Lose Body Fat (and more) with Healing Oils

LOSE BODY FAT (AND MORE) WITH 

HEALING OILS
By Cal Orey

Hundreds of feel-good secrets for your 
mind, body, spirit  in the new book
The Healing Powers of Olive Oil

health-y author
practices what she preaches!

Did you know olive oil isn’t the only healing oil that provides home cures that can work for you? There are so many different cooking oils with amazing do-it-yourself cures. Sure, some of these remedies are folk lore, others like coconut oil (touted by celebs that use it for a variety of its health perks) come with anecdotal evidence, and some such as canola oil are backed up by a stamp of approval from medical researchers.

Superfoods/recipes to lose lbs year round with oils and butter!

After I wrote the first edition of The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, I used extra virgin olive oil for home cures, including an earache, cracked skin, to a spider bite and wasp sting—all culprits that have paid me a visit while I enjoy the mountain lifestyle. These days, my kitchen pantry is stocked with other oils, too, including coconut oil and macadamia nut oil—that can and does the job.

Pairing healing oils inside the body and outside the body is the best way to get the best results from head to toe. So, take a look at some of these healing oils including almond oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, hemp seed oil, macadamia nut oil, red palm oil, sesame oil and canola oil that can be used in cooking but also as home cures. Do consult with your health care practitioner before using any new healing oil for an ailment. (And don’t forget, olive oil can also be used for most if not all of these home remedies, too.)  (More in the new book released this month to help you slim down, healthy up for Spring!)

1. BLOAT (Beating water weight with the best oil) Back pain is a pain but feeling and looking bloated isn’t just a cosmetic woes Years ago, I wrote an article on fat-burning foods. Popcorn was one of the 14 edibles. It’s high in fiber, low-fat,  low-cal, no trans fat especially if you lose the fake butter and salt. It’s a super stress relieving food because of the crunch, and it can help you to get rid of extra water weight, too.

What Oil Remedy to Use: Drizzle 1 or 2 tablespoons of warmed up red palm oil on top of 2 cups of air popped popcorn.

Why You’ll Like It:  Pairing red palm oil with nutritious popcorn is going to give you a double punch of nutrients. This oil contains antioxidant vitamins A and E. Plus, it has a buttery flavor that’ll titillate your taste buds and combined with fiber-rich popcorn will fill you up not out.  As a popcorn lover, I did give this healing oil recipe a go and discovered it was different, and gave it an exotic flair.

Size 2-4, 117 lbs thanks to healing oils, butter and
the Mediterranean Diet and lifestyle

2. BODY FAT (Fighting pudge by enjoying fatty oils) Did you know extra weight and body fat can trigger back pain? It can. And adding good fat to your diet can help you lose unwanted fat and lower your body mass index.  Move over olive oil like avocado oil and macadamia oil can to help you to burn fat and lose unwanted pudge. These oils boost your energy, too. and boast fat-burning components such as CCK, a hormone that signals your brain that your brain that you're full and should stop eating. Good fats also contain omega fatty acids which are essential for fat metabolism. (I discuss this more in the revised updated book on olive oil.)

What Oil Remedy to Use: Opt for variety including avocado oil or macadamia oil in a salad full of fat-burning seasonal vegetables.

Why You’ll Like It: These two oils taste different than olive oil so you’ll get a nice change as well as the monounsaturated fats that’ll give you the feeling of satisfaction after a small meal. (I share dozens of tips in different chapters and dozens of heart healthy comfort food recipes on how to lose pounds and body fat in the NEW book The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, Revised and Updated.) Highlights include, Combining Olive Oil and Vinegar, Real Weight Loss Success Stories (a doctor who uses light olive oil and a busy mom who savors vinegar and oil), 15 Diet-Plateau Blasters, and The Olive Oil Diet--and much more to help you shed pounds and body fat during the New Year for a New You on into Spring, Summer and forever without feeling hungry!

3. CANKER/COLD SORES   (Ending sores faster with the right oil) Backaches to body fat can wreak havoc on your overall health and well-being, while canker sores or small ulcers in the mouth can cause big pain for days and make a backache seem like a walk in the park (well sort of). If you’ve ever fall victim to one of these mean-spirited sores it’s likely you’d be willing to try anything to get rid of the ache.

What Oil Remedy to Use: Rinse with warm salt water. Then, with cotton swab dab a bit of coconut oil (from a capsule or jar) or extra virgin olive oil on the canker sore. Repeat three times a day.

Why You’ll Like It: It’s soothing like any oil. But because it’s thicker is adheres to your skin better and offers a coating. If you can keep your tongue off the ulcer (this is a task!), it will heal faster. Coconut oil contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Also, unlike bad tasting over-the-counter remedies, coconut oil tastes good.

