Olive oil, your health, your kitchen
October 25, 2011
The main reason olive oil is healthy is because it is rich in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. About 75% of that monounsaturated fat is oleic acid, which is very stable even at high temperatures. Moreover, our body processes oleic acid easier than other fatty acids.
Secondly, organic extra virgin olive oil also contains high levels of antioxidants like phenols, and vitamins E and A, which fight free radicals and thus prevent premature aging. Those antioxidants help neutralize the oxidation process, which is common to alls fats, and preserve the properties of olive oil too.
So, the fact that olive oil is capable of resisting oxidation at higher temperatures much better than seed oils makes it the safest vegetable oil for frying.
Many in the non-Mediterranean industrialized countries feel uneasy when a Mediterranean recipe calls for frying in olive oil. Frying is an old cooking technique that is very popular in the Mediterranean cuisines. It is as much an integral part of the healthy traditional Mediterranean diet as consuming raw olive oil with bread and salads.
Some olive oil tips for the kitchen
When heated up, olive oil expands in volume and food absorbs it less than other cooking oils. Therefore, you need a smaller quantity of olive oil.
If it didn’t burn in your frying pan, you can reuse olive oil up to three times. Some say even five times, but I personally never use it more than twice.
Olive oil transmits flavors between foods, so never fry meat in olive oil you used to fry fish and vice versa. My grandmother always kept a jar for fish and one for meat next to the olive oil bottle. It is the best way not to get flavors mixed up.
Finally, olive oil looks thicker than other vegetable oils, but this is only appearance as, contrary to popular belief, it has no more calories than sunflower oil, for instance.
Olive oil for your health
In the 13th century Arnau de Vilanova, doctor of the Catalan royal family, already realized that a moderate intake of olive oil enhanced the vital functions of the body. In the 20th century, the late American doctor, Ancel Keys MD, documented that the olive oil based Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
We see that contemporary research has confirmed what the Mediterranean peoples knew and practiced intuitively all along.
Heart disease is the Achilles’ heel of modern societies living at a frantic pace. Since Dr. Keys and his followers realized that we in the Mediterranean have a better cardiovascular health, the first medical studies on olive oil focused mainly on that area.
They proved that olive oil balances the cholesterol levels, can reduce the risk of a heart attack, can play a role in the prevention of arteriosclerosis, and fights high blood pressure.
Later, research was extended to other areas like digestion, cancer, and diabetes. The results have been very positive and olive oil usually comes through with flying colors.
One particular study concluded that with only two tablespoons of virgin olive oil every day you can begin to experience the health benefits that the Mediterranean peoples have enjoyed for so long. Incorporating it naturally into your eating practices is simple.
How to integrate olive oil in your eating practices
The easiest way is to get into the habit of drizzling olive oil over slices of bread or toasts, consuming it as a dressing for sandwiches instead of butter, and adding it to salads with some salt.
Wherever you go in the Mediterranean, Morocco, Provence, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Catalonia, Andalusia, or Majorca, you’ll find people eating their own combination of bread and raw olive oil.
As a Catalan I eat pa amb tomaquet, literally bread with tomato, almost every day: as part of my breakfast, as a snack, or, I admit, when I am too lazy to cook dinner. It is the Catalan bruschetta, so to say, and you can prepare it in no time with slices of bread or toasts, both are fine.
Here is the most basic recipe for pa amb tomaquet. Cut a very ripe tomato crosswise, rub the bread with one half on both sides, drizzle olive oil liberally over the bread and sprinkle some salt.
You can eat it plain or add any topping and accompaniment you like: prosciutto-style orcooked ham, cheese, tuna fish, an omelet, anchovies, figs, olives. Even with a chocolate bar at tea or coffee time, it may sound weird, but it is delicious.
Other recipes with raw olive oil are authentic allioli, salads with olive oil dressing, cold sauces like romesco, and sopa de farigola or thyme soup. As the Catalan saying goes:Sopa sense oli no val un dimoni, literally, Soup without oil isn’t worth a devil, meaning that a soup with no oil is junk.
