The lowdown on Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil has been used for centuries for health & beauty.

Read on to learn my top 7 favorite reasons to use olive oil everyday:

1. Olive oil is rich in vitamins E and K, fatty acids + antioxidants, which are all great for the skin topically and internally.

2.  When applied to your skin, olive oil helps build a barrier to prevent moisture loss. This keeps your skin soft and supple. It also provides a layer of protection from damaging environmental toxins (air pollution, uva radiation, tobacco smoke, etc).

3.  It can help keep your skin youthful. The antioxidants in olive oil can help prevent the loss of collagen & elastin caused by free radicals (which can cause wrinkling and sagging of the skin).

4.  Olive oil has an anti-inflammatory compound called oleocanthal, which can help calm inflammatory conditions like psoriasis, eczema and dandruff. Oleocanthal has been found to have an anti-inflammatory effect similar to Ibuprofin. [Source]

5. The polyphenols in olive oil have antimicrobial benefits, which can help protect you from skin infections caused by bacteria & yeast.

6. Olive oil has a longer shelf life than many other vegetable oils.

7. According to a recent study, “extra virgin olive oil may reduce DNA damage caused by consuming genetically modified soybean products. “ More info here: http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-health-news/olive-oil-may-reduce-dna-damage-gmo-soybean/40424

Tips:

•   Olive oil is best absorbed by the skin after showering.

•  Use it for massage or as a carrier oil to apply essential oils.

• When using it on the skin, you can mix it with an oil that is more quickly absorbed (one of the reasons I combine it with jojoba oil in my amethyst body balm)

• Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to your diet everyday to get the health benefits.

•  Look for organic, extra virgin olive oil in dark glass. Note: Its come out recently that a lot of extra virgin olive oil sold in stores has been mixed with another, less expensive oil. (Check out this list of some of the fraudulent oils)  It’s worth it to pay more to get the real thing. Here’s a brand I stumbled across while doing research. I’m not affiliated with them, but wanted to give you a good idea of what to look out for in quality olive oil.

• Its best not to cook with olive oil. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Due to its chemical structure and a large amount of monounsaturated fats such as oleic acid, cooking makes extra virgin olive oil very susceptible to oxidative damage. Consuming oxidized, rancid oil is not going to benefit your health, so when you need an oil to cook with, coconut oil is the ideal choice, because it is one of the only commonly used vegetable fats stable enough to resist heat-induced damage.”

• Store your olive oil in a cool, dark spot.

What’s your favorite way to use olive oil? Inspire others to stay healthy by sharing it on my facebook page!