Saturday, May 26, 2018

Improve Health With Greek Olive Oil

By Catherine Young


Many people do not realize that many diseases can be avoided with the right diet. Even if a person is not overweight or obese, there are many benefits to having a diet that is high in antioxidants, as well as other nutrients that are easy to digest. This starts with eliminating acidic foods and animal fats and replacing these with more plants based foods and greek olive oil products.

This unsaturated fat offers many health benefits, like a generous amount of antioxidants and more nutrition than nut oils. This type of oil, whether used in cooking or beauty products, improves the blood and is good for hair, skin, and the digestive system. Most people find that using the actual product to make a home treatment is a better deal than buying something at the store. Many beauty products that claim to have rich oils usually have a small amount.

This type of oil comes in many varieties but while Greek styles are touted over those that come from Italy or Mexico, cooking with any of these is better than butter or margarine. It helps to learn about the smoke points of each, so that food does not scorch while cooking. Fortunately, there are also spreads that have a similar consistency to butter.

Cooking with olive oil can have many other health benefits, as foods tend to taste less heavy and the slight fruity aftertaste that comes with eating ripe olives. However, it is not to be confused with vegetable oils or animals fats. If cooking something that is very large or dense in texture, it helps to read up on the different types of olive oil before preparation.

Light olive oil is good for making sauteed vegetables, fried rice, and other meals that require medium heat. It generally does not have the same health properties as virgin olive oil but is preferred by those who do not want the taste. Some people say this oil is perfect for baking most desserts since the texture is light and the taste is not as pronounced.

Light versions can also be used for baking. Instead of deep frying potatoes, cooking them in an oven with a little oil and seasonings can cut calories and fat. Salad dressing can be made by adding equal parts apple cider vinegar to light oil, along with some fresh herbs and seasonings.

For those who want to add more antioxidants to their diet, food tends to be a better source than the counter supplements taken alone. Produce that is dark in color are good choices, along with beans and some seafood. It also helps to add nuts and grains to the daily diet.

The health benefits of using olive oil in cooking every day outweigh those of using butter or other animal fat product. Many find that their issues with cholesterol or hypertension are lessened, or adding more foods that are rich in antioxidants has helped them to lose unwanted pounds. The antioxidant properties also make this a wonderful hot oil treatment for hair that has been damaged by chemicals or the sun.




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