​Needing to shed a few kilo’s and wanting to be healthy, I started doing the Keto Diet which is very popular at the moment.  I joined the Keto New Zealand Facebook Group and am astounded at the kilo’s that have been lost following this simple lifestyle.  Keto stands for high fat, low carb. Basically, one flips the current food pyramid upside down, and so instead of Carbs being on the bottom that one eats the most of, it’s at the top. 

The most important part of the Keto diet is healthy fats and oils as these keep the hunger away and helps put you into ketosis, a state where you burn your existing fat rather than the ones you eat.
One of the questions that often appears on the group is – which oils do you use for the keto Diet? My answer is always. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Simply because of the health benefits that Extra Virgin Olive Oil can give that no other Oil has. Many other oils are high in saturated fats, but not Extra Virgin Olive Oil which is very low in saturated fats. It's the saturated fats that contributes to heart disease.
The Benefits are many and if you’re on a high fat diet, one of the things you need to watch for is your cholesterol levels, so what better oil to use than Extra Virgin Olive oil as it protects your heart from heart disease by helping reduce harmful cholesterol levels. That’s one of my major reasons for choosing a good quality Extra Virgin, especially since heart disease runs in our family, with my brother having to have a triple bypass at the age of 45.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil also helps lower Blood Pressure and minimises clotting in the blood stream. Strokes are one of the major killers in New Zealand, second to Heart Disease.
It’s a source of Vitamins E, A and K, and has anti-inflammatory properties due to the Oleocanthal which has similar effects to Ibruprofen.   I know I’d rather take a few teaspoons of olive oil than a painkiller! It also has high polyphenol levels that fight against cancer.
The Keto diet has been found to cure Type 2 diabetes, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil also benefits non insulin dependent diabetics because it’s a monounsaturated fat.  I’m all for this too, as my father got diabetes at 50, so that’s in my genes as well.

To see a more indepth review of the health benefits, take a peek at the video below!

Scientific research continues to discover many health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive oil. These include the following...
​

• Cholesterol free and helps to reduce harmful cholesterol levels, thus reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Natural source of Vitamins E,  A and K.
• Minimise clotting in the blood stream and it also helps lower blood pressure
• Excellent source of antioxidants that fight against 'free radicals' which have been linked with cancer.
• Found to reduce oxidative damage to DNA which may be a factor in preventing cancer.
• Benefits non-insulin dependent diabetics because it's a monounsaturated fat.
• Beneficial for brain function due to naturally occurring fatty acids and omegas.
• Oleocanthal in olive oil has been found to have the same anti-inflammatory response of Ibuprofen.
• Increased consumption has been linked to a decreased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
• Oleic acid has been found to be effective against breast, colon and prostate cancer cells.
• Elderly people who consume olive oil daily have fewer strokes than those who do not.
• Builds bones

So pick up a bottle of good health and enjoy!