Hi everyone. So I decided to try extra virgin olive oil for its anti-inflammatory effect on lipoedema and a number of other health benefits. I am always keen to try something beneficial for the body. And recently I gave up dairy so I decided to replace butter with extra virgin olive oil. I only tasted it today and it’s the oddest flavour I’ve possibly ever encountered, but hopefully over time I’ll get used to it. I recall when I first tasted green tea it was vile to me, and now I’m never without it. It is my belief that if the body likes it you get used to it. Do any of you use extra virgin olive oil in your cooking or with salads? Have you noticed any health benefits from it? I’d love it if you could share your favourite dishes to go with it.
Health benefits of extra virgin olive oil
I prefer to cook with butter or bacon grease, and to save the olive oil for salad dressing. If you want to avoid inflammatory polyunsaturated fats, olive oil is not bad, but it has more than either butter or bacon grease.
I use a lot of EVOO, but I can’t see it being a butter replacement either. EVOO definitely adds a flavor to what is cooked in it. If you’ve identified a true issue with dairy, then you’d be better off replacing cooking in butter with Ghee.
I might try ghee, but I got the extra virgin olive oil because it was meant to help with the inflammatory component of lipoedema. I understood it was more to drizzle over things, like roasted meat, shellfish or vegetables. Well I drizzled it over my coldwater prawns and its taste really didn’t appeal to me. But I will persist if it does the body good. I have noticed, letting more plant-based foods into my keto I am feeling better, and am getting my digestive system back on track, but I still eat fatty meats and wolfed down a plate of bacon rashers this morning. For me, it is about getting enough of both saturated and unsatured fats. Now that may change in the future, but for now, it’s what my body seems to want. I’m still a novice where this WOE is concerned, and I do realise that as our bodies go through changes our tastes and appetites might also change. But I believe in intuitive eating. Anyway, please could you share what foods you like to team the oil with? As I would love some ideas.
Really good olive oil can have a pretty strong flavor and make you cough. You get used to it
Yes what surprised me was how bitter it tasted. But then, first time I tasted green tea, I thought it was awful but now I absolutely love it. It was like that with dark chocolate for me too back when I was used to the much more sugary kind. So we get used to things. If it doesn’t become more palatable for me in time, I’ll just eat a teaspoon of the stuff daily anyway. I haven’t tried it with fish or meat yet or a vegetable dish so maybe that will taste better.
My concern with olive oil is provenance. The second is oxidation. I’m pretty sure it should not taste bitter.
I go to the local olive farm and get their recent harvest oil. I wouldn’t buy olive oil from a supermarket. Especially not imported oil.
We have olive trees here at home. You have to keep a close check on my 90-year old father-in-law. Turn your back for a moment and he will be planting an olive tree in your yard.
I found, back in my keto days, pre-carnivore, was that olives tasted pretty darn good in olive oil. Fried fish and seafood is quite good, as I have Sicilian in-laws. Mainly olive oil (home-made) is used as a pour over everything liquid.