Olive Oil A Great Solution For Hair And Skin Care

Socgno Toscano Olive oil has been widely used in your salads as well as many other things. It is one of healthiest components to make your food taste better. This oil comes directly from the Bolgheri Italy. Bolgheri, located in the heart of Northern Tuscany.

Home Made Recipes

If you want to have smooth and fine nails olive oil is the best solution. Dowse your nails in a cup of olive oil for 30 minutes and find the best results.

Apply Socgno Toscano Olive oil liberally on your hands. To avoid spreading it elsewhere wear cotton gloves. This method helps you to get a smoother and softer skin.

Olive oil is the best solution for chapped lips. It does wonders to your lips.

To have beautiful, lustrous, shiny, silky and dandruff free hair, olive oil is the best bet. You can apply good amount of oil on your hair and cover it with a shower cap for 30 minutes, later shampoo it.

It is great moisturizing solution which makes your skin softer and smoother.

To make yourself an interesting bathing solution you can add 3-4 tbsp of olive oil with a few drops of essential oil.

You can make an excellent night cream by using 1/2 cup Socgno Toscano olive oil, 1/4 cup of Socgno Toscano vinegar and 1/4 cup water. This helps to lighten your skin, kill bacteria and makes your skin smooth and clear.

It can work as a cleansing cream if you have dry skin.

Apply olive oil and then scrub with good amount of sugar. Later, wipe the sugar off your face with wet and warm cloth. One of the easiest ways to get facial done.'

Soften your feet by applying olive oil on your feet.

Mix in bowl 1 egg, 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp of Socgno Toscano olive oil and few drops of rose water. Use this as a mask for dry skin. Once applied keep it for sometime, later rinse it off with warm water. Dab it dry.

Make a paste by mixing some mashed apricots and warm olive oil. Apply this paste all over your face and leave it for 10 minutes. Wash it off with water.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.

Olive Oil Nature S Skin Beauty Secret

Having beautiful skin just seems to be the proverbial never-ending quest of women. One only needs t visit the local supermarket or beauty shop to see the wide array of skin products that are supposed to provide the secret to youthful skin. Many of these products promise rejuvenation and revitalization of the pores, making the skin blemish-free and silky white. Many of these products cost a fortune but the buyers keep on coming just to attain their goal of having the perfect complexion.

But unknown to many, one of nature’s best kept beauty secrets might be found sitting on a shelf in one’s kitchen pantry. Organic skin care has already been used by many because of its natural ingredients that can help the skin feel and look healthy, without the harm of other rough, harsh, and strong skin care components.

For many years, the earliest of cultures have seen the potential of olive oil when it comes to organic skin care. First cultivated by the Greeks over 4,000 years ago in Crete, olive oil was an integral part of the Minoan economy, and was often kept in large settling tanks. The Greeks then quickly learned that this organic oil had amazing properties. Aside from being a flavorful food source, olive oil was also used to heat oil lamps and to make soap. It was not long before the Greeks, together with other Mediterranean women, used it as a skin moisturizer and ointment for soothing dry skin and sunburns. Olive oil was also used as a skin highlighter, allowing the user to emphasize the curves and shapes of the body.

In terms of actual health benefits, the consumption of olive oil has been shown to stimulate bone growth and calcium absorption. Tests show that the oil helps prevent cancer, diabetes, and skin aging. Studies also show that the consumption of olive oil results in favorable effects on cholesterol regulation and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol oxidation. Olive oil is also known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, and anti-hypertensive properties. Since olive oil is rich in antioxidants, it is speculated that its use may help counteract the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Studies in Japan have also proven that the antioxidants in olive oil helps in neutralizing free radical damage.

While olive oil is not a sunscreen and does not prevent UV rays from penetrating the skin, using it as a cosmetic does help in protecting the skin against acquired aging and damage from the sun. Being an excellent organic skin care product, olive oil is also a superior moisturizer and humectant. It can attract moisture from the air and binds it to the skin. Skin conditions such as eczema and acne respond well to skin care products containing, or made with olive oil, because of the anti-bacterial properties of this organic oil. So before buying the latest and most expensive chemical-based skin care products, consider using natural skin beauty enhancers that contain olive oil.

Aside from its proven effects as a beauty product, olive oil can also be massaged onto the cuticles to restore nail strength and resiliency to the nail bed. In addition, olive oil may also be used as an all-body moisturizer when it is added to bathwater. Massaging it into the hair and scalp will also restore the head’s crowning glory. Indeed, olive oil is such a gift of nature that allows women to regain their youthful skin.

