Benefits of Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 Wondering why EVO has become so famous recently? Here are a few benefits of using it on a daily basis.

Did you know that in regions where olive oil was manufactured people tend to live longer lives? This is essentially because they use the oil on a daily basis. We know you might have heard olive oil is one of the healthiest oils available to us. However, there are a lot of varieties of olive oils available from which one can take their pick.

Out of these varieties the one that has the most heads turning is the extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil or EVO, has been known to be of the highest quality of olive oil. This is basically because it is extracted straight from the olive fruit without the use of any chemicals or even heat. 

Still confused about what makes extra virgin olive oil so healthy? Let's have a look.

 

• Lowers cancer risks

Did you know that a lot of studies have found that what ever you eat has an impact on the way a body response two problems and diseases like cancer? Studies have also shown that olive oil has a positive impact on a body's response against these diseases. This is precisely why the cancer risks are less in areas where extra virgin olive oil is consumed.

A specific antioxidant found only in extra virgin olive oil and not even olives called Oleocanthal an, could very well be the element that lends EVO this amazing property of protecting the body from certain cancers.

 

Antioxidants

The majority of olive oils found in the market nowadays are refined in nature.  This in turn, ends up stripping the end result olive oil off most of the nutrients. This is exactly where extra virgin olive oils stands out. The best part about extra virgin olive oil is the way it is extracted. The natural process via which extra virgin olive oil is extracted helps produce a product that is filled with nutrients and antioxidants, directly from the olives.

Would it surprise you if we told you that extra virgin olive oil contains more than 30 kinds of powerful antioxidants? These antioxidants help protect the body from harmful free radicals. This in turn helps in preventing diseases and even slowing down the ageing process.

 

Helps protect against strokes

This might surprise you to know, but strokes actually happen to be the second most common cause of deaths across the globe when compared to other heart issues.

Apart from that, strokes also accompany other health issues like high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which in turn are also markers for other heart issues. Another thing that might surprise you to know is the fact that in people who consume higher amounts of olive oil, the risk of developing a stroke is lowered by close to 40%.

You see, this is simply due to the fact that when people decide to consume extra virgin olive oil India manufactures, in their daily diets, they end up replacing other fats, which could comparatively be unhealthier. This is what helps keeps heart issues at bay.

 

Risk of Type 2 diabetes lowered

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body develops resistance to the hormone called insulin.

You see, insulin is an extremely important hormone in the body to help regulate sugar throughout the blood. What the hormone does is it helps distribute the sugar into the cells of the body which in turn convert it into energy for the body.

Extra virgin olive oil helps brilliantly in metabolizing the glucose present in the blood, in turn, improving the effectiveness of insulin in the body. This is precisely why EVO proves to be an amazing product to help prevent or maintain good health even in diabetes.

 

Healthiest fat

Were you aware of the fact that 73% of extra virgin olive oil is basically made of monosaturated fats? Monosaturated fats are notorious when it comes to their speciality of helping better heart health. 

Thanks to a lot of studies that have been conducted, it has been concluded that a diet which consists mostly of monosaturated fats will help maintain heart health brilliantly.

This in turn helps in the reduction in blood pressure, inflammation issues, blood glucose levels and cholesterol levels too.

 

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Best Olive Oil Recipes for Your Healthy Lifestyle

 Healthy recipes don’t mean you have to compromise the taste of the dishes. Use olive oil to cook various modern and traditional dishes. Olive oil not only keeps you healthy and hearty but pleases your taste buds too.

Olive oil is rich in the most effective antioxidants. It has vitamins and minerals which provide health benefits. It is rich in dietary supplements that not only cure diseases but also helps in weight loss. Some people prefer eating olives directly chopped or minced on pizzas and pasta or sprinkle the oil on the salads. Also, olive oil can be used to cook various healthy recipes which will enhance your appetite and help you stay fit and healthy.

 

Recipes using olive oil

The regular refined oil for cooking might create a lot of health problems. However, olive oil used for cooking will help you increase digestion, metabolism and prevents the rise of bad cholesterol in the body. Here is a list of some olive oil recipes that you can try out at home by replacing your refined oil with olive oil as the cooking ingredient-

 

·         Olive oil cake

If you are a sweet tooth, you just cannot avoid eating cakes. However, regular cakes might make you obese. The citrus smell and almond flavour will give your olive oil cake a new taste. Further, it will not increase your weight and you can enjoy having cakes without any worries.

