Yes, we live in a stressful society. But, life does not have to be complicated!
With 30ml (two tablespoons) of extra virgin olive oil a day, doing it consistently over the years, we can build up our body’s defence system against diseases. All we need is to know how! It is ok to start now!
How should we incorporate extra virgin olive oil to our everyday diet? In simple, easy, hassle-free, and more convenient ways?
With a twist of perspective, we could reap the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil, and at the same time, savour its unique fragrance and taste.
Here is the how.
MORNING
Start your day feeling refresh & energetic
Start your day right by consuming meals enriched with extra virgin olive oil, and doing this day-by-day, as a routine – You will never regret it many years later down the road in your life!
Photo Credit: http://www.girlmakesfood.com/
Savoury Oatmeal
You will feel fuller and have a suppressed appetite over four hours.
Whole grain breakfast is full of fibre, vitamins and antioxidants, which help to reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of oats;
- 1 cup of water;
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil;
- Choice of toppings.
Methods
- Mix the oatmeal and water in a bowl.
- Cook in a microwave (or stovetop) on high heat for 2 minutes.
- Once cooked, add flaky sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil on top.
- Add toppings if you wish as suggested in the list.
Toppings
Choose your most favourite toppings to taste:
- Nuts (protein);
- Banana or any fruit;
- Poached or sunny-side up egg (fried with extra virgin olive oil);
- Sautéed veggies;
References
You can find other creative ways of preparing healthy oatmeals:
Photo & Recipe Credit: https://www.oliveoilsfromspain.org
Green Juice
Do you know adding a little healthy fat can make smoothie more satisfying and keep us energised?
Sometimes, a decent smoothie is all we need. It is a convenient meal that is fast to put together and even quicker to drink for a sustaining and filling meal.
Ingredients
- 5 cm celery;
- 1 cucumber;
- Lemon juice;
- 1 tablespoon of grated ginger;
- A bunch of fresh spinach;
- 2 apples;
- Fresh parsley;
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Methods
- Clean all vegetables.
- Pass them through the blender with a little water.
- Add two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- Continue beating until blended.
Note
Use extra virgin olive oil that has an intense green-fruity taste to enjoy the notes of fresh grass.
Bread-Dipping in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Photo: donireewalker. Flickr. Creative Common License.
The trick is simple: Use high quality extra virgin olive oil to enjoy its aroma and taste, and more importantly, reap its health benefits.
Intense green or medium ripe fruity extra virgin olive oil is best for bread dip.
Delicate and mild extra virgin olive oil is probably more suitable for beginners or those who don’t like it strong.
When using a high quality extra virgin olive oil for bread dip, we recommend using it raw without adding vinegar.
This is because the taste of vinegar may overpower the olive oil’s. Some people may like the more complex blended taste – the taste preference is rather personal and subjective.
If we want to add vinegar to olive oil, a best ratio is normally 1 to 3.
Bread-Olive Oil Pairing
Which bread best paired with extra virgin olive oil?
You can choose whole-grain bread, if that is your preference.
Choose a bread that has a neutral or plain flavour like French walnut bread and French baguette.
Or does it really matter if our goal is to get our kids and family on board to use extra virgin olive oil? Any bread our family members like, is the best bread we could start with to dip into the olive oil.
Methods
- Toast the bread in an oven to make it crusty outside and soft inside.
- To eat, peel a small piece of bread each time.
- Dip into your choice of extra virgin olive oil.

Taking Two Tablespoonful of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
What are the health benefits of drinking two tablespoons of high quality extra virgin olive oil early in the morning with empty stomach, everyday?
In short, it can help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, keep the heart young, lower cholesterol, and protect against certain kind of cancer. And it also has the potential to protect our bodies against the effects of air pollution.
By drinking two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, we are directly taking in its phytonutrients.
One of the phytonutrients is called oleocanthal, which is a natural pain reliever equivalent to ibuprofen that suppresses pain pathways.
Oleocanthal is also found to be effective in killing cancer cells without harming the healthy cells.
LUNCH
How to stay healthy if you are eating out most of the time?
It is not that difficult to live a healthy lifestyle if you know how. In here we offer a positive twist of perspective in the use of extra virgin olive oil.
Photo Credit: flickr. Ryan Yu. Noodles. Creative Common License.
Drizzling Extra Virgin Olive Oil Over Instant Noodle
Simplest Way to Get healthy!
Since you are busy, and time is short, just drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over the instant noodle after cooked. This is a shortcut to a healthier life.
A best choice of extra virgin olive oil is one that gives rise to a green grass taste. But again, taste preference is personal and subjective. Who knows? You may prefer fruity taste of extra virgin olive oil instead.
Photo Credit: https://boyetus.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/chicken-curry.jpg
Drizzling Extra Virgin Olive Oil Over the Vegetables of Packaged Food
Scientific studies have shown that frying vegetables in extra virgin olive oil is healthier than boiling them.
Many of the vegetables often contain cancer-protective phytonutrient or are usually high in antioxidants.
These vegetables are fat-soluble, i.e. our body absorbs the nutrients better if they are dissolved in fats.
When you buy a packaged food, well, the veggies in it would have already been fried – likely with an unhealthy, refined and hydrogenated oil, or with a cooking method like boiling or steaming.
To reap the most health benefits of both, just drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the vegetables – this will also enhance the taste of the veggies.
