A very good friend of mine just came back from a month in Europe. She and her husband spent a few extra days in Croatia and she brought me home some olive oil.

Croatian Olive Oil

She lugged it home for me in her bag and I am ever grateful. Croatia is known for its superior quality of olive oil and it’s been a real treat! It has also inspired me to write all the facts that I think are important about the stuff. So, here goes. . .

Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is – freshly pressed from the fruit. It is a monounsaturated fat high in omega-9′s and is known to help keep healthy cholesterol levels intact and aid in digestion. Studies have shown that people who consumed about 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil daily for a week showed less bad cholesterol levels and higher levels of antioxidants in the blood. Extra Virgin olive oil contains higher levels of these antioxidants, particularly vitamin E and phenols, because it is less processed. There are even studies that seem to confirm that olive oil is a excellent defense against colon and other digestive cancers.

 There are basically 4 types:

Extra virgin – the best, least processed, from the first pressing of the olives;

Virgin – from the second pressing;

Pure – multiple presses with some processing, such as filtering and refining; and,

Extra light – considerably more processing so it only retains a very mild olive flavour. 

Now, because extra virgin is the least processed, in order to retain it’s healthful properties, it needs to be consumed raw. You CAN cook with it but, as soon as it is heated, it’s healthy properties deteriorate. I keep extra virgin olive oil for raw consumption and then virgin or pure for cooking and baking. When it comes to using it for my body and skin, (my favourite uses are listed below) I use extra virgin or virgin, so my body receives the most health benefits.

For Cooking:

-You can replace the vegetable oil called for in a cake, with olive oil ( not extra virgin) . The cake will actually taste better and be much lighter

-Put some in the fridge and, as it congeals, use it as a spread for bread, like butter

-Pour some on a small plate of  and add fresh herbs or vinegar for dipping bread into

-It makes the best salad dressing – just mix some with fresh lime juice, salt and pepper; add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar for an added tang

-Put some in a spray bottle and use it to prepare all your pans for non-stick cooking and baking

For the Body:

-I remove my makeup with it – just a drop gently rubbed into my eyes and a warm wipe with a tissue and it’s all gone

-I apply it directly to my skin to moisturize it

-It can be used on your feet to help get rid of calluses and tough spots

-You can use it on your fingertips to moisturize and soften cuticles

-Mix it with some sea salt or sugar to make a skin exfoliating scrub for your body or face

-Use a few drops in the bath for a nourishing body oil

-Use it as an alternative to shaving cream for a close shave

-If you snore, take a tbsp. before bedtime and it will coat your throat and mouth and prevent snoring until your spouse can get to sleep

-Use it as a deep conditioner for your hair – after shampooing, apply some to wet hair and let it sit for about five minutes; rinse well

-Apply about a dime size amount to dry, frizzy hair and work through to tame your tresses

-Use it to help you get gum and candy out of hair

-It can be used in the ears to help relieve ear pain from an ear infection – just drop a few drops into each earlobe and allow to the relieve pressure

-A little taste of it can help get rid of a cough that’s coming from an itch or a “tickle” in the back of the throat

 Around the House:

 -It can be used to oil creaky doors instead of WD-40

-It can be used to polish brass and silver

-Mix some with lemon juice in a spray bottle to polish your wood furniture 

-If you add vinegar instead of the citrus juice, it can clean and shine a hard wood floor

-It can remove paint/adhesive from surfaces, including skin, if you let it soak for a few minutes

29 Responses to “Olive Oil 101”