 

·         Grilled chicken with lemon

Grilled chicken is not only tasty but healthy as well. However, after grilling, marinating the chicken with lemon juice and olive oil will enhance the flavour and taste of the dish. The cooking time is not more than 15 minutes. So, this is healthy as well as easy to cook a dish.

 

·         Smashed potato skordalia

This is a traditional dish from Greece. It is made with garlic, potatoes, and olive oil. Nuts are added to thicken its texture. 

 

·         Chicken confit

This spicy preparation is cooked with olive oil and some refined oils. Olive oil is the best oil for cooking. Even the spicy dishes cooked with olive oil will not create health issues. The chicken confit is generally cooked for several hours before the texture is attained.

 

·         Pasta and pizzas

Children love pasta and pizzas. However, you do not wish to make them obese or suffer from health problems. As a result, you often do not allow them to eat pizzas or pasta. One easy way to make the pasta healthy is by using olive oil with the other ingredients. Also, chopped olives can be used in pizzas. This will enhance the appetite of the children without damaging their health.

 

Health benefits

Olive oil used as cooking oil has a lot of health benefits. Some of them are-

• Olive oil reduces bad cholesterol or LDL- cholesterol in the body
• Promotes weight loss
• Regulates blood sugar level
• Increases metabolism
• Cures indigestion
• Controls high blood pressure

Olive oil has numerous health benefits. You must try out all the recipes using olive oil. For a healthy and fit life, nature and pure olive oil should be used as a cooking ingredient. The daily refined oils should be replaced with olive oil during cooking to ensure maximum health benefits.

 

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Four Popular Healthy Recipes Using Olive Oil

 Olive oil is not only healthy, but can be used to cook various tasty food items. Here are some of the popular low calorie recipes where you may use olive oil.

Olive oil has certainly earned itself considerable popularity, especially among health-conscious consumers. The oil carries a number of properties which are beneficial for health and even helps to fight various diseases. The question which may now arise in your mind is, ‘As much as olive oil is good for health, is it possible to prepare tasty food with it?’. The answer is yes. There are several delicious yet low calorie recipes you may prepare using olive oil. In fact, the oil is even used to add flavour to various food items. Let us have a look at the popular recipes using olive oil:

• Marinade: In Mediterranean diet, olive oil is often used to marinade fish, meat, vegetables or poultry. Soaking these in a marinade of olive oil not only softens them greatly, but also adds various nutrients to the food.

• Salads: Olive oil is also used to prepare the dressing for salads. All you need to do is mix three parts of olive oil with 1 part of vinegar. If you wish, you may add seasonings such as salt, pepper, etc. to the vinegar and then add olive oil to it. About a tablespoon of this seasoning is sufficient for two cups of salad. This is one of the healthy recipes for making Mediterranean salads, which are well-known for their heavenly taste.

• Pasta: You may use olive oil to make your pasta healthy and tasteful. The recipe remains the same as the usual one for pasta, the only change being that you would be using olive oil to cook it. Once the pasta is almost ready, take some extra olive oil and heat it over medium heat. Once it’s sufficiently warm, add some garlic and a pinch of salt to it. After cooking it for about ten more seconds, stir the tomatoes, chopped scallions and parsley in. After you have drained out the cooking water, pour the warmed olive oil sauce into the pasta and coat it.

• Sauces: Olive oil is widely used to prepare sauces. While making the sauce, you just need to add some olive oil to it. The oil, would enrich the sauce with various nutrients and make it healthy for consumption. Moreover, olive oil ensures better blending of sauces. Mixing olive oil into sauce and whisking thoroughly would help to blend the watery ingredients of the sauce with the oily ones.

Olive oil is known to be a healthy oil for cooking due to its amazing health benefits. Contrary to most of the other oils, olive oils contain good fats. These do not cause weight gain. Rather, these monounsaturated fats are great anti-oxidants and help to keep the bloodstream clean. Consumption of olive oil can improve the heart health, help to fight cancer, kill bacteria, etc. There are several variants of olive oil, each with its own taste and health properties. These include pomace olive oil, virgin olive oil, extra virgin olive oil and more. Depending on your requirements and preferences, you may go for any of them.

 

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