“Ho! Ho! Ho! And a belly full of…”

Let’s leave that jelly in Santa’s belly this year and add some olive oil to our bellies! Johnson Chiropractic encourages the addition of some healthy nutrition this Richmond holiday season. A great place to start is with how the foods are made. Substituting olive oil for butter and other oils may be a wiser choice…and even a tastier one!

First, a little about olive oil and its benefits. What makes it so beneficial? Olive oil contains lots of good fat, the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). These are healthy dietary fat unlike the saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats. MUFAs may help lower heart disease risk, stroke risk, total cholesterol levels. MUFAs may even assist in blood clotting and help control insulin levels and blood sugar. (1,2) Olive oil may help protect bone mass and prevent osteoporosis, protect against breast and skin cancers and even depression, improve heart health, and reduce the risk of kidney disease! (2) So are you ready to try some olive oil enhanced foods this holiday season? All your Richmond family will benefit!

How about some roasted accordion red potatoes (a tastier, creamier potato, to boot!) with drizzled olive oil topped with green thyme (for the extra benefit of its healthy nutrients, vitamins and phytonutrients) before roasting in the oven. Great idea from Good Housekeeping. They’ll look so holiday-ish in their red and green! (3,4,5) 

And for dessert, try some mini olive oil cakes with lemon glaze. Leave it to Food Network® (their picture to the right) to come up with this pretty, healthy, and tasty treat! (7) To boost the holiday flair, plop a cranberry or two on the top of each little cake. Wow!

Johnson Chiropractic sees many patients with coexisting medical issues beyond just their back pain or neck pain and enjoy sharing a nutritional tip that may enhance these other health issues! So don’t be shy about what ails you! Discuss them all at your next Richmond chiropractic visit. Know that Johnson Chiropractic keeps a look out for tips to help us all live healthier lives.

So contact Johnson Chiropractic today. Santa is welcome, too! We’ll be sure to have an olive oil sample for him to try! Happy Holidays!