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Olive oil benefits
What are the facts?Whilst olive oil benefits are well known, and that the people of the Mediterranean are amongst the healthiest in the world, the reasons are complex. Could it be the afternoon siesta, the red wine? the garlic, or the tomatoes? all the fish they eat? extra exposure to sunshine? do they smoke less? Do they eat less dairy, less meat and more fish and fowl? Perhaps they exercise more.It has now be shown the humble olive contributes greatly to the health of the people of the Med. Generally, we need fat to survive, but mostly we eat too much, and the wrong kind. Large amounts of saturated fats (principally animal fats) clog the arteries causing high blood pressure and heart disease. However, olive oil has zero cholesterol, and the unsaturated fat is of the health-giving kind, as compared to animal fat, which supplies us amply with death-giving oils, if not eaten in moderation! Broadly speaking, unsaturated fats come in two kinds:
Whereas polys are known to lower HDLs, the friendly fats in our blood streams, monos raise the HDL. High HDL is associated with a low rate of heart disease and stroke. Drive through Holland, and you will be impressed by fields and fields of grazing cows. Meat, dairy, high cholesterol, high unfriendly LDLs. Drive through Greece and you will be lucky to see a cow, but everywhere you will see millions upon millions of olive trees. Believe you me, I've just been there! High HDL, low cholesterol, low LDL. Is it any wonder that stroke and heart disease are so prevalent in the Netherlands, and so absent in Greece? Sure, there are other factors. There is nothing simple about health. The Dutch love their cigarettes too. Every pack says: Roken is dodelijk. Smoking causes death. In 100g of Olive Oil,
Yes, like all fats, olive oil contains a large amount of energy. Healthy energy. Vitamin E is known for its anti-coagulated properties (prevents clots forming). Athena's gift
In the centre of the city was a rock called the Acropolis, where the competition was held. Poseidon was the first to make his offering. Striking the rock, water gushed out. "This is my gift to the people of this beautiful city. I shall be your god! The people oohed and aahed. In that thirsty land, water was everything. "Just wait," said, Cecrops, the appointed judge. "Let me taste." After a small sip, he said, "This water comes straight from the sea, Poseidon." Athena, no drama queen, came forward and, humbly kneeling, planted a small tree. "This is my gift to you," she said to the townsfolk. "Wait patiently for a few years, and will experience for yourselves all the olive oil benefits. "Just a tree?" cried the people. "On the salt water we can at least sail around the world, not to mention salting our food." "Let us not be hasty, my people," advised Cecrops. "We shall meet here again in five years time, and then we shall make our decision." At the appointed time, the day of the Full Harvest Moon, the people again met at the Acropolis. Poseidon nodded to them, "Just sample the fruit of Athena's tree. There are no olive oil benefits. It's the most bitter fruit I have ever tasted! Worthless. I shall be your god. Come and bow before me before I send a mighty Tsunami to wash you away." "Wait, let us give the fair Athena a chance to bring a word first about olive oil benefits," said the wise old Cecrops, half snake, half man. "First, people of the Acropolis, pick the olives and carefully score the flesh a few times, lengthwise, with a sharp blade, careful not to reach the pip. Then place them in these barrels of water. Each day you must change the water. If it pleases you, we shall meet again in two weeks. That is, if any of you want me to be your goddess. Otherwise, I'll just leave, and take my tree with me." "Bah, just leave, and take your horrid little tree with you," shouted Poseidon. "We don't want your nasty olives. There are no olive oil benefits!" "No, we shall be fair to the lovely Athena," said Cyclops. "Meet here again in two weeks, people of the Acropolis." Again on the appointed day, the people of the city met at the Acropolis. "Now people, empty off the bitter water, and fill the barrels with boiling brine. See here, I have brought an egg. Add just enough extra salt until the egg floats." The people did as Athena said. "See, even Athena can not do without my salt water. I shall be your god," grumbled Poseidon. "How much longer must we wait?" "Patience, my dear Poseidon," cried Athena lightly. "Patience, is a virtue. Return in another two weeks, people of the Acropolis, and we shall sample the most delicious fruit you have ever tasted. Better even that the fig and the grape. Bring bottles of wine, baskets of fruit, and bowls of Feta cheese, and we shall have a mighty feast. Then you will know all about olive oil benefits." "Bah," shouted Poseidon, derisively. "Olive oil benefits, I'll be damned!" At the time of the next Full Moon, in the cool of evening, great crowds of Acropolis people met at the Rock, eager to see who would win the competition. Unbeknown to them a few nights before the finale, Athena had crept silently up to the heights, pouring off the brine, and adding fresh water to the casks, to which she added a few jars of vinegar. Cyclops was the first to sample the unknown olive. Hesitantly, he took the first fruit, a bright black olive as it so happens, sucked it, finally biting deep into the flesh, muching a few times, tasting before spitting out the pip. The people hushed. "I ...I'm not sure, may I have another?" he asked. "Of course," said Athena. "Bah," said Poseidon. "You see, Cyclops cannot make up his mind. It's a clear cut victory for me!" "And another? May I have another? I can't quite make up my mind!" said Cyclops. "More, let me sample them with a little wine. Now some Feta too please." Turning to the crowd he cried, "People of the Acropolis, you must be the judge. I fear I am non-plussed, and deluded. This is surely the most delicious fruit I have ever tasted ..." And so crowds of people surged forward, eagerly plunging their hands into the vats, filling their mouths with olives. "Careful, careful, my people. The pips! You could break a tooth if you are too hasty. Sample them, one at a time. Chew each one carefully, and take the pips home to plant in your gardens." And so it was that Athena was declared the winner. So impressed were the people with olive oil benefits, that they renamed their city after the noble Athena. As the years went by, the people of Athens became a mighty empire, their warriors stronger, and even their politicians became wise. They had no more heart attacks, their skin glowed in the glorious Greek sun, and their women lost weight as they turned from using butter to olive oil benefits for their bread and their baking. ArthritisOlive oil contains oleocanthal, a compound which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory compound, inhibiting the so-called Cox enzymmes that are released by cartilage starved of nutritents, causing inflammation.From a nutritional aspect, mobilising the arthritic joint should always be accompanied by better diet, including olive oil benefits which have been shown to have very similar properties to ibuprofen, without its dangerous side-effects. Improved diet, exercise and chiropractic mobilisation form a powerful trio in the treatment of arthritis. For more information about how subluxations of joints cause arthritis,
click here.
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