Here is the recipe. In a soup pot, bring 2-quart (2 l) water to a boil together with 2 peeled garlic cloves and 2 sprigs thyme. Simmer for 10 minutes and drain. Place 1 or 2 slices of country-style bread on the bottom of each soup bowl, drizzle them liberally with extra virgin olive oil and ladle the soup over it. In the spring and summer this soup is also great with mint instead of thyme.
Recent studies have shown that the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet are not derived from olive oil alone, but from the Mediterranean diet as a whole. So, eat well and enjoy!
At http://www.mediterranean-food-recipes.com N�ria Roig helps you explore delicious Mediterranean diet recipes, and undiscovered Catalan cuisine from the inside. Visithttp://www.mediterranean-food-recipes.com/mediterranean-diet.html to keep up to date on the healthy Mediterranean diet.
Body Cleansing Detox At Home: Olive Oil Diet
October 17, 2011
Did you know why 3 day detox is becoming more and more popular nowadays? It is because within three days, you can accomplish the same body cleansing detox as what you can do with advanced detoxifying programs ever created on the planet. And for sure, experiencing this can be all done at home!
Among the detox diet recipes I’ve shared in this blog, here’s another all-time favorite which targets on a healthy ingredient known as the Olive Oil. Olive Oil body detox recipe has natural lubricating properties which makes it useful in detoxification. It lubricates the digestive tract while at the same time making it easy to flush away toxins through the excretion stages. There are many varieties behind this but there’s one easy and quick way to be able to achieve the best olive oil detox experience which you can learn here. Here’s the process of doing it:
* Trying this would restrict you to not eat after four o’clock in the afternoon following the day when you want to start your own detox diet. Then at late night, mix ¾ cup of grapefruit juice and a cup of olive oil and drink it 30 minutes later.
* Morning after that, the best thing to do next is the sea-salt water flush which is done by simply heating one quarter of water and adding in 2 spoonfuls of sea salt. Pour in this mixture into a glass to drink. Afterwards, you’ll feel your stomach rumbling making you release stools.
* After drinking the sea-salt mixture, you should now have a fiber-rich drink to replenish the body.
As you can see in the process, the body cleansing detox agent is the olive oil followed by the sea-salt recipe to increase the colon activity. While the olive oil has already lubricated your digestive environment, it would make it too easy for you to pass out all the unnecessary buildups making you feel more comfortable and cleansed.
Find out more easy methods to do 3 day detox at home less the side effects by visiting this 3 Day Detox Headquarters site at www.3daydetoxhq.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Irene_Krey
Olive Oil Tips
October 13, 2011
About
There are many uses of olive oil as it is such as diverse product. It is a gourmet cooking product and can be used in a variety of ways, from making marinades to baking cakes. What’s more oil provides a number of beauty benefits and can be used in assisting with removing makeup, moisturising the skin and conditioning the hair.
Below is a list of tips for using olive oil, from storing it correctly to uses it for a range of beauty benefits.
Storage Tips
Olive oil should be stored in a dry, dark place, preferably in an odourless, sealed container which will make the oil last longer. Do not store it in the fridge as it will solidify and ensure that there aren’t any strong smells near where the oil is kept as it will absorb the various smells.
The best flavour is in the first two months of the oil’s storage, however if the oil is properly sealed and stored is can last up to 2 years, so treat it with care!
Beauty Tips
Conditioning Hair: Oil has a number of health benefits, from reducing heart disease to slowing down the process of aging. It can also be used on your hair as a conditioner; all you have to do is heat the oil until warm and massage into your hair until it is entirely covered. If you have dry hair then massage into the scalp too. Leave the oil on for 30 minutes before washing thoroughly.
Combating Cellulite: Olive oil offers optimum moisture for the skin and soothes damaged skin exposed to UV rays. Apparently if you combine coffee granules with olive oil you can even reduce the look of cellulite.
