Olive Oil Powered Mediterranean Diet In Top 4 Morning Habits For Long Life

‘Blue Zones’ research shows how a Mediterranean breakfast, with extra virgin olive oil, could help you live longer.

^{Updated April 11th 2025}

Have you ever wondered why some people live well into their 90s or even past 100, staying active and vibrant? A closer look at their habits reveals that diet plays a massive role in their longevity. Specifically, the Mediterranean breakfast, anchored by a generous dose of extra virgin olive oil, appears to be a key to living longer and healthier.

This blog explores the concept of ‘Blue Zones’ (regions home to the world’s longest-living populations), the benefits of their plant-based Mediterranean diets, and why incorporating olive oil into your morning meal could be your first step toward greater vitality. By the end, you’ll not only understand why extra virgin olive oil is called liquid gold, but also how to seamlessly integrate it into your daily routine.

What Are ‘Blue Zones’

‘Blue zones’ have identified the world’s most extraordinary cultures whose health and longevity and happiness are outsized. People in blue zones didn’t have to embark on a special program to transform their lives. Luckily for them, they live in places where moving naturally all day, eating healthy, and connecting with neighbours is the norm.

The term ‘Blue Zones’ describes regions where people live significantly longer than average. These areas don’t just have high life expectancies; they’re also home to a remarkably high number of centenarians (those aged 100 and above) who enjoy great health well into their later years.

What makes these communities fascinating isn’t just their longevity, but how they live. Residents of Blue Zones experience fewer chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. They maintain their energy and mental clarity far past retirement age, which has drawn the curiosity of researchers, nutritionists, and health enthusiasts worldwide.

The blue zone areas of the world share and benefit from a set of habits and practices that—together—increase longevity, health, and happiness. The benefits of these sets of behaviours and outlooks include:

• Longer, healthier life. Not just longevity for the sake of a number, but vitality. Engagement with family, friends, and daily routines into your 90s and beyond.
• Lower rates of chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, depression, and dementia.
• Quality relationships: part of the key to a life in alignment with blue zone habits is active engagement with community, friends, and family. These relationships work in a virtuous cycle of happiness and health: spending quality time with others is not just enjoyable in the moment but it contributes to your overall health and that of your circle, too!
• Adding life to your years, while adding years to your life. All of the Power 9 components help you to build a longer AND better life.
• Life satisfaction increases when you have a purpose and are engaged in a spiritual practice. Both of these are important to your quality of life and how you demonstrate outwardly your health and well-being.

Where Are These Blue Zones?

You’re probably wondering where these mythical places exist (and whether you should consider moving there). The five official Blue Zones include:

1. Okinawa, Japan – Known for diets rich in tofu and sweet potatoes.
2. Ikaria, Greece – Dubbed the ‘Island Where People Forget to Die,’ with its residents relying on olive oil, wine, and herbal teas.
3. Sardinia, Italy – Famous for their hearty diet and labor-intensive shepherd lifestyle.
4. Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica – Brimming with farm-fresh, plant-heavy meals.
5. Loma Linda, California, USA – Where a community of Seventh-day Adventists thrives on simple, plant-based meals.

What connects these diverse regions? Their shared emphasis on clean, wholesome diets and daily physical activity.

The original five blue zones can be found all over the planet, demonstrating how we can live healthy lives no matter what climate or country we are in. It’s now a solution in almost 50 communities around the USA and has been able to improve population health and reduce healthcare costs in a ground breaking way.

Blue Zones Projects are places where whole communities come together with guidance to encourage all community members—as well as local policies and infrastructure—to grow into thriving places where the healthy choice is easy. So where are some of the current projects?

• Albert Lea, Minnesota (the first location, where lifespan and community physical activity rocketed up and has stayed for a full decade)
• Beach Cities, California (where childhood obesity declined by 50%, smoking declined by 17%, stress by 8%)
• Fort Worth, Texas transformed from one of the unhealthiest cities in the nation (the city’s well-being rank rocketed to 58th from 185 out of 190 in the nation)

These Blue Zones Project communities have shown that the benefits of blue zones can be built from the ground up.

