As a good Greek girl, I grew up eating extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) at practically every lunch and dinner… I also love olives, they are my favorite food.
Glad to say, good-for-you olive oil is rich in vitamin E and new studies indicate that regular consumption of olive oil can help decrease high blood pressure, and help control blood sugar. High consumption of olive oil helps with calcium absorption too, and may prove helpful for bone mineralization in the fight against Osteoporosis, according to the Olive Oil Times, to which I subscribe.
A little chemistry: Olive oil is a monosaturated fat – that means one of its molecular bonds lacks hydrogen which makes it liquid at room temperature, and commonly considered a “healthy” fat. Though high in calories, olive oil is cholesterol-free so it’s an animal-free food and doesn’t lead to arterial plaque build-up near the heart.
Olive Oil for your Face and Hair!
A natural, hypoallergenic way to moisturize your skin, extra virgin olive oil helps repair skin tissue with Vitamins A and E which aid cells damaged from overexposure to sun, air pollution, and other modern-day environmental hazards – like cigarette smoke. So, EVOO is also very kind to your skin.
O & CO offers a line of organic face and body products that moisturize and nourish. You might want to moisturize some into your hair along with spritzing some in your utterly delicious Greek salad.
This week, O & CO launches new flavors Garlic and Parsley ($21.50) and both garlic and parsley are packed with Vitamin C which offers myriad health benefits and amazing taste sensations! Like other antioxidants that work by decreasing damaging free radicals, garlic has been proven to be anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal.
You can also recycle the beautiful bottle and incorporate olive oils into every (or almost every) meal. Parsley ice cream, anyone?