BEST VIRGIN OILS FOR YOUR HEALTH: COCONUT, OLIVE and ARGAN

Extra Virgin Organic Oils have been used for thousands of years! The process has always been cold pressing, separating the oil from the paste and water, collecting and storing it. Oil is only healthy if it is consumed virgin and without any chemical additions or other manipulations to make it "better". It just doesn´t make much sense to add chemicals to something so healthy and expect it to become better. It would be like saying that an omelette made with re-hydrated egg powder (which is full of other ingredients beside dry egg), is better for you than an omelette made with a fresh layed egg from a healthy hen raised in your grandma´s farm. There is just no comparison.

Sadly, authentic extra-virgin organic natural oil is not very easy to find anymore: Unless you have personal access to the organic farmer´s pressing factory (before he bottles it), or you purchase an angel juicer and press cold your own oil from scratch, you can never be sure you are getting the real thing.

Some Health food suppliers are honest and care for their customers by stacking their shelves with the best organic food they can find in the market. If you read the information in the label of the oil bottle and trust the manufacturer, make sure to always look for these keywords: Unrefined, Extra Virgin, Organic, Cold pressed and no additives or flavors added.

Coconut oil -if found in its natural context- is the best oil on Earth. Some compare it to breast milk, as it has almost the same nutrients and properties.

You can fry with it, use it raw in salads, take 3 tablespoons a day to lose weight, use it to massage your hair, skin, etc.

They even say that ingesting coconut oil raises your inmune system and protects you against many sicknesses.

The people from the Philippines Islands -who traditionally consume coconuts and coconut oil daily-, have the best skin shine and looks I have ever seen, almost no wrinkles when they age. They also have very little heart disease problems compared to the Western countries. There had not been obesity amongst them until the implementation of the fast food chains in their cities. Philippinos use coconut oil in their cooking, as lotion, to heal baby diaper rashes, as facial cream, body massage, furniture polishing, etc. It is the oil that has a good use for everything.

Gargling with coconut oil disinfects your mouth and strenghtens your gums and teeth. You can use it as an excellent toothpaste as well. Just dip your toothbrush and gently brush your teeth and gums away.

It is an excellent healthy hair conditioner that enhances the shine and softness of black, brown, blond or red hair colors.

I lived in Cebu, PI for a couple of years and lost 12 Kgs just by taking a table spoon of unrefined virgin coconut oil before meals. It calms your appetite and somehow changes your metabolism. It kept me healthy when others around me were catching colds. My skin improved a lot and the dry patches I used to have in my elbows and knees totally disappeared.

Unfortunately, I stopped taking it because i couldn´t find it natural in my present location and i already gained back 5 kgs..!

Olive trees are grown all over the Mediterranean countries. The oil made out of olives and/or olive pits, has been used for milleniums with great healthy results.

I am from Spain. My mother never used any other kind of oil while I was growing up. There wasn´t a choice really, most of the oil in the market was from olives. The only difference was prices and brands. It was a strong unrefined oil, with definite olive taste that made salads taste very yummy. Spanish famous "Pan con Aceite" consisted in a little virgin olive oil on freshly baked bread, salt and a bit of garlic. A very healthy snack.

The Berber tribes of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, offer their visitors a bowl of their amazing natural  virgin olive oil and some freshly baked "agrom" (round flat bread) to dip in.

When i started my own family in Spain, refined Spanish olive oil had already appeared in the market. The reason why people were buying refined, was because of the propaganda saying that natural oil tasted too strong and kids didnt like it. "The Extra Virgin Olive Oil" -that we had consumed all our lives-, became very expensive and --of course-- people defaulted towards the most affordable refined oil.

The opening of the international market brought to Spain a variety of unknown oils, like sunflower and soya, that became popular.

Nowadays, families cook with sunflower, soya or other seeds oils, but they still save the good virgin olive oil for salads and breads.

Argan oil --only grown in Morocco--, is excellent for your hair and face. It has some benefits for the cardiovascular system if consumed raw. it is extremely expensive due to its scarcity and amazing properties.

Walnut, flax, sesame, peanuts, grape seed, and any other oil made from seeds is fine and healthy if ingested in its natural condition. Add some of these oils to your special international dishes as the recipes call.

Canola oil is the least healthy of those, as it is not even natural to start with. There is no such thing as a "Canola plant".

Do some online research about different studies done on Canola oil and decide for yourself.

Fried food loses a lot of nutritional value.

It is better to consume raw oil than cooked oil.

Always purchase extra-virgin cold-pressed oil (versus refined oil) and preferably certified organic.

Eat the good virgin oil that is produced in the country you live in, and that your ancestors safely used before you.

Chose glass bottles over plastic ones to store your oil. You can always pour your plastic bottled oil into a nice glass jar.