What is it?
Olive oil originated in Asia, but has been cultivated in Mediterranean countries for over 3,000 years. It is obtained from the olive tree where the pulp that is collected from olives undergoes a process of pressing to remove the juices. Olive oil is been becoming more and more popular in North America and has come to replace many household oils. This is because olive oil contains mono unsaturated fats, vitamin E, and is rich with antioxidants. Olive oil is available in many different grades such as extra-virgin, virgin, refined and pure, just to name a few.
Benefits for the Body
Not only do many people enjoy the rich taste of olive oil, there are many health benefits. Research states that olive oil can contribute to lowering high cholesterol, protecting the colon, reduce breast cancer risk, lose weight and many other healthy benefits for the body. One of its major health benefits is what olive oil can do for the heart. A controlled study shows that if you were to rely solely on olive oil then you can cut the risk of coronary heart disease by almost 50% ! (results from the CARDIO2000 case-control study, published in Clinical Cardiology (Kontogianni MD, Panagiotakos DB, et al. taken from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132). And although it may seem odd to have so many benefits from a fat, olive oil is rich with antioxidants, and contains MUFA (mono unsaturated fat) which is better than saturated fats found in other oils.
The Beauty of Olive Oil
Not only is olive oil beneficial to use in the kitchen, but it is a natural product that is beneficial for beauty purposes. Instead of purchasing expensive oil treatments for your hair in salons, try to use olive oil for a deep conditioning treatment instead! You can apply a good amount in to your hair, wrap it in a warm towel for 15 minutes and wash it out for a deep penetrating treatment. Or a simple and easy trick to use olive oil in your hair is to use a few drops (about a dime size or less) and rub it on the ends of your hair so that the oil will hydrate your hair while giving it shine.
Other different ways to use olive oil in the beauty community include:
- Use olive oil on your skin (face or body) or lips at night and wake up to find that the texture is now smooth and your skin is hydrated.
- Soak your nails/cuticles in olive oil for 10 minutes, or rub olive oil onto your nails and cuticles to help keep your nails strong and healthy.
- Tired of paying for expensive makeup removers? Try using olive oil! The rich texture of olive oil will adhere to makeup and remove it easily. Not only is using olive oil around your eyes a good make up remover, but it can also help restore a smooth texture in the eye area and reduce wrinkles!
Recommendations and Storage
Olive oil can “go bad” after improper storage because of light exposure and temperature. It is best to buy olive oil in tinted jars/bottles because it will help block excessive sunlight. It is also important to keep it away from heated objects so that it can stay in a cooler environment. Extra-virgin olive oil is less acidic than virgin olive oil and comes from the first pressing of the olives. Extra-virgin olive oil is recommended because it is higher in antioxidants and has a more “delicate” taste for cooking.
So now that you know…
There is so much more to olive oil than just a simple kitchen ingredient to daily cooking… try it out! Try using it in dishes for lunch or dinner and use it to your healthy benefit! I highly recommend using it for your skin, hair and nails so that witness for yourself the unknown benefits!
