I love learning and trying new things that can benefit my life.
Every morning I wake up, drink water, then take a shot of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and lemon as I wrote in my blog, Morning Detox.
That might seem weird to some people, but I’m serious about staying healthy and strong so that I can live a long and healthy life. Being around for my grandchildren is important to me since I lost my mother so early in life and my kids didn’t get to know their grandmother.
So, I love knowing how healthy Olive Oil is and the health benefits of Olive Oil are many. Plus, it makes everything taste better!
Olive Oil Research is happening all over the world – it has been studied for years, and the medical community continues to find evidence that supports the past finding as well as new life-changing information.
Here are some easy changes you can make every day to reap the benefits of Olive Oil:
- Replace your butter with EVOO
- Eat lots of veggies
- Go for a walk
I’ll talk about some other ways I consume my olive oil at the end of this blog. First, let’s explore some diseases that may be improved with Olive Oil consumption.
Cancer:
Oleocanthal is a phytonutrient that is found in Olive Oil. Oleocanthal is an anti-inflammatory and has similar properties to ibuprofen – check out my blog about oleocanthal HERE.
Also, there are 2 other properties that have beneficial properties – squalene, which is another anti-oxidant and ligans, which is also a phytonutrient and is helpful in reducing cancer risk and heart disease.
There is so much information on squalene and ligans that I will write another blog about these two nutrients soon.
Breast Cancer:
Research has shown that increased intake of olive oil can decrease the activity of the p21Ras oncogene, which is responsible for the proliferation and growth of cancer cells. And olive oil also aids in the suppression of certain proteins, such as AKT, which is needed for cancer to grow.
Studies have shown that when following a diet high in mono and polyunsaturated fats, incidents of breast cancer is decreased.
Heart Disease:
Olive Oil has been found to reduce the levels of total blood cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol. While the “bad” cholesterols are reduced, the “good” cholesterol – HDL – remains the same and can even be elevated.
This is beneficial to your heart because it creates an environment where fatty patches cannot adhere to your arteries and heart.
Another benefit is as we age so does our heart – eating olive oil as a staple in the Mediterranean Diet can decelerate the aging process of the heart.
Oxidative Stress:
We all know that oxidation is not healthy for our bodies. The oxidation process creates free radicals and these free radicals cause havoc in our bodies. I have been taking anti-oxidants for years, as many of you have been, like green tea, blueberries, and others but I also have increased my consumption of Olive Oil – and here’s why:
Olive Oil is made up of mono-unsaturated fats and these fats do not oxidize in the body. Its high levels of Vitamin E and other anti-oxidants help your body eliminate free radicals.
I will continue this blog next week and share other reasons to increase your consumption of Olive Oil.
But before I leave, here are some ways I have increased my EVOO in my daily routine.
- When I wake up, I drink water then take a shot of EVOO and lemon – read my morning detox blog here.
- I cook my eggs in EVOO
- I use EVOO on my salads, vegetables, rice, fish, and meat.
- Pretty much everything tastes better with good quality EVOO! It fills the house with the inviting smell of family meals and takes me right back to the olive orchards of Italy.
You should try to consume at least 4 tablespoons of a high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil a day.
Experiment with your EVOO and enjoy!
Ciao for now,
RoseAnne
Below: Picture of Salmon getting ready to go into the oven with lots of Extra Virgin Olive Oil…
