How to use Olive Oil

Olive oil is a great source of monounsaturated fat, specifically Omega-9. If you buy the virgin or extra virgin kinds, you get the added benefits of various antioxidants. The more "virgin" it is, the better. Polyphenols are abundant in both virgin and extra virgin, which is what gives them their antioxidant effects. The more refined it is, the less polyphenols. Besides these, it contains vitamins E and K.

Olive oil is so excellent that many people recommend daily servings. Try to look at where you're taking in saturated fats, and simply replace it this oil. You don't need much either. Fat is much more dense in calories, so even a little bit can be good. Some additional benefits of olive oil are:

Heart Health

When olive oil is used as a substitute for saturated fat, it can help reduce bad cholesterol levels and raise good cholesterol levels, ultimately reducing the risk of heart disease. It also lowers blood pressure and reduces arterial inflammation.

Cancer Prevention

Some research has linked the antioxidants within olive oil to a reduced risk of breast cancer, by slowing down the growth of cancerous cells. It might also help fight bacteria that is involved in the development of other cancers.

Long Life

The popular Mediterranean diet, which is abundant in olive oil has been shown to increase lifespan, compared to those who eat diets higher in saturated fat and refined carbohydrates.

In fact, the Mediterranean diet is what inspired people to look into the health benefits of olive oil. It is such a large part of the diet and the health effects are so pronounced that it was investigated. Some people believe that its the intrinsic value of some of the substances in the oil, like polyphenols, that make it so healthy. Others believe that it's not so much the oil, but the fact that people eating a Mediterranean diet get most of their fat calories from an unsaturated source, as opposed to saturated sources like red meat.

Olive oil is great for cooking and it can be given as a gift. By itself is great but flavored olive oil brings new experience to your taste buds. You can get them at specialized cooking stores but why not try making one yourself?

First to make a flavored olive oil, you would need a quality extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin oil is used because of its superior taste and is filled with health benefits.

The flavored olive oil you make will be kept for weeks and maybe extended into months. So you would need to do your best to avoid botulism, a rare kind of food poisoning. To avoid it, you need to make sure that the oil does not come in contact with water as bacteria grows in water and not oil.

Because of this, you shouldn't use fresh herbs ingredients as they contain waiter. And if you do use it, only use small amounts of it, must be kept in the fridge and be used within a few days. So opt for dried herbs to make your flavored olive oil that will last longer than a week.

First of all, you need to pick the herbs you wish to use. Using sprigs of dried rosemary or thyme will look visually appealing in a bottle and it has great taste. You may also use other kinds of herbs like mint, basil, oregano, tarragon, parsley and bay leaves.

These herbs can either be purchased at a store or dried it yourself. To do that, you need to gently rinse your fresh herbs and pat it dry. Then tie them up in bunches with a string. Hang them upside down in a warm room with good air circulation for a few weeks until the stalks starts to break. The easier method would be using a food dehydrator.

After picking your herbs, you need to find an air tight bottle. Sterilize the bottle by pouring hot water in it and rinse it for 10 minutes. After that let it dry off completely.

drinking olive oil