4. CRACKED FEET  (Creating smooth feet with a natural oil) You may think canker sores are painful, but if you ever fall victim to alligator skin-like rough, red, weathered, feet with crevices—you may rather deal with the mouth malady. Cracked feet are an unsightly cosmetic problem, but crevices can turn into health issues, too. Inflammation can lead to pain when walking, wearing shoes, and even to an infection. This, in turn, means a small problem like cracked feet end up being a big problem. Dry skin on the soles of your feet, are more common in colder months where there is a lack of humidity.

What Oil Remedy to Use: Try using two coconut capsules topically once a day, preferably before bedtime. Break open each capsule and rub the creamy oil generously on the bottoms of both feet. Cover with 100 percent cotton socks. Repeat daily.

Why You’ll Like It: Coconut oil is a known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It can help hydrate and soothe painful skin irritations, including cracked feet. Not only does it work, but the texture and aroma of this oil is a pleasant surprise and a miracle worker.

5. FATIGUE (Ending lack of energy by consuming oil-rich foods) Enjoying a healthy crowning glory is nice, and feeling tired is not nice no matter how thick and shiny your locks may be. Sweet coconut oil can help give you a pick-me-up. It’s a healthy saturated fat—touted to be a natural source of medium chain triglycerides, which are gobbled up by your body to give it a boost of energy.

What Oil Remedy to Use: Add one or two teaspoons in a cold, fresh seasonal fruit smoothie.

Why You’ll Like It: If you’re trying to lose weight, coconut oil can help energize you and provide a feeling of fullness. This, in turn means if you use it in a smoothie, stir-fry, or even a small baked muffin (see Recipes Section) you will get physical and burn off calories and fat and not feel deprived.

6. INSOMNIA  (Getting shut-eye by including oil in your diet) Bites will heal but if you don’t get adequate sleep your well-being will suffer and be worse the a bug bite. Sleep restores and replenishes your body and mind. Lack of sleep depletes energy and frazzles nerves. And lack of adequate zzzs may compromise your immune system and lower your resistance to illness.

While I often can fall asleep within five minutes to the purr of a cat, I am human and have fallen victim to the cycles of sleeplessness. Some doctors believe PMS and menopause (yes, I’m a survivor of both female culprits) my cause shifts in hormonal balances and trigger a bout of insomnia. For moderate insomnia, healing oils combined with good bedtime habits can be a godsend if you don’t want to watch infomercials all night long.

What Oil Remedy to Use:  Try a light dinner with a stir-fry or ice cream with sesame oil and lavender olive oil.

Why You’ll Like It: Lavender relaxes the nervous system. It’s calming and relaxing. Sesame oil is high omega-6s. It’s not only a natural sedative used in food, if you are lucky enough to have a partner willing to give you  massage, lavender oil and sesame oil can penetrate the skin and help relax you, too. 

So much more info in 368 pages of the revised and updated book--The Healing Powers of Olive Oil

Deliciously healing surprises. . ..

The art of using olive oil for mind, body, and spirit goes back 6,000 years. Hippocrates, "the father of medicine," used olive oil in over 60 healing remedies.

New research confirms that olive oil can help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes, and it can stall age-related diseases.

Combining olive oil with other oils (like coconut and macadamia nut oils), can help combat fatigue, infections, and insomnia, and help you fight fat and shape up!

Bring on the butter--especially the right kind and right amount. When paired with oils, this twentieth-century "forbidden" saturated fat is a new twenty-first-century health food.

"Orey gives kudos to olive oil--and people of all ages will benefit from her words of wisdom." --Dr. Will Clower, CEO Mediterranean Wellness

Warm Up Your Home This Winter with Coffee Grounds!

AMAZING

COFFEE GROUNDS FOR YOUR HOME
THIS WINTER INTO SPRING

By Cal Orey

Bring in the New Year with versatile coffee and beautify your environment.

Drinking coffee for its healing powers is healing, but did you know that you can use coffee for healing your personal environment, too? Welcome to the world of coffee uses in the home, another perk of the coffee tree.

Before I entered Coffee World, I didn’t know coffee grounds were eco-friendly and something to use. But now I know uncommon grounds can be home-friendly.  God bless nature’s little dark coffee grounds for their multi-purpose uses indoors and outdoors.

INDOORS

Kitchen

Use An Abrasive Cleaner. Use grounds as a scouring agent to tackle any greasy or dirty surface. It also can get rid of pungent odors from pans and your hands.

Go for a Deodorizing Buzz. Dry coffee ground (not soggy used ones) placed on a cookie sheet and put in an open container in your fridge or freezer can be an instant way to help absorb odors. Also, fill a sachet with dried grounds paired with cinnamon sticks and whole cloves and place it in close drawers (baby and pet-proof).

