“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ~ Hippocrates
Have you planned something unexpected for Valentine’s Day that’s sexy, romantic, intriguing and healthy? Love is in the air. Cupid’s arrow is aimed at your heart. Better think quick! How about indulging in a relaxing, or exciting, bath with the one you love. Now kick it up a notch and add luxurious olive oil. That’s sexy on steroids! It’s back to the future with the decadence and fun of the Roman and Greek gods. Ahhh…but your so worth it…every golden drop.
How often have you seen secrets from the past catch up to the future? Well it has happened again. An ancient hidden key to a healthy body and sex life is revealed. Superfood olive oil is not just for cooking. It is also for beauty and much more. Holiday Magazines have been filled with eye-catching recipes. But, this article is a different kind of recipe for a gorgeous, sexy you inside and out for 2016.
Did you know olive oil is much more than a great food? It is a superfood and beauty product that meets so many needs. It is wonderful for your delicate skin during the harsh winter months, while vacating on hot sun-kissed beaches or on icy wind-swept ski-slopes.
Healthy glowing skin is downright sexy!
Referring to olive oil in this article means cold pressed extra virgin organic olive oil.
Sexy is nice, but what are the scientific facts behind the benefits of olive oil and your skin?
According to Olive Oil Times, studies have shown olive oil’s oleocanthal phytonutrient mimics the effect of ibuprofen in reducing inflammation, “which can decrease the risk of breast cancer and recurrence.” Squalene and lignans are olive oil components currently studied for their possible effects on cancer. Pure olive oil is very rich in vitamins A, E, K, minerals and natural fatty acids. It nourishes, rejuvenates, protects, prolongs, hydrates and maintains skin’s elasticity and softness. The healing power of olive oil also helps skin cells regenerate. It is perfect for sensitive skin which may react negatively to heavier pour clogging oils. Olive oil is a powerful ingredient present in many expensive anti-aging skin care products because it is rich in antioxidants found to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Follow your lucky Stars!
- “An anti-aging wonder food with head-to-toe benefits.” Dr. Oz describes olive oil as, “Liquid Gold. I want every one of you to start using it every single day.”
- “Before I go onstage, I drink olive oil. It’s disgusting, but it’s good for your throat,” singer Selena Gomez told the UK’s Top of the Pops.
- Australian model Miranda Kerr swears by mixing olive oil with a little lemon juice for shiny locks. “It’s a home recipe my mother taught me and I have yet to find a better way to repair my split ends after a catwalk show,” she told French Elle magazine.
The list of olive oil benefits is long, but let’s talk 9 practical daily beauty uses:
1. Facial Moisturizer-Use it full strength on your face. Greek woman have beautiful skin.
2. Hair– Italians have glorious hair. Olive oil hair conditioning treatment is quick and easy.
- Before shampooing apply warmed olive oil to hair (oil should be warm to the touch), let it sit on your locks for an hour. Shampoo and condition as usual. It may be necessary to shampoo twice to remove residual oil.
- After shampooing add three drops in 8 ounces of warm water for a final rinse. Your hair will glow. Apply more for dry hair, less for normal hair and only on the ends for naturally oily hair.
3. Anti-hot iron damage– Add a small drop to hands and distribute evenly though hair (or just the ends) before using hot irons, blow dryers or other heat related hair appliances, or add it to products you already have (waste not want not) for extra protection.
4. Makeup remover- Remove stubborn “24 hour” makeup and waterproof mascara with a small amount of olive oil on a damp cotton pad. Gently wipe away all the makeup from your face without scrubbing or tugging on sensitive skin. While it gently removes makeup it nourishes your skin at the same time.
5. Bath oil–Add it to your bath water for a healthy soak. Gorgeous Italian actress Sophia Loren has a beauty secret – she loves taking olive oil baths by adding two tablespoons of oil to her bathwater.
6. Body moisturizer- Add a few drops to your body moisturizer for longer lasting hydration. It will also make your favorite products last longer.
7. Perfume- mix a few drops with your perfume to increase the life of your fragrance.
8. Shower oil– After your shower distributes oil to your wet body, wait 30 seconds and then gently pat skin dry. Your skin will glow!
9. Sexy Signature Fragrances- create your own one-of-a-kind fragrance fit for a king or queen because fragrance is an aphrodisiac. Mix essential oils like lavender, rose or sandalwood with olive oil. Your fragrance can be as strong or light as you choose to make it. Apply it sparingly to strategic hot-spots; behind the ears or on wrists, or dilute it by spreading it all over your wet body after a shower for a combination of great smell and softness that will last all day long. Oil has a natural way of holding onto scents that outlasts alcohol based fragrances. This is one reason why most oil based perfumes are costly.
We would be remiss if we did not share a short olive oil food recipe.
There are many flavors of olive oil; the darker the oil the stronger the taste. Olive oil in dressings will improve your skin, hair and nails, and will nourish your body from the inside out. It pairs well with apple cider vinegar which contains more inflammation fighting properties. The latest research findings have shown that consuming a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar daily has health benefits for type 2 Diabetes, has been seen to help arthritis and heart patients, and can help with weight loss.
Olive Oil and Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing Recipe.
Tips:
- Do not mix oil and vinegar together. They will not combine.
- 3 to 1 Rule- Three Tablespoons of Olive Oil to 1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
Directions:
- Rinse lettuce and shake off excessive water. Do not pat dry. Add oil and toss. Residual moisture will distribute the oil evenly which will keep the lettuce from wilting from the vinegar acids.
- Drizzle vinegar onto lettuce and toss again.
- Season with salt and pepper or your favorite herbs to taste.
Remember, beauty starts from within. Organic is a great way to eat but using organic products on your body is a healthy alternative to processed chemicals and dyes.
Buy the best olive oil you can afford and use it strategically.
A drop will do. By using it sparingly on your food, in your cooking recipes, with your products, in the bath or directly on your body, a bottle of high grade extra virgin organic olive oil can last a long time. And, you will be reminded of its benefits every time you look in the mirror.
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but healthy is a measurable fact.
Combine beauty with health to create a sexy state of being stronger than the sum of its individual parts. Stay strong with the olive oil glow of wellness. Like the Mediterranean Diet, olive oil is a great secret kept by some of the most beautiful women and men in the world. The secret is now yours.
(All pictures and posters in this article are owned by the author)
Kathleen (Kat) O’Keefe-Kanavos is a TV/Radio Producer/Host of Wicked Housewives On Cape Cod® and Author/Lecturer of the International award winning bestseller, Surviving Cancerland: Intuitive Aspects of Healing which promotes patient advocacy and connecting with inner guidance for success in health, wealth, and love, contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams & Premonitions, PATHEOS Blogger and Columnist to Women Voices Magazine (HOME & SOUL) & Wellness Women 40 and Beyond (Dream Queen). Kat taught Special Education and Psychology. Learn more @ www.AccessYourInnerGuide.com
