Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

Nutrition experts have long claimed that Mediterranean diets are some of the best around. Heavy on fish, fruits, and vegetables; moderate in nuts and red wine; and low in red meat, these diets are tops for heart health, say researchers at the Mayo Clinic. One more item puts the Mediterranean diet high on the heart health list: Olive Oil. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to be exact.

The Super Food olive oil, containing monounsaturated fat, helps lower the risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels in your blood, unlike saturated and trans fats (found in better, tropical oils, and hydrogenated margarines) which spike these levels. Get two tablespoons of olive oil per day -- make it "extra virgin" or "virgin" for less processing and more polyphenol antioxidants -- and you'll be on your way to better health.

It's not just your heart that will benefit from regular doses of olive oil, made from the crushing and then subsequent pressing of olives. Prevention magazine cites one Greek study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 1999) indicating a little olive oil can dramatically cut the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Study participants with the lowest consumption of extra virgin olive oil had a 2.5 greater chance of developing the condition, in fact.

There is also reason to believe that extra virgin olive oil can help prevent cancer, according to this article. Consider this: If the populations of Western countries consumed olive oil like those who eat traditional Mediterranean diets, there'd likely be a 25 percent cut in the incidence of colorectal cancer, a 15 percent cut in breast cancer, and a 10 percent drop in cases of prostate, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers.

Want to live longer? Better control your blood sugar? Minimize bone loss and inflammation? Protect yourself against Chronic Degenerative Disease? Cut down on belly fat? Live longer? Extra virgin olive oil is your key. Read all about these super health benefits here. And check out the rich nutritional value of olive oil here.

Once you're convinced olive oil is a companion worth seeking and keeping, check out these Superb recipes.

Asparagus Casserole
Broiled Salmon with Lemon and Olive Oil
Chicken Stew with Capers
Shrimp with Garlic in Olive Oil