Living Room/Dining Room/Bedroom

Furniture Concealer:  Coffee grounds can do away with smells and unsightly scratches on furniture, too. Steep grounds and apply the dark brew to wood furniture with a cloth. I tried this household treatment on an antique dark chest in my bedroom and it worked. I thought, “If coffee stains cups, coffee pots, and teeth, it has to work on brown furniture.” And it did just that. Flavored coffees provide a nice aroma unlike commercial types with strong, undesirable scents.

Fireplace Dust Buster: Ever notice that when you clean out the ashes from the fireplace that dust gets in your eyes and nose? You can control the dust by using wet coffee grounds on the cool ashes because they keep the dust down and not in the air. Note to self: Try to see if this method works.

Bathroom

Ant Repellent: In the mountains I don’t see ants but in the city I did. And if they weren’t in the kitchen they took over the bathroom, especially around water. Rather than using a chemical spray, try using coffee grounds on the area thirsty ants go to. (Be sure kids, cats and dogs are not around as the natural ant eater does its job.)

OUTDOORS

Plant Fertilzer: Plants that like acidic soils will like your coffee grounds. Use grounds on the top layer of soil, or mix it with potting soil before planting. I started dumping coffee grounds on the aspens in the front yard.  It could have been the late summer rain and/or the green grounds that helped the trees perk up.

Compost: Grounds not only feed your plants and trees, but they can feed your compost bin (if you have one). Simply add compost piles to increase nitrogen balance. Coffee filters and tea bags (yes, I have both, especially if my youngest Brittany doesn’t scarf down the chamomile tea bags) will also break down fast during composting. I still don’t do the compost dance it but it’s on my list of to-do changes and coffee grounds and filters will be included. I continue to sprinkle grounds on one wilted aspen in the front yard but so far it’s not showing signs of being a coffee lover…

Insect Repellant: But tossing coffee grounds on the deck, dirt, or sidewalks may have a faster effect. Again, it’s a risk to do this if you have indoor/outdoor dogs or cats, because you don’t want a sequel of the Ethiopian goat herder’s dancing goats. And that’s not all…

HEALTHY COFFEE FENG SHUI TIPS

Welcome your home sweet home to the art of feng shui—the ancient Chinese art of placement—with a twist of coffee. By putting stuff in the right spots in your kitchen and other rooms it can enhance the flow of positive energy and zap negative vibrations, bringing you good health, happiness—and even fortune.

·        Declutter Your Coffees. If you’re a coffee lover, chances are you’re going to have more than less java beans and gadgets in your home. Rather than stuffing it all in one place, such as your pantry, I suggest storing it in a variety of places just in case of a blackout. You’ll find cans of coffee (these have expiration dates) in my pantry. Plus, they are sealed so I feel safe and secure that my fur kids won’t get into the java. Also, when I open my freezer, there is an array of well packaged coffees lined up in rows. It makes me feel safe in case there is a shortage on coffee. And, in my fridge, I also have concealed containers filled with coffee in use, from day to day. It’s clutter free but coffee definitely has its place(s) in my kitchen.

·        Clean the Coffee Pot(s) to Coffee Grinder. This is a chore but it’s good chi to have a squeaky clean pot (or two) and grinder. For the pot, use vinegar, water, and lemon (use hot water, let soak). As far as the grinder goes, day by day cleaning will keep you and yours healthy coffee drinkers.

·        Brighten Up with Lighting.  In your kitchen, you’ll want to have neutral of earthy coffee colors, from a tan, light coffee or wood paneling.  Fresh, white curtains will lighten up the room and your energy.

·        Scent It Up. And, of course, the constant aroma of fresh brewed coffee will linger from room to room.

·        Boost Your Mood with Coffee Mugs. Select your favorite coffee mugs and place them together or in a mug holder on the counter. This is inviting for you or coffee.

·        Use Coffee Art. Framed coffee prints can give your kitchen a nice visual effect, especially if they boast Mediterranean colors: red, brown, gold, and blue.

·        Flaunt Coffee Companions. Glass canisters filled with biscotti to coffee candy, look inviting and are your friends whenever you decide to brew a cup of java.

·        Bring Out the Fresh Fruit. Seasonal fruit in lucky numbers, such as eight, is good for you both physically and mentally. Citrus fruit, such as oranges goes well with coffees—and the shelf life is good.

·        Conceal Knives and Scissors. These are a must-have item so when you open a new bag of coffee you can do it the right way and without going on a hunt through the house or using your nails or teeth.

·        Hide the Gadgets. Too many coffee makers will give you clutter. So, choose your coffee toys and store the others in cupboards. Recycle these to fit the season and your mood. 

·        Place Coffee Books in Piles. Cookbooks are attractive and show that you like being in the kitchen. Line these up in an appealing way or pile books in stacks. Either way it will give a nice coffee literary feel and will be on hand to inspire you.

