Olive Oil in your daily routine

In your kitchen

Extra virgin olive oil’s primary quality is that of a very healthy and nutritious edible vegetable oil to be consumed either raw or cooked. As such, you can use it to cook your meals instead of using animal fats which have proven to largely contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. In the renowned and most acclaimed 7-Country Study, Cretans exhibited a remarkable immunity against cardiovascular incidents (38 deaths over a 15-year period) compared to participants from other regions of the planet. That striking gap was to a great extend attributed to the different dietary patterns followed by the participating groups. Specifically, researchers underlined the extensive use of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) by Cretans (22-23kg annual consumption for 2010) who also consumed very low quantities of animal fats. Exactly the opposite was the case for Finnish participants who had the highest rates of deaths (972 deaths over a 15-year period) due to cardiovascular diseases.

On top of its great heart-protecting properties, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has exceptional flavour and aromas that will enhance your cooking results and help you impress others with your dishes. Interestingly and contrary to the general impression, olive oil is the safest for our health option for frying. Due to its chemical composition, olive oil can endure temperatures up to 210°C without undergoing any form of chemical dissolution. The above characteristic is very important as substitute vegetable oils used for frying, like soya oil or sunflower oil, begin to dissolve after being heated to 170°C, releasing potentially carcinogenic substances. That point of differentiation in combination with the fact that frying temperatures are around 180°C, make olive oil, apart from the most tasty, the healthiest vegetable oil for frying.

Last but certainly not least, olive oil can also be consumed raw. Thus, it is commonly used as an exquisite salad dressing as well as a flavour add-up in different kind of dishes. If you ever find yourself in Crete, you will be surprised by the extent to which locals have raw olive oil in their daily diet. Go ahead yourselves and try it in your salads mixed with lemon juice or simply poor a tablespoon of it over your favourite dish!

Outside your kitchen

 Other than an edible vegetable oil with superior taste and health protecting properties, olive oil can be the solution to several issues in your daily routine. In what follows you can find 10 alternative uses of olive oil with results that go way beyond your expectations. 

1. Olive oil is a powerful natural conditioner and moisturizer for skin, while it facilitates cell regeneration and protects against sun damage. So, for a soft, clean and healthy skin massage once a week a small quantity of olive oil in your skin and leave it there for 2-3 hours. Remove with soap and hot water.
2. Use olive oil to remove make-up from your face, eyes and eyelashes. Just poor a tiny quantity of it in a piece of cotton or a tissue and rub the target area. Results will stun you, even against waterproof make-up products. So, next time you stand before your mirror prefer some pure olive oil over some heavily advertized, expensive and chemical laden demake- up product. Just give it a try!
   
3. Massage the skin around your nails with a small quantity of olive oil for an excellent hydration of that sensitive area.
4. Apply a small quantity of olive oil in the tips of your hair and leave it there for half an hour. That small trick will keep your hair hydrated and free of split ends.    
5. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil in 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and you will get a fine moisturizing oil for your bath. 
6. Are you constantly coughing and have a hard time swallowing? Have a tablespoon of olive oil and you will soon feel your throat softened and relieved.
7. An insect just bit you and you are in great pain? Apply some drops of olive oil on the bite spot and massage thoroughly. Pain will withdraw after some minutes.
8. For pet lovers: Half a teaspoon of olive oil in your cat’s food will keep its hair soft, strong and healthy.
9. Use olive oil to polish stainless surfaces. Unlike several cleansers and chemical polishers, olive oil will leave no blurs.
10. Mix two parts of olive oil with one part of lemon juice and you will get an excellent, environment friendly polisher for furniture.