an impact on the way people eat and live. Research  supports  my observations:  Crete displays low rates of chronic disease and higher than average adult life expectancy (1,2). 

I decided to dive headfirst into this world which I find magical! I took a training course to become an olive oil expert (Sensorik-Lizenz Olivenöl) at the ZHAW and became part of the Swiss Olive Oil Panel (SOP).  In addition, I took a course on nutritional science at Stanford University and was amazed with the beneficial properties of the unsaturated fats and the phytochemicals contained in olive oil.

So, after having worked for 17 years in the financial services sector, in Argentina, Italy, United States, Brazil and Switzerland, I gave up the office life to dedicate myself to my true passion: olive oil.

In this journey, I had the opportunity to meet Vassilakis Estate in Crete, a family owned mill for five generations. They showed me how they produce olive oil from the groove to the bottle. Their olive oil are the products I’m presenting to you now.

Browse my blog posts and stay tuned on my social media channels to learn why olive oil is good for you and how to incorporate olive oil into your diet.

References:
1- Willett WC, Sacks F, Trichopoulou A, Drescher G, Ferro-Luzzi A, Helsing E, Trichopoulos D. Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating. AJCN. 1995 Jun 1;61(6):1402S-6S.
2- Gifford KD. Dietary fats, eating guides, and public policy: history, critique, and recommendations. Am J Med. 2002 Dec 30;113(9):89-106.