A bonus tip: Purchase a coffee calendar. It will keep you up-to-date on seasons and holidays—a great coffee lover’s tool so you can plan meals and coffee accordingly. And, of course, with your coffee-ized kitchen, what better way to celebrate than to have a cake, like this heavenly recipe, baking in the oven? Serve with heart-healthy fresh seasonal fruit and enjoy!

[SHADED BOX]

Heavenly Coffee Angel Food Cake

* * *

1 cup sifted cake flour                              2 tablespoons instant coffee, ground

1 teaspoon cream of tartar                              fine powder in a coffee grinder       

1 teaspoon vanilla extract                              1 ¼ cups sugar

1 teaspoon coffee extract (or                         1 ½ cups egg whites (10-12 large eggs)

½ teaspoon salt substitute almond                at room temperature

extract

     Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees. Sift the flour and ground instant coffee together onto a sheet of wax paper, then resift it with the sugar and salt onto a second sheet of wax paper. In a large grease-free bowl of an electric mixture, add the egg whites and cream of tartar and mix on low speed till foamy. Increase speed gradually to medium and beat until whites are stiff and shiny, but not dry. Stop the mixer and add the vanilla and coffee extracts, whisking in once or twice by hand.

     Carefully lift the wax paper holding the dry ingredients and sprinkle the flour mixture gently into the egg whites. Using a spatula, carefully fold the dry ingredients into the whites till just incorporated. Do not stir hard or the batter will deflate. Very gently turn the batter into an ungreased tube pan and smooth the top lightly. Place immediately in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or till well risen and golden on top.

     As soon as the cake is done baking, invert (if your tube pan doesn’t have “feet”, hang the pan upside down over the neck of a bottle). Allow the pan to hang upside down for several hours until completely cool. (If it cools right side up, gravity will make it sink and become dense.) To remove pan, slide a long thin knife around the edge of the pan and the center tube to loosen it. Top the cake with plate, invert and lift off the pan.

(Source: Courtesy Coffee Science Source.) 

Excerpt from The Healing Powers of Coffee (Kensington)

The Waiting Game from an Author's POV

By Cal Orey

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. 
-Carl Sagan

40 yrs. to relive Quebec trip

Ah, waiting. This bittersweet topic has been on my brain for days, weeks, and months but I've been waiting to discuss it. I get patience but that doesn't mean I embrace it. I've done my share of playing the waiting game, past, present, and future. The other day as I answered the phone rings to dish out reading for the psychic network I thought: "If he/she waited for a day, week, or months they would have the answer." But folks want answers yesterday. I understand. I do.

Waiting for snow during a West Coast drought

BOOK(S): The first waiting game prize that comes to mind is that after 15 years--I finally got the book project I've wanted all along. It is a surprise that I'll share in months (yes, you'll have to wait) but it did come when I least expected it to arrive. It was welcomed and well deserved. 
Also, I was assigned to write the third edition of The Healing Powers of Vinegar--my best-selling book in the Healing Powers Series. I am not surprised and I am looking forward to giving my oldest "child" a new and improved makeover. After all, I owe it to him. You see back in 1999, I was given this book project. It was an accident, of sorts. The editorial consultant believed red wine vinegar would take this book to success. During my research is when I discovered his idea was novel but I accidentally fell into the world of  a Mediterranean diet and lifestyle that paved the way for the series. I waited four years to receive my first royalty check and the rest is history. The book has been translated in more than a dozen languages and it was a bestseller in South Korea! As the consultant forecasted: "The book will have a long shelf life." And I waited for his prediction to come to fruition.

MY FUR KIDS:  I am a doting mom and will do anything for my two dogs and one cat. I've gone through waiting for the diagnosis and results of neutering, tumors, ear infections, to seeking the perfect feline and searching for the right dog to replace the one I lost too early. 

Dec. 2-Feb. 2 --worth the wait, see above
 2 yr old
Aussie of my life 

Watching the clock while your "kid" is in surgery or waiting until the appointment that'll give you a clue of what's going on is a challenge. 

Waited yesterday for vet verdict
No dental surgery!

But each time I do it, as you have done it, it's another lesson in life. Whatever happens it happens on its own time table. Yes, you can toy with fate (a bit) and speed up the process of happenings but in the end the results are likely to be the same as if you didn't do anything and just waited.
And speaking of my furry friends...I read dogs live in the moment. So does that mean they don't miss me when I run humanoid errands or go on a trip? It seems they do remember me and attitude is almost non existent.  So if they do play the waiting game they seem to do it better than we do.

