This month focus is placed on a very important ingredient that should be used every day in your diet wether it is used for cooking or on raw foods such as salads and that is going to keep you healthy and prolong your life. Have you guessed what we are talking about already? Yes congratulations, it is, as you many of you guessed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO.) The benefits of EVOO are so many and we will list some but first we want to give you a little bit of information that is going to help you select the right quality of EVOO.
Not all EVOOs are the same and not only, there are many counterfeit ones in the market so please let’s avoid purchasing a fake or low quality EVOO especially because on those the health benefits may not exist at all. First and foremost let’s consider that in order to make a quart (1 liter) of first cold pressed EVOO you need approximately 20 pounds (10 kilograms) of first quality olives. For example, olives that fall to the ground and that might have started the fermentation process are not considered usable for EVOO pressing. A good practice is to collect the olives directly from the trees like they do in Italy and shortly after take them to the press, once again to avoid any type of fermentation, and process them immediately. The result is an amazing freshly squeezed EVOO which has abundant healthy benefits and an amazing taste as well. ZONA LITTLE ITALY has a nice selection of some of the finest EVOOs from Italy. Please stop by our markets to sample our EVOOs from Tuscany and Umbria or conveniently order them on-line at ZONALITTLEITALY.COM
Additional EVOO facts:
Olive oil is made up of, for the most part, monounsaturated fatty acids, the most important of which is called oleic acid. Oleic acid is known to be very healthy for the heart, fighting free radical damage. Using EVOO daily in the diet is associated with lower incidence of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. EVOO is rich in biologically active phenolic compounds which have positive effects on certain physiological parameters, including plasma lipoproteins, oxidative damage, inflammatory markers, platelet, cellular function, and antimicrobial activity. Furthermore, it helps in fighting mood disorders and depression, supports brain health, weight loss and obesity prevention, great for boosting skin health as well.
Viva Extra Virgin Olive Oil!
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Also don’t forget to check out our Natural Skincare section! At ZONA SKINCARE we always strive to make products that are easy to apply and yet offer maximum efficacy in protecting and nourishing the skin, our largest organ. When the skin is cracked or very dry it is not just a matter of not looking its best but rather an indication that your organ is not performing as good as it should. Remember the Skin is your Temple, you live in it every day, it is essentially you. Stop by to learn more about it!
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