• Home >
• Learn >
• Health and Nutrition

Health and Nutrition

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Nutrition Facts:

Serving Size: 1 Tbsp (15ml) Amount Per Serving: Calories: 120 Calories from Fat 120 % Daily Value* Total Fat: 14g (21%) Saturated Fat: 2g (9%) Trans Fat: 0g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5g Monounsaturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 0mg Total Carbohydrate: 0g Protein: 0g Not a significant source of dietary fiber, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Read what Tom Mueller has to say about how great the fat in EVOO is and why not to avoid it in his article: Olive Oil and the F Word

Molecular Biology Provides Clues to Health Benefits of Olive Oil and How it Modifies Human Genes.  Monday June 28, 2010

nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.com/2010/06/molecular-biology-provides-clues-to.html

Mediterranean Diet

The internet has been a-buzz about a recent Spanish study on the Mediterranean diet, and its very positive affects on study participants' risks of heart disease and diabetes. The theory is that the Mediterranean diet, characterized as a diet in which there is/are: 

• A high consumption of fruits, vegetables, bread and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds.
• Dairy products, fish and poultry are consumed in low to moderate amounts, and little red meat is eaten.
• Eggs are consumed zero to four times a week.
• Wine is consumed in low to moderate amounts.

As you can see, the Mediterranean diet is rich is olive oil, and so the researchers are focusing on how compounds known as phenols found in olive oil seemed to positively affect the genes of study participants, lowering their risks of heart disease and diabetes, both of which can be attributed to Metabolic Syndrome. The theory is that the phenols affect the genes' innerworkings and help them to protect against the diseases, but why exactly is not yet known.

Said lead author Francisco Perez-Jimenez, "These findings strengthen the relationship between inflammation, obesity and diet and provide evidence at the most basic level of healthy effects derived from virgin olive oil consumption in humans," said Perez-Jimenez. "It will be interesting to evaluate whether particular phenolic compounds carry these effects".

To further read on this subject, visit the link... http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/638231.html.

 Better than Butter

We already know, thanks to overwhelming research, that olive oil is an important part of a heart-healthy diet, with much less saturated fat and cholesterol than butter. You already know that we love baking with olive oil, especially in olive oil-centric goodies, but did you know that you can bake nearly anything with olive oil, and achieve a healthier, much more flavorful result? From cookies and cakes to muffins and breads, nearly all baked-goods can all be improved by partially or fully replacing the vegetable oil, shortening or butter called for in the recipe with olive oil.  

Another great benefit of using olive oil in place of butter is that you actually need less, which means you save money along with calories and fat! Look to the left for a handy chart to keep on-hand for determining the conversion (I have one printed and laminated in my kitchen for easy use).

 The Beauty of Olive Oil

The main reason behind the effectiveness of olive oil for beauty is that it's rich in squalane, a natural emollient that penetrates skin without leaving a greasy film behind. Beyond that, it’s packed with Vitamins A & E and a number of polyphenols that already make it a popular inclusion in beauty products."

15 Other Great Uses for Olive Oil

1.  A little EVOO makes a fabulous substitute for foot cream. Just rub some on your feet before you go to bed, put on some socks and wake up with super soft tootsies.
2. Bad sunburn? Mix olive oil with white vinegar and apply before a warm bath to soothe and heal the burn.
3. Banish frizzy hair by putting a couple of drops of olive oil in dry hair.
4. Smooth generously onto hands before bed, put on white cotton gloves, and wake up with soft, youthful hands.
5. Dandruff issues? Mix olive oil with almond oil and leave on scalp for five minutes. (If it starts to burn, rinse it out.) Rinse well to clear hair of dandruff.
6. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to your bath to calm red, irritated skin.
7. Soothe chapped lips by smoothing on some olive oil.
8. Olive oil makes a great anti-aging moisturizer, since it contains polyphenol hydroxytyrosol, an antioxidant that helps to hold cell walls intact and thus reduce the signs of aging.
9. Apply a little olive oil to a Q-tip and use it as a makeup remover. (Yes, that’s why the store-bought kind is often so oily!)
10. Soak thin, brittle nails and ragged cuticles in a small cup of olive oil to soften, smooth and strengthen them.
11. Massage olive oil into your hair, then leave hair covered with a shower cap for 30 minutes. Shampoo and discover softer, more lustrous hair with fewer split ends.
12. Sensitive skin? Go easy on your legs by using olive oil as a shaving cream.
13. Slather on olive oil before braving the sun – it’s rich in Vitamins A and E, keeping skin from drying out in the heat while protecting you from UV rays.
14. Rub on elbows and knees for intense moisturizing. (My elbows are actually soft now – I’m not kidding.)
15. For stained nails and fingers, simply add a few drops of lemon juice to olive oil and soak your fingers in it