Blue Zone Diets Are 95-100 Percent Plant Based

If you examine the diets in these longevity hotspots, one striking commonality emerges: about 95–100 percent of the foods they consume come from plants. Blue Zone meals are abundant in vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, and whole grains, with very little reliance on processed or sugary foods.

What about fats? You’ll find them coming mainly from nuts, seeds, and olive oil—not butter or other saturated fats. Extra virgin olive oil is especially prominent in the Mediterranean Blue Zones (Ikaria and Sardinia), not only for its flavor but for its profound health benefits.

Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, olive oil does more than enhance food; it protects the heart, nourishes the brain, and reduces overall inflammation in the body. This is why incorporating extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) into your breakfast routine might just be the best move for your health.

People in the blue zones eat an impressive variety of garden vegetables when they are in season, and then they pickle or dry the surplus to enjoy during the off-season. The best-of-the-best longevity foods are leafy greens such as spinach, kale, beet and turnip tops, chard, and collards.  Combined with seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and beans dominate blue zones meals all year long.

Oils derived from plants are all preferable to animal-based fats. Olive oil is the one most often used in the blue zones. Evidence shows that olive oil consumption increases good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol.

Blue zone research in Ikaria Greece, found that for middle-aged people, about six tablespoons of olive oil daily seemed to cut the risk of dying in half.

Starting The Day With A Healthy Mediterranean Breakfast

A healthy and nutritious breakfast, like a plant-based or Mediterranean diet can help increase your chances of living a long and healthy life, according to a recently article from wellandgood.com  

Based on the findings of author Dan Buettner, whose pioneering research on longevity hotspots or ‘blue zones’ lifts the lid on how we can potentially extend our life quality and duration, the article recommends a breakfast of foods which reduce blood pressure and cholesterol as one of 4 key choices.

The Mediterranean diet, which includes an emphasis on healthy ‘monounsaturated fats’ found in foods such as extra virgin olive oil, is known to help prevent a wide range of diseases such as cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Also listed in the article, entitled 4 Morning Habits of the Longest-Living People in the World, are:

• Finding your ‘ikigai’ (the Japanese concept of what drives you to get up and out of bed in the morning.
• Enjoying a cup of morning coffee – ideally with a plant-based milk alternative and natural sweetener.
• Say something nice to the first person you see.  Self-explanatory this one but Buettner starts each morning by literally complimenting others.

A Shot of Extra Virgin Olive Oil In The Morning

If the phrase “drink olive oil” seems odd to you, stay with us. Starting the day with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil is not only a long-standing Mediterranean tradition but also an easy way to take advantage of its nutritional powerhouse.

Here’s why this morning ritual can be a game-changer for longevity:

• Fights Oxidative Stress: EVOO is rich in polyphenols (antioxidants) that combat oxidative stress, a key contributor to aging and chronic disease.
• Supports Heart Health: Monounsaturated fats reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) while boosting good cholesterol (HDL).
• Enhances Digestion: Olive oil can help coat the stomach lining, making digestion smoother and reducing discomfort.
• Feeds Your Brain: It’s packed with brain-boosting compounds that strengthen cognitive function and may prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
• Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Regular consumption of olive oil can reduce inflammation, which is tied to conditions like arthritis.

To start, you can try one tablespoon of high-quality extra virgin olive oil first thing in the morning, either straight or as part of a delicious breakfast. Not ready to sip it solo? Drizzle it over avocado toast or stir it into a warm bowl of oatmeal.

Polyphenols: The Magic Ingredient In Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 The level of polyphenols present in Morocco Gold varies slightly from year to year, depending on a range of factors, weather, time of harvesting and processing etc.

This year we are pleased to say the level of polyphenols is the highest we have yet seen. Our latest harvest polyphenol content is 644mg / kg.