Removing Makeup: Extra virgin oil is so pure and non-irritating that you can safely use it around the eyes to remove makeup. Just gently wipe over your eyelids and eyelashes using a clean cotton pad.
Moisturisation: Extra virgin olive oil offer great moisturisation for your face and body. You can either use it straight from the bottle or make a simple emulsion with water which will also help to rehydrate your skin.
Cooking Tips
Heating: Some oils cannot stand the heat of the pan as they have a low smoking point. Therefore, use standard oils and pure olive oil are suitable for frying although extra virgin oil is not as it loses its unique flavour as soon as it is heated.
Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra virgin is best used in foods which are already cooked (fish & meat) or it can be used to make marinades, dressings or purely drizzled over fresh pastas, salads and breads.
Bake with Olive Oil: While it may sound odd, baking with oil has actually been done for centuries. Replacing butter with olive oil gives cakes and cookies a light texture and it also contains a number of health benefits – it dramatically cuts back on cholesterol and saturated fat content.
Olive oil has a number of benefits; it is used as a gourmet cooking product and also has a number of health and benefits. There are a select few olive oil specialists throughout the UK who take pride in selecting only the best olive oil.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sally_Nightingale
Choose Healthy Italian Olive Oil for Your Recipe
October 4, 2011
Italy is one of the major olive oil producers in the world along with Spain and Greece. These olives are also abundant in other Mediterranean regions of the world. Olive belongs to the family of Oleaceae; it is one of the oldest cultivated trees. To maintain a lively olive production, it requires seasonal fertilizing. It is usually greenish, peppery, and more grassy compared to other olive oils.
Italians are very well-known in making gourmets and delicious pasta. It would not be that good without Italian olive or dipping oil. It is becoming more popular across the world not only because of a distinct flavor it adds to the recipes, but also because of its health benefits. It is the only oil you can eat without any health hazard. Most Europeans are health conscious. This is one of the main reasons why Italian oil has become very popular to their ingredient list.
Cooking is an art. You can always use your creativity when cooking. Whether you are cooking for your family and friends or for yourself, you always want to serve a good and healthy meal. You can always start by deciding on the good recipe and choosing the right ingredients. Try to examine the ingredients of your desired recipe and check if you can use it instead of the usual cooking oil you are using.
To make a perfect Italian dish, you can always use an Italian olive oil or Italian dipping oil. It is also known to be the source of monounsaturated fat, or the “healthy fat.” This kind of fat does not trigger any heart disease.
Below is a list of your favorite Italian dish you can cook with Italian olive oil or Italian dipping oil:
- Garden Gazpacho
- Mango Salsa
- Fusilli Arrabiata
- Bruschetta
- Stuffed Baked Spring Pasta
- Rosemary Chicken
- Steak Fra Diavalo
- Basil Chicken
- Cortette Pasta
- Italian Sausage
You can also use oil when making salads, dressings, and vinaigrettes. You can pour it to slices of crust bread to make delicious sandwiches. You can also mix it with baked potato instead of using butter. Italian dipping oil is also good in making sandwich spread. You can always be creative as you can be and create your own flavor with different herbs and spices.
Benefits of olive oil:
- Assists in achieving healthy skin
- Helps prevent colon cancer, hearing problems, Alzheimer’s disease, and gall stones
- Contributes in reducing blood pressure
- Helps fix hair problems
Today, you can buy olive oil from different areas of the world. If you really love serving an Italian dish, why not use an Italian olive oil? Do not be confused on the “100 % pure olive oil” in your local grocery store. Check the label and see if it is imported from Italy. Italy follows strict guidelines when it comes to labeling their olive oil products. In addition, it is not that hard to distinguish the quality and the taste of an Italian olive oil compared to other local olive oils.
Larry McBride is a travel writer interested in Italian dipping oil and Italian olive oil.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_McBride