Photo Credit: http://thehoneycombers.com/singapore/salads-in-singapore/
Drizzling Extra Virgin Olive Oil Over Ready-Made Salad
Scientists have found that a diet that combines extra virgin olive oil and vegetables, that contain high levels of nitrates, can protect our heart against the damage caused by air pollution and help to lower blood pressure.
Methods
- Head right to a supermarket nearby and buy a package of ready-made salad.
- (Optional) Add on top of the ready-made salad with any fruits of your liking such as apple, mini tomato, and pineapple.
- (Optional) If time permits, or if you can prepare one day before, add on top a grilled chicken breast or fish fillet.
- Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil.
- If you prefer to add vinegar, 1 to 3 ratio is best to taste.
DINNER
After a hard-day work, what is more satisfying than enjoying a scrumptious and healthy home-cook dinner with your loved ones?
In here, you will find minimalist recipes for dinner.
Photo & Recipe Credit: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7350-simplest-steamed-fish.
Simplest Steamed Fish
If you have forgotten how delicious a great fillet of fish can be, try this: Steam it, with nothing on it.
Drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle it with coarse sea salt. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds cod or other fillet, in two pieces, or 1 large halibut steak;
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil;
- Juice of 1/2 lemon;
- Coarse sea salt to taste.
Methods
- Put at least 1 inch of water in the bottom of a steamer, cover and bring to a boil.
- Lay the fish on the steamer’s rack, making sure the rack is elevated above the water, and cover again.
- Steam 4 to 8 minutes, or until the fish is done.
- Remove the fish to a warm platter.
- Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
- Cut into serving portions, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve.
Photo & Recipe Credit: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015812-simplest-roast-chicken
Simplest Roast Chicken
Only four ingredients are needed to make this dish – chicken, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, & pepper.
Thoroughly preheat a cast-iron skillet before putting the chicken on the skillet – breast side up.
Ingredients
- 1 x whole chicken – trimmed of excess fat;
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil;
- Sea salt;
- Black pepper.
Methods
- Rub the chicken all over with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle sea salt and pepper generously on it.
- Put a cast-iron skillet on a low rack in the oven and heat the oven to 500 degrees.
- When the oven and skillet are hot, carefully put the chicken in the skillet, breast side up.
- Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.
- Continue to roast until the chicken is golden brown.
- Tip the pan to let the juices flow from the chicken’s cavity into the pan.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter and let it rest for at least 5 minutes.
- Carve and serve.
DESSERT
Do you know adding a little healthy fat can make our smoothie or ice cream more satisfying and keep us energised?
Extra virgin olive oil though can be used in cooking, it is in fact far healthier when using it raw.
The reason for this is simple: the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in the extra virgin olive oil are intact, and its monounsaturated fatty acids (omega-9) do not go through any structural changes.
To reap the most benefits of extra virgin olive oil, just consuming it raw – take two tablespoons directly, drizzle over the food you are eating …
Photo & Recipe Credit: http://honestlyyum.com/10740/vanilla-ice-cream-with-oiive-oil-and-sea-salt/
Vanilla Ice Cream with Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Sea Salt
If you haven’t tried it before … well, just give it a try!
Not only it is healthy, but also delicious and yummy.
Simply add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on top the vanilla ice cream and sprinkle a bit of sea salt.
Experiment with different types of extra virgin olive oil to find what you like best – green or ripe fruity.
Photo & Recipe Credit: https://snapguide.com/guides/create-a-savory-strawberry-olive-oil-smoothie/
Strawberry Olive-Oil Smoothie
This savoury smoothie is not typical. The pink peppercorns pack in powerful punch! They bring a sweet, biting flavour into the fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen strawberries;
- 1/2 cucumber, peeled;
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil;
- 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns;
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Methods
- Measure out extra virgin olive oil and vanilla.
- Place all ingredients into a blender and whirl to perfection of your choice.
- Garnish with a teaspoon of slightly crushed pink peppercorns and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- Enjoy this delicious and savoury smoothie.

Why should we consider using extra virgin olive oil in our everyday culinary preparation?
Do you know extra virgin olive oil is a “superfood” – a food that is considered to be very good for our health and that it may even help in some medical conditions, such as the following:
- Reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease;
- Keep the heart young;
- Lower cholesterol;
- Protect against skin & breast cancers, and may be an effective dietary intervention (and a most natural form) as chemopreventive agent against brain cancer;
- Prevent stroke;
- Fight osteoporosis;
- Protect from depression;
- Reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes;
- Reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome;
- Improve blood glucose levels in people with Type 1 Diabetes;
- Benefit the unborn child and help develop the child to a healthy adulthood.
Extra virgin olive oil is a main ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, and its health benefits have been proven over centuries, and through hundreds of scientific studies in the past 60 years.
Extra virgin olive oil is practically an “olive juice.” – the oil is being pressed directly from the olive fruits without the aids of high heat and chemical.
Extra virgin olive oil contains a range of health-promoting phytonutrients, which are known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and a high content of monounsaturated fatty acid (omega-9) – a good fat – and Vitamins E & K.
With only 30ml of extra virgin olive oil a day …
Either we use it to fry vegetables or eggs, drink it directly, drizzle it on the food we prepare or bought, and doing so consistently over the years, we can build up our body’s defence system against diseases.
If we have not started using extra virgin olive oil, it is ok to start now! – Just drizzle for health’s sake!
Good for our kids and family – Good for their healthier and heartier future!