The Benefits of Olive Oil

Hey guys, you’ll probably have noticed that in the majority of my recipes I include the use of Olive oil as the main source of fat to cook with. On occasion I’ll use other oils, for instance, in stir fry’s it’s best to use Sesame or Sunflower oil. The reason I mostly stick to olive oil though, is because the health benefits (and taste!) heavily outweigh other alternatives.

The Mediterranean diet is considered by millions to be one of the healthiest diets in the world and olive oil plays a huge part in that. In this post I’m introducing a very talented woman called Daniela, who runs The Extra Virgin Shop who knows the in’s and out’s of Olive oil. This post will explain how it’s made, as well as the health and nutritional benefits plus more. I hope you find it as useful as I have.  Hi all, my name is Daniela, a 30 year-old Italian who’s passionate about nutritious and healthy food, that’s why about one year ago I decided to start my own Olive Oil business.

I consider myself an “Olive Oil Hunter” and spend most of my time travelling the Italian peninsula looking for the finest oils in the land! In fact ever since I was a little girl I have been obsessed with it.

I used to pour it on everything: toasted bread, cereal, soups, spaghetti… even on chocolate and ice cream!

You might think, ‘of course you love olive oil, you’re Italian!’ Well that’s not necessarily true. In fact a lot of my fellow Italians take for granted the beneficial effects of our precious “green gold”.

In the past, our grandmothers used to cook exclusively with olive oil and today we have started to replace it with cheaper and less healthy vegetable oils, or worse, with butter or margarine. That’s a shame, because not only is olive oil delicious and full of nutrients, but it’s also a natural medicine for our body.

Several studies have proven the efficacy of olive oil in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. This is possible thanks to its high amount of monounsaturated acids present in it which make olive oil a natural protection against strokes and heart attacks.

Moreover, olive oil helps to prevent Type 2 Diabetes, a disease that doesn’t depend on genetic factors, but is caused by an unbalanced diet and a questionable lifestyle.

Despite its high amount of calories, olive oil’s nutritional values make it an ideal food to lose weight. In fact, unlike seed oils, olive oil has been proven to reduce the absorption of sugar and to keep a high level of blood sugar. The result is an increase in the sense of satiety.

Last but not least, olive oil makes you beautiful!

It’s rich in vitamins A, D and K and antioxidants, essential elements to fight the aging process. As the story goes, Cleopatra used to plunge every day in olive oil, a beauty tip which left her skin smooth and her hair glowing.

If you love your body and care for your health include olive oil in your dietary regime, your skin, heart and your palate will be eternally grateful to you.

Daniela Delli
The Extra Virgin Shop