Naturally Healthy Living in Spain

Here in Spain, we're all familiar with the benefits of olive oil - after all, around 44% of the world's olive oil is produced here. It's at the core of the Mediterranean Diet, which is acknowledged as one of the healthiest eating plans in the world, and whenever you eat out, there'll be a bottle of olive oil on the table. Even if you don't take olive oil with your food - and you should, because it's one of the healthiest fats there is - it's a great help in keeping your skin healthy.

Since Egyptian times, olive oil has been used as a cleanser and moisturiser. If you're aiming to use more natural products on your skin, you can effectively remove make up with a few drops of olive oil on a cotton wool pad. The bonus is that the slight residue left on the skin will work as an overnight moisturiser, so you don't need to use a night cream. So as well as being a natural skin care product, olive oil can save you money too.

Whether you're using it for culinary or cosmetic purposes, it's best to use extra virgin olive oil, because it's been through less processing. It may be a little more expensive, but it's a more natural product, so it's worth spending a little more initially.

For strong nails and cuticles, soak the fingertips in a shallow dish containing olive oil once a week. This will soften the cuticles and moisturise the nail bed, so your nails will grow stronger and healthier.

Everyone needs a certain amount of fat in the diet for health, and it makes sense to use olive oil rather than other oils. It's a monounsaturated fat, and it can help to lower cholesterol as well as standardising blood sugar levels and boosting the metabolism. Making the switch to olive oil can help to regulate blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes and help you to lose weight. Maybe you should be making more use of olive oil to stay naturally healthy.