Extracted from olives, the olive oil is loaded with nutrients and contains the goodness of nature. Therefore, it provides a myriad of health benefits and has the power to heal many lifestyle-related diseases.
Ancient as well as new age studies have shown and proven the benefits of olive oil—the benefits that are known to many. But, one advantage of olive oil, which may not be as popular as the others, is that it can promote weight loss. The presence of mono-unsaturated fatty acids in olive oil makes it a much better option than any other cooking oil if you wish to shed those extra kilos.
These fatty acids also reduce the clotting of blood and normalize the blood sugar levels in the body. Besides this, the fatty acids found in olive oil, as well as in extra virgin olive oil, gives a feeling of fullness and thus, curbs the hunger for foods that are refined and are loaded with trans-fat. Thus, making olive oil for weight loss(1) an effective and natural remedy.
The procedure to make olive oil, as well as the extra virgin olive oil, includes crushing or cold pressing of olives. During the process, the prime focus is to extract the fresh fat from olives. But, what makes olive oil extremely healthy is how it remains unprocessed and unrefined.
Since it is at its natural best, vitamins and minerals found in olives are also transferred to the oil. The extra virgin olive oil is said to have no additives, carries just 1% of oleic acid, bright green in color, and has retained all its natural antioxidants. Although olive oil is also considered to be one of the healthiest options for cooking food, it is relatively more processed and contains 3-4% oleic acid than extra virgin olive oil.
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Although the calories found in olive oil are not any less, it is still a healthier alternative than other sources of fat such as refined oil and butter.
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There are numerous and delicious ways of making an olive oil(2) diet. Here are some suggestions:
Using olive oil and balsamic vinegar, whisk a vinaigrette. This salad dressing will be tastier than all your other dressings, and unlike its packaged and processed counterparts, it will contain no additives or preservatives. You can use healthy vinaigrette as a dressing for your green vegetables and fruits. Also, it can serve as a healthy dressing for your pasta, bean, quinoa, chicken, and tuna salads.
For a healthy dinner, you can sauté or grill some greens using olive oil. Add some sea salt and enjoy the enhanced taste of your veggies. To add the extra zing to your dinner, you can add some strong-flavored vegetables like Brussel sprouts.
Instead of infusing butter into your vegetables while whisking them into mashed potatoes, you can use olive oil to give it a healthy touch. Add some olive oil, sea salt, herbs, and a little bit of fresh pepper before baking. Once done, grate some parmesan cheese and your tasty mashed potatoes are ready to be savored.
You can grill, fry or even deep fry your favorite seafood using a good-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Pizza: Sprinkle some extra virgin olive oil on your favorite pizza and relish the added flavor.
To add some more nutritional value to the protein house, add some olive oil while frying or making scrambled eggs. Sprinkle some olive oil over a frittata or use it while making omelets.
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Drinking olive might not be very common, but, it isn’t something that hasn’t been heard of. Interestingly, there is an extensive list of health benefits linked with drinking even a small amount of olive oil. Protection of blood cells with antioxidants to heart health, drinking olive oil has proven to be extremely beneficial for the body. It has also been linked with weight loss and helping the body during old age.
While olive oil is loaded with minerals and antioxidants, lemon is a rich source of vitamins C and B, proteins, and carbs. Therefore, when you mix the two, the final product is dense on nutrition and helps in keeping diseases at bay. Here’s how you can make the drink:
Take a ½ tablespoon of olive and take ½ tablespoon spoon fresh lemon juice. Mix the two well. To aid weight loss, the drink should be consumed daily before breakfast. To make sure that you see the results, drink it every day for at least three times a week.
Eat it or drink it but make sure that you don’t avoid it. Such are the effects of all the health benefits provided by olive oil. There are numerous ways of incorporating olive oil into your daily diet. While one can be tastier than the other, they all lead to the same health benefits, including weight loss.