http://www.explorecrete.com/nature/olive-oil-history.html
Here in the States we tend to use butter. We put butter on our vegetables, butter in the frying pan, butter on toast, on rice and potato, butter in baked goods, in sauces, even in hot cereal; whereas, in other countries, people use oil. I think we're the ones with something to learn here.
Olive oil, in particular, is a mono-saturated fat that promotes a healthy cholesterol level. Butter, as we know so well, is saturated fat and tends to clog our veins and arteries. By my late 20's I was 'butter-saturated', and spider veins had begun to appear on the back of my legs. That's when I made the switch: I ceased using any butter and prepared my food with olive oil instead. It took some getting used to. Butter and olive oil are admittedly quite different from each other in taste and consistency. And I started out feeling almost repulsed by the sight of oil being poured directly onto food.
But what a difference! The fat in my diet went from being deadly to health-giving. Within less than a year, the blemishes of clogged veins had disappeared completely - never to return! And now I relish the 'glug' of the precious green liquid spilling from a bottle onto a bowl of beans, into the soup, over the meat, or drizzled lightly on a toasted piece of thickly sliced bread.
I, too, have been converted to olive oil. I not only use it in my cooking but for years I have used it every night as my facial cleanser and moisturizer. I never cease to be amazed at the amount of dirt removed when I slide a cotton ball dipped in (scented) olive oil across my face. It has done wonders for my skin.
ReplyDeleteInside and out - olive oil is a healer! The ancient Greeks scraped their bodies with it as part of their daily hygiene.
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