BOOK SIGNINGS/SHOWS/COLUMNS: This week was full of anticipation as I waited for outcome of a potential repeat book signing to be booked in Roseville, CA, and a guest appearance on a popular San Francisco radio channel. Both arrived. Both are booked.  
The local food column "What's Cookin' at Callie's Cabin" that I penned for years? I finally decided (after waiting for the right time) to discontinue it. I loved doing it every week for a long, long time. I've gone through countless editors and publishers. But it was time to say goodbye. I admit it. I exhaled.  Done. I have bigger fish to fry: More books to write, more traveling for research.  It was the right to time to cut my losses and move forward. It happened--I waited. I quit. And it feels so right.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST TRIP: Take two? After being blindsided by a bathroom redo similar to a major hurricane that hit every room in the house and outdoors, I was forced to reschedule a long planned book signing in Seattle and research in Vancouver. It was an event that hit like a natural disaster and affected my family. A lot. But once I picked up the pieces the trip was back on again for early Spring--and life goes on.

Anticipation for Seattle/Vancouver in March

So, here I sit. I wait for going north in a rainy month (probably a storm will provide roller coaster "rough air") and savoring the getaway.
Ironically, I just returned from the grocery store which including the big wait; I read five mags while waiting in a swirl cookie line. I sat down cross-legged on the floor (similar to when I was grilled by the French Canadian immigration officer at 1:30 AM).  I chilled. Sadly, one elderly man had a mega meltdown: "I can't wait in this f****** line any longer! Fifteen minutes is ridiculous." Good for him. 
But hey, I learned how to make a lean mac and cheese, how sipping tea can soothe my frazzled nerves, and umpteen ways to bake pork chops (no matter I'm a vegetarian/vegan). Oh well, thank the store gods for magazines at the checkout stands. The wait was worth the new reading glasses, scented pine cones (90% marked down), and cozy socks to keep my feet warm when I make a fire tonight and wait for it to ignite.

A Sneak Look at NEW Olive Oil Book

By Cal Orey

Second Edition 
Order at amazon

Foreword

IN THE LAND OF OLIVE OIL

Olive oil, real butter and warm, fresh
baguettes  part of Sept. trip to Montreal

The same thing happened to me twice, in two different cities. The first time was at a book signing in Cleveland, OH when a small woman came straight up to me and asked, “Guess how old I am.”

She looked like she was about 68 to 72-ish (and I know how this game works), so I guessed low. “Oh gosh, no more than 65,” I responded.

She straightened up just a little bit taller and said, “I’m 88 years old.”

This woman was stunning. Her skin was perfect and she just radiated health. I said, “Okay, WHAT? What are you doing?”

She told me that she was a first-generation Italian, her family consumed olive oil every day, and her mother even put it right on her skin. Every day!

THE HEALTHIEST DIET ON EARTH

We look at cases like this, as does author Cal Orey, and wonder how in the world they knew to do that?  But the knowledge to know that the rich delicious oil of the olive will keep them younger and more vibrant for more of their days doesn’t come from some laboratory. They don’t do it because some science study told them to.

The knowledge they rely upon, like the rich multi-layered complexity of olive oil itself, comes from the ancient cultural traditions of these thin, healthy people. There is a depth to that cultural understanding, which also forms the centerpiece to what many deem the healthiest diet on earth: the olive oil-based Mediterranean diet.

Could you imagine someone from Spain or Greece exclaiming how they suddenly weren’t going to eat olive oil because some study came out about low fat foods? That would be ridiculous. Or perhaps they’d turn to a low fat dressing because they read that the ratio of hydrogens saturating its fatty acid chain didn’t fit some theory about what should or shouldn’t constitute a healthy oil? Absurd.

The thin healthy people consumed olive oil when we recommended against it, and continue this delicious habit after we’ve embraced it. Their dietary prescriptions haven’t changed precisely because the decision to eat olive oil is an expression of who they are as a people.

There is a steady depth to this form of cultural knowledge, embedded in the steady passage of time across ages. It’s an expression of who they are, who their parents are, extending across time like an outstretched hand to us today, directly from their history, culture, and tradition.

Because of this solid foundation, you can count on it to work for your good health, just as well as it has worked for theirs. 

After all, it has done so since before history was written down, and won’t change in the next five years either. The impact on your health will be the same as has been felt for millennia. And when you look at the results over this expanse of time, you see that olive oil consumption is clearly associated with low weight, healthy hearts and longer lives.

The people of Crete, for example, as I know and Orey pointed out in the first edition of The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, have some of the highest longevity rates on Earth, some of the lowest cardiac mortality rates, cancer rates, and all with the highest per capita consumption of olive oil. Ask them about their amazing heart healthy diet and they’ll shrug because they’re not on a diet. They’re just living their lives as they always have.

It’s funny, too, that the remarkable health benefits of olive oil have been known to people in the Mediterranean region for millennia, but the rest of the world is just now catching up with them. With each month, it seems, new scientific research continually re-confirms the many ways in which it benefits our bodies.

OLIVE OIL, THE VERSATILE FAT

Orey, once again, in The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, Revised and Updated, with the greatest of ease discusses in detail, the fats in olive oil that we feared for so long turn out to be the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated variety, which today’s science confirms can help reduce your risk of heart disease.

