There are trees in Tuscany older than the English language. I have stood beneath them, oil on my hands, and understood — in the way you understand things only through the body — why this fruit, this land, and this ancient practice have outlasted everything else.

I am Dr. Brandi. Integrative and functional nutritionist. Certified olive oil sommelier. Author of "If Trees Could Talk." And for the past several years, a quiet ambassador for the Tuscan way of eating, living, and paying attention.