Green Options

Question: What does organic olive oil, the environment, love songs, Tsunami relief and adventures on the high seas all have in common?

Answer: One extraordinary man.

And his name is Jeremy Meltzer, philanthropist-adventurer-musician turned entrepreneur-olive farmer who found passion, purpose and prosperity in a 100% recyclable cask of extra virgin olive oil.

So, when Divya Gugnani of Behind the Burner told me about Jeremy — and that I would have the amazing opportunity to follow media divas like Martha Stewart in interviewing him – I was beyond thrilled.  Before I even connected with him, I was already moved by his unique story and the countless ways in which his endeavors are helping women, orphans and the environment.  But I had no idea how far-reaching his efforts actually go and the life-changing experiences that have led him here.  For Jeremy, it’s not just about eating and drinking better — it’s about living better and his main goal is to help others do just that.  From small gestures to grand scale initiatives, Jeremy is a beacon of hope, bottled and direct shipped to you from Australia.

He also happens to be very easy on the eyes with a voice that has the smooth enchantment of Michael Buble mixed with the depth of Andrea Bocelli.  Needless to say, I’m kicking myself for conducting a phone interview instead of meeting him in person while he was in New York City meeting with The Food Network.  I am, however, listening to him croon love songs as I write this for added infatuation inspiration.

For me, eating ‘healthy’ used to mean one stick of butter instead of two.  But for the sake of my arteries (and wardrobe!), I decided to ditch fatty foods in favor of an all-natural diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and any other low calorie, high protein substance that typically had a distinct flavor, resembling cardboard.

Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I returned to the comforts of creamy comestibles, luxuriously languishing in lardaceous liquids, where I’ve been happily indulging ever since.  That is, until Behind the Burner nutrition expert and author of The Little Black Apron, Jodi Greebel, came along to open my eyes to a lifestyle of healthy — yet satisfying — morsels that don’t require me to go cold turkey on tempting treats.

So, when I had Jodi captive, I picked her brain about nutrition, dining out, being a vegetarian, and how to eat healthy and delicious.