The antioxidants found within the deep green oil also work inside your body to fight the harmful free radicals. On your salad, in your sauté, or simply drizzled over your fish, this helps to prevent cellular damage and, ultimately, the development of cancer itself.

Not only are these amazing fats good for you on their own, but they can also help your body absorb the other healthful nutrients in your food, such as the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. In other words, if you include olive oil on any of your foods, you get one health enhancement from the olive oil, and then a turbo boost from the added nutrients you absorb from your salad.

And the cultural habit of applying olive oil both inside and out, for softer, smoother, less desiccated skin has been known and practiced for thousands of years. Now our western science confirms that the dermal application of olive oil leaves your skin less dry, less wrinkled, and less susceptible to DNA damage caused by exposure to UV light.

THE SUPERFOOD THAT’S GOOD AS GOLD

So whether you are a person who needs science to quantify and verify what you see in order to believe it, or someone who trusts what healthy cultures are doing and can apply those habits to their own lives, the jury is pretty much in on olive oil. It’s great for you!

And the good news is that Cal Orey’s “The Healing Powers of Olive Oil: A Complete Guide to Nature's Liquid Gold, Revised and Updated” clearly lays out more research and more reasons why olive oil (also paired with other healing oils) is healthy, how you can use it, which kind is the best, where you can find it, and many delicious ways you can incorporate it into your daily life, for added flavor, better health, and even beauty! Orey gives credit to olive oil--and people will benefit from her words of wisdom.

--Dr. Will Clower, CEO Mediterranean Wellness and award winning author of The Fat Fallacy, and Eat Chocolate, Lose Weight

  

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First Edition

I admit that when I wrote the first edition of The Healing Powers of Olive Oil, I was clueless to olive oil and its amazing health merits and other precious cooking oils—all types—so it was a foreign topic for me.  Special thanks to passionate olive oil masters, including the North American Olive Oil Association, Sciabica & Sons, The Olive Press, medical doctors and researchers who inspired me, a health author and my taste buds to revisit Olive Oil Land.

 The tide is changing in the 21^st century when it comes to using healing oils. I confess I wasn’t always an olive oil lover. During research of the original book, I didn’t know porcini oil from citrus olive oil, nor that Spain was and still is the largest olive oil producer in the world. But I was an eager student. And, in the new edition, gratitude goes, too, to the companies who shared their products and worldly knowledge of both olive oil (all types) and other healing oils making headway in the health world.

This second time around, I went on a new expedition into the wide world of olive oils (cooking and baking with them) and learned how to use different cooking oils, too, for heart health, longevity, home cures, and beauty aids. I braved the unchartered land and tried a myriad of cooking oils--not just extra virgin olive oil.

Also, I recall receiving e-mails from a bold fan—challenging me about fat facts. She agreed while olive oil is healthy—I should give more credit to saturated fat (including butter and cheese). New research has shown me that the “un” fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats aren’t the only ones that are good for us. I give thanks to my dear reader who was spot-on and gave me incentive to dig deeper to find the truth in the ever changing world of food and health. So to prepare this second edition, I went back to the drawing board. I discovered during my journey that indulging in other oils like coconut oil and macadamia oil (which do contain saturated fat) and even decadent butter boasts health perks. And it’s time to give appreciation to these ignored newbies and comeback oldies, too.

Also, since I’m fessing up, the fact is I was “sneaking” foods like butter in my diet but I didn’t tell my devout olive oil contacts and friends.  But, my instincts told me by pairing a bit of the forbidden fat with olive oils that it made my cookies, cakes to entrees taste better and felt good inside and outside my body.  And that’s when I pushed my olive oils over on my pantry shelves and made room for other healing oils (including nut and tropical)—and I’m glad I did it.

These days, as a devout “Food Network” junkie (America’s television food channel) and accidental health-nut foodie, I, thank chefs, including Emeril Lagasse, use both olive oil—and other cooking oils and butter (all kinds). But for years now, I’ve been using both the oil and fat together and now I no longer feel guilty about combining olive oil and butter to enjoy my dishes more.

Finally, I have been blessed with enthusiastic editors to go back and revise and update my second Healing Powers Series book on olive oil. In an olive seed pit, once again, I got to explore the olive oil and cooking oils world from the comfort of my cabin in the California Sierra—through changing seasons. The best part is, as a baby boomer (a person born between 1946 and 1964);  I now have a new, improved relationship with healing oils. I sense this book, like the first one, was meant to get a makeover by me—for you. A toast to olive oil—and other healing oils—is as good as it gets.

Author Dishes on 2015 Surreal Shake-ups

By Cal Orey

Before Quebec trip, anticipating B.C. in March

Jan. 3 Reno Barnes and Noble book signing-
a sign to move?