So How Much Extra Virgin Olive Oil Should I Take Each Day?

You might be wondering how much olive oil is optimal. Nutritionists generally recommend two to three tablespoons per day. This amount is sufficient to reap its health benefits without overdoing it on calories.

Spread this amount across your meals. For example:

• Morning: One tablespoon as part of your breakfast.
• Lunch: A drizzle over salad greens or roasted vegetables.
• Dinner: Use it for sautéing or as a finishing touch for cooked dishes.

For the best results, invest in a high-quality, cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil. These contain the maximum flavor and nutrients, so they’ll give you the biggest health (and taste!) payoff. Look for oils in dark glass bottles, as light can degrade the quality.

Small Changes, Big Results

Integrating extra virgin olive oil into your Mediterranean-style breakfast is more than just a healthy habit; it’s part of a lifestyle that prioritizes longevity. Paired with a diet rich in whole, plant-based foods and coupled with an active lifestyle, this simple change can lead to significant health benefits.

The next time you’re preparing your morning meal, consider turning to the wisdom of Blue Zones. Drizzle olive oil, savor its flavor, and know that you’re doing your body (and mind) a world of good.

Live Longer, Healthier, and Happier

The road to a longer, healthier life starts with small, deliberate changes. Start by rethinking your breakfast and making olive oil the hero ingredient in your routine. It’s the secret of Blue Zone populations, and it could be yours too.

Eager to explore the magic of the Mediterranean diet further?

Each Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil bottle size is 500ml (16.9 fl.Oz.USA). There are around 35 tablespoons in each bottle (1 tbs. = 14.3ml).

What Is In 1 Tablespoon Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

One serving or 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil contains the following:

• 120 calories
• 10 grams of monounsaturated fat
• 2 grams of saturated fat
• 2 grams of polyunsaturated fat
• 1.9 milligrams of vitamin E (10 percent of Daily Value)
• 8.1 micrograms of vitamin K (10 percent of DV)

European Food Safety Agency Recommendation

The European Food Safety Agency regulation states that extra virgin olive oil with a polyphenol level of 250mg / kg and above can make health claims. However, it is also very specific about which polyphenols this applies to. It specifically states that this must include hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives, (oleuropein and tyrosol). So long as these polyphenols are present, the beneficial effects can be obtained with a daily intake of around 20ml of olive oil.

At this level of polyphenol, 1 tablespoon will have around 7.1 mg/kg (250 / 35) So to get the health benefits you would need to take around 3 tablespoons per day.

Because the concentration of polyphenols in Morocco Gold is much higher than the standard, you will get the associated health benefits with around 2 tablespoons per day.

Due to the numerous health benefits of extra virgin olive oil it is typically used in cooking,but eating or drinking it raw is even healthier. A lot of health experts recommend drinking extra virgin olive oil in the morning, here’s why:

Benefits Of Olive Oil

 Extra Virgin Olive Oil Helps in Weight Loss

The idea of consuming olive oil this way comes from the Mediterranean diet, which, despite its share of naysayers, has been found to be effective. Olive oil has an acid called oleic acid, which gives the feeling of fullness and promotes the feeling of satiety.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Aids Detoxification

The idea of a digestive cleanse has been denounced by some health experts. But as per few experts, an olive oil and lemon detox cleanse has benefits for the digestive system in the short term.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Helps Prevent Colon Cancer

According to various studies, drinking extra virgin olive oil may prevent the formation of free radicals in the body, and reduce the incidence of colon cancer. This is because olive oil is full of antioxidants.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Help Promote Healthy Skin

Anything full of antioxidants is always great for the skin. Just like Vitamin E, antioxidants also slow the ageing of skin. Olive oil has an abundance of both of these.

So now you know! All you need to do, to make the most of this amazing morning tonic, is to take the juice of a ripe lemon and add it to a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and drink it up! The better the quality of olive oil, the more beneficial this exercise will be for you. You can also add a little bit of water to make the mixture more palatable and improve its cleansing properties.