7 minute read
4 9 3 7 6
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes are smooth, creamy with a hint of Tuscan herbs, and so rich no one will miss the dairy. The key to this recipe is using an excellent quality olive oil.
When you think of olive oil, have you always felt that it was grown mostly in Europe? It may surprise you that Georgia is not only known for peanuts and peaches, but we are also now known for superb quality olive oil. Olive Orchards of Georgia originated in the summer of 2013 and is a family-owned company that grows and presses arbequina olives for the production of highquality extra virgin olive oil. Not only does their olive oil have outstanding flavor, it also is a healthy oil to add to your diet. Here are just a few of the benefits. An ISRN Pharmacol study suggested that ingredients in extra virgin olive oil may help protect the nervous system and could be useful for treating depression and anxiety.
According to a Nutrients study published in 2019, olive oil contains substances that may help prevent colorectal cancer. Lab tests have found evidence that antioxidants in olive oil may help protect the body from inflammation, oxidative damage, and epigenetic changes.
According to Olive Wellness Institue, extra virgin olive oil contains over 30 various types of phenolic compounds, which are powerful antioxidants that help protect the body against free radicals. Free radicals are molecules that cause cell damage and contribute to disease and the aging process A PubMed study states olive oil supplements appear to improve inflammatory markers and reduce oxidative stress in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Georgia olive oil, plus more for drizzling • 3 cloves garlic, gently smashed and peeled • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, about 3 inches each. Stems removed and leaves chopped lightly • 1 teaspoon small strips of lemon zest • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper • salt and pepper • 2 tbsp. chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Directions
In a large stock pot, add enough cold water to cover the potatoes over an 1 inch. Add 1 tbsp. salt. Bring to a boil and cook until very tender, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 2/3 cup Olive Orchards of Georgia olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, crushed red pepper, and 1/4 tsp. salt, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
Drain the potatoes. Push the potatoes through a potato ricer back into the pot, or return the potatoes to the pot and mash with a potato masher. Strain the oil mixture into the potatoes and add 1/2 cup almond milk. Stir well. Add seasoning from oil, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with the parsley.
by Gina Dickson, an Augusta mom to six and Gigi to ten. Her website, intentionalhospitality. com, celebrates gathering with friends, cooking great healthy meals and sharing life around the table. Also on Instagram @ intentionalhospitality +
IN A BIG HURRY?
CALL US. WE’LL RUSH RIGHT OVER!
The Genuine. The Original.
Ingredients • 4 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks • 1/2 cup almond milk • 2/3 cup Olive Orchards of
by Ken Wilson Steppingstones to Recovery TEN COMMANDMENTS OR TEN MYTHS?
451 Highland Ave in Surrey Center • (706) 733-2256 • gentrymensshop.com
YOU CAN’T EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF VICTORY AND THE AGONY OF THE FEET WE CAN HELP WE CAN HELP
www.southerncomfortshoes.com Comfort & therapeutic shoes and boots • Diabetic fittings • Custom orthotics • Board-certified Pedorthist • 20 major shoe brands • MD, PT, Podiatrist and Chiropractor referrals welcome SOUTHERN COMFORT SHOES 1001 WALTON WAY (706) 434-0129 • MON-THUR: 9-4 • FRI: 9-2 WALK-INS WELCOME!
Do you have some kind of allergic reaction with redness and itching?
Hometown. Not big box. ARKS HARMACY P Stop by soon. We can help you make a RASH DECISION
437 Georgia Avenue, North Augusta, SC 803-279-7450 parkspharmacy.com
IN-STORE • ONLINE • DELIVERY • DRIVE-THRU
Read the Examiner online at AugustaRx.com or issuu.com/medicalexaminer
...Continued. For the first 3, see the Jan. 24 issue online at issuu.com/medicalexaminer So, Myth #4 now: “He has underlying issues, that’s why he drinks too much.”
Well, maybe maybe not. True, we drink for one reason only: to change the way we feel. The question is, Why do I need to change the way I feel? Is reality not good enough? Truth is, people drink for as many reasons as there are stars in the sky! Sometimes people to drink to escape, sometimes to not feel grief, sometimes to be sociable, and sometimes… For most people most of the time (but not all people all of the time), the progression from social drinking to problem drinking takes years and years and never happens with the thought of escaping grief or other feelings, but just to be convivial with friends and loved ones. Somewhere along the way the body builds up tolerance to alcohol or drugs and more of the chemical is required. Again, not to escape reality but to satiate the brain’s demands…a chemical “need.”
An alcoholic, you see, doesn’t necessarily drink because he wants to but because he has to. Often this increase in consumption brings about a myriad of problems that never existed way back when…such as laying out of work, legal problems like DUIs, and marital dysfunction.
This brings me to my Myth #5: “If he could find out what these underlying issues are, he’ll stop drinking.” Well again, maybe so and maybe not. Actually, as long as he’s drinking he’ll never find his “issues” to deal with because he’s in an altered state of mind much of the time, either hung over, intoxicated, or “jonesing” (“craving,” for you out there who are never “jonesing!” How did the Jones get such a bad rap?) When I was in college (at age 16 – way too young, don’t you think?) and went to class hung over, high, or craving, I was not in a position to learn anything, much less remember what the professor said. The point I’m making is, the first task for an alcoholic or addict is to be clean and sober for a period of time so they are able to do the introspective work of self-examination. The 12-step programs well understand this and the steps are intelligently ordered to be accomplished one at a time…you don’t start with Step Five, or Seven, until you’ve done numbers 1, 2, & 3. Imagine a poor guy who goes to the Emergency Room in a diabetic coma…the staff has two choices: treat him immediately for his condition, or stand around and ponder, “Is he a diabetic because he has a family history of it or because he just eats too much sugar?!!!” Treatment is paramount, not psychoanalyzing the situation. Another example to illustrate my point is a guy trying to quit smoking cigarettes who goes to a hypnotist to find out why he smokes so much. He discovers while under hypnosis that he smokes because he A monthly series by an Augusta drug treatment professional THIS IS YOUR BRAIN
+ was weaned from breast feeding too early and still has an oral fixation. Coming out of hypnosis he is told this truth. Does that mean he quits smoking right then & there? Not. Sometimes insight just doesn’t help heal us - at first. The important thing is to quit smoking or drinking through treatment or self help groups and then, in time, go deep inside the soul.
Then there’s #6: “He’s bi-polar and that’s why he drinks.” I have seen this at times: people who “self-medicate” their undiagnosed and untreated mental illness. They’re hyper and can’t concentrate so they drink to slow their brain down. But more often than not I’ve seen people who’d rather be bi-polar than be an addict or alcoholic! Once I was in a recovery meeting and someone asked everyone in the room how many had been diagnosed as bi-polar and every person sitting in the circle raised their hand! According to much literature I read, bi-polar is one of the most over-diagnosed illnesses in the field of mental health. The reality is that many are not bi-polar at all. They just have mood swings from alcohol and drug use that make them look like how a layman would expect a bi-polar person to act. An accurate bi-polar diagnosis cannot be made while interviewing a person who is actively dependent on alcohol or drugs. A clearer picture can be made 30-90 days after getting clean/sober, and an even better shot at it comes after 6-12 months clean and sober! Patience, patience, patience. I’ve seen many clients over the years who finally got clean and sober, and as a result were also able to stop taking prescribed psychotropic medications. Most of these medications even have a warning on the bottle, “Do not use alcohol while taking this medication.” Sure, like we listen!
Guess we’ll have to finish next month. Or maybe write a book on this subject. Hasn’t somebody already done that? Find out for me please.