January was going to be a super wonderful month for me. After all, I planned a trip to Seattle for a Barnes and Noble book signing with a Canada trip to follow for new book research. Little did I foresee a big challenge on the homestead.  (I know, if I was psychic why didn't I see it coming. But I did get bad vibes and tried to get someone else to do the job of fixing a mystery leak in the bathroom.)  Sadly, I lost my dignity, well-being and more despite my intuition. The bathroom re-do didn't take two to five days, as projected, it took 14 days of mere hell.  Funny, I didn't get physically sick (my two dogs are sneezing) but I am secretly fantasizing about seeing a compassionate shrink who knows magic. 

MOVING ON... I'm certain I will get over the Lifetime movie material of a bathroom remodel gone bad that ended up victimizing a single woman whose home for 15 years was taken hostage by a handyman for two weeks. I'm on day 7 of cleaning up the mess in every room, on the deck, back and front yard. Think volcano eruption and ash falling everywhere. Not to forget gashes on my furniture and things here and there and not where they're supposed to be. 
I did have to move my trip until March. I followed my flight plan/hotels and got the same deal, more or less. Done. The manager at Barnes and Noble bookstore in Bellevue couldn't have been more understanding. 

I still feel queasy when I relive the hardship I/my pets went through, including sleeping with a crawl space open for many nights, heat turned on to 90 degrees, dogs kenneled on holidays when no work was done, and my living space called "home" converted into a workshop. Give me a few more days of licking my wounds and wiping up the dust and coping with nightmarish flashbacks that unfolded each day. I think I do earthquakes better. Nature can be cruel but man-made shake-ups are unforgivable.

Vancouver in early Spring is booked for me

Meanwhile, I'll begin research for the third edition of VINEGAR and collect research for my next Healing Powers Series secret project. So, busy is the word. I lost three weeks out of my life but I'm resilient and I do believe in karma, whether it be in this life time or next. 

COAST TO COAST AM... In the past two weeks, I've been called upon to be the News Segment Guest. I dished info on the Southern California earthquake and the odd quake swarm in the Northeast. I did note that I sensed an earthquake would happen near water and blindside folks (as I was during the bathroom re-do). Today, a 4.0 hit Quebec (my fave place to go and where I went last September) and water but only "moderate"--so that my not be it. Best advice: Be prepared wherever you are.

My fave province rocked today

Swam today to regain my well-being

GETTING MY LIFE BACK...I've given myself a break from the psychic networks as well as What's Cookin' at Callie's Cabin since I was displaced for weeks. Now in between cleaning up the man-made mess and getting centered I will try and refocus.

My feline got me through it

I have to give credit to Zen, my beloved cat who stayed centered through the entire fiasco (Day 1 was an exception--it was too much stress for my cat). 

I will never forget this ordeal that rocked my family's world, but one day I will find out why it happened. Until then, it's picking up the pieces and being grateful that life goes on. 

Author Heals After Two Weeks of Renovation Hell

By Cal Orey

An Old-Tahoe cabin that has been my home for
15 years as I transitioned from magazine journalist to book author

Articles, books, my fur kids
grew up in a house I called home that
turned into renovation hell

After two weeks of chaos due to a projected two-five day small bathroom renovation (a job that was supposed to allow me to live/work at home in my study), I find my body, mind, and spirit exhausted from being displaced and tossed out like a wild animal. I sensed a nightmarish event could have been the end result but I was clueless to how horrific it would be. Now it's time to heal and share a few lingering images...

Postponed WA/Canada Trip:

I should have been here tonight

This disorganized mess affected my
well-being/booked trip

Tonight I would have finished an awesome book signing at Barnes and Noble in Bellevue and savored a four star hotel before an early morning to catch the train to Vancouver. I planned this business trip for three months to have it demolished in two weeks. Sadly, Wednesday night I realized I lost. I had to cancel my flight and hotel bookings, book signing, and research meetings in Canada. I felt like the fisherman with his big fish in the Old Man and the Sea classic--my dream was disappearing bit by bit.
On the upside: The Washington Barnes and Noble discussion/signing is simply postponed. Not canceled. I will be using my same itinerary and flight plan/saved miles for pre-early Spring. Still, it's heartbreaking that instead of business and anticipated pleasure, I find myself cleaning up a huge mess from a job that should have taken a few days (I called Home Depot experts explaining the process day by day). After two weeks--an obstacle course throughout the house from day 1 without a toilet/shower for days, I am left with pieces of junk and vivid nightmares of invasions...

More wood against book shelves
important work/papers
dishelved

If kitty landed on this...no more kitty

My Rock: During the ordeal I turned to my Siamese cat for friendship, comfort, and sanity while my two dogs--a young Aussie and senior Brittany were stashed away at the kennel for a more structured environment. It was for their welfare--I couldn't be selfish--their needs come first and I was too emotionally challenged due to the inexcusable behavior I (and my only sibling) endured. 
The separation from my fur kids on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day broke my heart. (I was under the impression work would continue on since Home Depot was open on January 1.) I rarely cry but my tears didn't stop. I did rescue the dogs after the Reno Barnes and Noble book signing on January 3 (after all, it was day seven) but after four days of losing rights due to debri to the front and back yard--back to the kennel. 

Zen provided constant comfort
during the 14 day isolation
and  inhumane treatment

Buckets of liquid chemicals were
scattered everywhere, near the
electric stove and gas heater

So, I was hostage in my brother's rustic cabin--fine for one man, not so fine for a finicky woman who loves lots of windows, house plants, fish aquariums, fresh food, home-cooking for my work, and ample work space for my new book release, and book projects, columns, and marketing.  Zen, my dog-like Siamese cat was my rock, my best friend through the minutes, hours, and days that lingered. I talked to him, he purred. He listened. He licked my tears. He slept with me. He stayed by my side. This cat was a constant companion during the worst of times.

Two Dogs: I was anxious today picking up my canines. It's like they witnessed a great earthquake full of ongoing arguments during the demolition, confusion, chaos, a disorderly home, strangers invading their comfort zone....and then taken back to the kennel. Surprisingly, this time around they were excited to see me. Smiling and wiggling their docked tail bums. After walks and food, they settled in like a earthquake-tsunami was over. Yes, they are whooped like me, my sibling. This 14 day hellish nightmare greatly affected our well-being, peace, and lives, work and play. But the two dogs survived as we did. They sleep at my feet. We are one.

Sub floor wood slammed against
leather couch/book shelves

Displaced to a Small Cabin: The place I've lived for 15 years was in someone else's hands. I was blindsided. I was not allowed to get clean clothes or food.  It was no longer my home. Rather than going to a hotel--more novelty with its own pros and cons (as I learned when we fled the Angora Fire), I chose to rough it in my brother's home--while he worked and stayed with a friend. On Day 11 I allowed him to have the vacation rental (finally offered) because I didn't want to uproot my sensitive feline and have him flee.

I wasn't familiar with living in my brother's small cabin and didn't have my belongings in a row so it was one disorganized challenge after another. No tea. The water pressure of the shower was off; I ended up not showering for days due to my long hair and hardship of getting out the shampoo and creme rinse. The remote controls to the TV are different than mine and soon I was without a picture. The heating system was quirky, too hot and too cold. I did have my computer and phone--but often needed to recharge. (I'd sneak into the house when it was empty; no structure to work days--another challenge.) A real bed with a heated blanket versus a waterbed was foreign to me. Worse, I missed my dogs (who slept with me since pups) more than life itself. The fridge wasn't stuffed with fresh organic food. I was amid processed canned goods and boxes of food that I avoided. I can now fit into size 2 skinny jeans.

I'm invaded by memories of the charming, 1947 abode, an author's place made into a comfy home converted into a workshop in the kitchen, living room, dining room, entry to hallway and bathroom as well as an open crawl space leading into the bedroom. In the mountains that spells toxic spiders to feral wildlife. For the first few nights, I was allowed to sleep in the cabin but it was frightening and the fumes were too strong. Each room was chock-full with horrors: The heater was cranked up to 90 degrees at night; taped cord to an outlet so I wouldn't unplug a heating light underneath the bathroom floor;  ceiling fan (the worker recently ridiculed the electrician's work) on high left on 24 hours a day; chemicals of all kinds (some labels warned of 
causing cancer and kidney disease) were left by the wall heater. Then the lack of sleep, no food, nightmares followed, day after day.

I'm not balanced without my dog duo...kenneled on New Year's Eve
and Day to speed up renovation but nothing was done

HEALING POWERS: Tonight is the beginning of healing and finding my balance once again. I'm on the road to putting the pieces back together as people do after being blindsided by a disaster. My family is back.  I feel peace amid me. We are on the road to recovery from renovation hell. Tomorrow I will stock the fridge and pantry with all natural foods--fruits, vegetables, whole grains. 
I will continue to clean room after room, to get rid of the thick dust, disorder, and chemical residue. The deck, front yard and back yard are still full of debri, paint stains on the deck, wood, nails, and other dangerous pieces for pets. It will take a lot raking, sweeping, hosing down the deck to clean up the aftermath--much like a tornado. The sad thing is, this wasn't an act of Mother Nature--it was man-made due to a poorly fit toilet leak...and then a remodel linked to poor organization, no structure in work hours, lack of communication, apathy, and disrespect of a good tenant followed. But we will survive and this too shall pass.

Update: I took my two dogs to the vet for constant sneezing. Diagnosis: No kennel cough. It was allergies due to stress and environmental changes. Still itemizing damages to my possessions, but thankful for feeling almost centered, a good night's sleep, fresh food, and that this surreal renovation is over.