History Of Olive Trees

Olive trees, ‘Olea europaea,’ are the oldest fruit trees and certainly are one of the most

important fruit trees in history. Olive tree culture has been closely connected to the rise and fall of Mediterranean empires and other advanced civilizations throughout the ages. Because olive trees offered wealth and future food supplies to established civilizations, the agricultural nations became stable societies, resulting from a secure expectation from past experience of an uninterrupted food and olive oil supply. This factor was a necessary requirement for population growth and increase. Dependable fruit production and olive oil production means that olive trees must exist in a stable society and a peaceful environment. 

That stability must extend for many years, since most ancient seedling olive trees required eight or more years before ever producing the first crop of fruit. Productive orchards of olive trees meant that a foundation of the great empires of Greece and Rome had arisen and developed into complex economic and political forces. It is interesting to note that the historical decline of these empires corresponded to the destruction of their olive tree orchards that reduced the available supplies of olives, olive oil, olive wood, and olive soap. In connection with the destruction of olive orchards, it is interesting to note that in the Israeli wars with Palestine, 50,000 olive trees were destroyed by Israeli bulldozers. That act of agricultural destruction resulted in considerable anger and unrest along the Gaza strip and the West Bank, because the economic livelihood of many Palestinian farmers depended on their products from the uprooted olive trees. Additionally, the olive tree was historically a ‘peace and goodwill’ symbol, and when the olive trees were leveled near the city of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and the “Cradle of Biblical History,” that elimination of olive trees seemed like a deliberate provocation to end the ‘peace’ with the Palestinian settlers and farmers.

The Greeks recognized that in their vast empire they must avoid hostilities and war during the period that the Olympic Games were being conducted, and they declared a worldwide armistice so that their complete attention could be directed toward their athletic events and games.

Medical properties of olive oil were reported by many ancient Greek writers and philosophers, their importance in creating nutritional benefits and wealth for Greek citizens continues abundantly today--some Greek olive tree orchards containing a million or more trees. Aristotle wrote extensively about the accepted methods of successfully growing olive trees.

Greek mythology records that Athena, the Goddess of wisdom and peace, struck her magic spear into the Earth, and it turned into an olive tree, thus, the location where the olive tree appeared and grew was named Athens, Greece, in honor of the Goddess, Athena. Local legend tells us that the original olive tree still stands growing after many centuries at the ancient sacred site. Citizens still claim that all Greek olive trees originated from rooted cuttings that were grown from that original olive tree. Homer claimed in his writings that the ancient olive tree growing in Athens was already 10,000 years old. Homer stated that Greek courts sentenced people to death if they destroyed an olive tree. In 775 BC Olympia, Greece, at the site of the ancient Olympic stadium, athletes competed and trained, and winners were triumphantly acclaimed and crowned with a wreath made of olive twigs. Ancient gold coins that were minted in Athens depicted the face of the Goddess, Athena, wearing an olive leaf wreath on her helmet holding a clay vessel of olive oil. The Greeks began olive cultivation in 700 BC. The sacred lamp that was used in ancient Greek culture for lighting dark rooms at night was fueled by olive oil. Aged olive oil was also used in sacred anointing rituals of the church at weddings and at baptisms. Herodotus wrote in 500 BC, that the growing and exporting of olives and olive oil were so sacred that only virgins and eunuchs were allowed to cultivate orchards of olive trees. The first documented plantings of olive trees may have occurred during the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete and are believed to have been growing around 3500 BC. That civilization predates the discovered Mycenae olive fossils from 1600 BC and later in the Greek empire. Sturt Manning, an archeologist from Cornell University, reported in Live Science Magazine (Apr 28, 2005) that the most devastating volcano in 10,000 years occurred on the Greek Island of Thera, after which the city of Akrotiri was totally buried by the falling ash. The finding of olive wood and olive seed fossils buried near the site has shown through carbon dating that the volcanic eruption occurred between 1660 and 1600 BC and may have contributed to the total destruction of the advanced Minoan civilization (Atlantis) on the isle of Crete and may have led to the formation of the Sahara desert in North Africa after vaporizing the native forests there.

In the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible (Gen 8:11), Noah was given an olive branch by a dove after the great flood as a symbol of peace and love of God, which it remains today. In the book of Exodus, Moses explains that God expected olive oil to be used in various rituals that were performed by priests of Israel. Olive oil was used as an anointing oil to be poured over the heads of Kings and priests that acknowledged their authority as an agent of God. Many other references to olives are given in the Bible. Psalms 52:8 “But I am like the green olive tree in the house of God, I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.” Finally, Jesus was to spend his last day praying at the mount of olives garden of Gethsemane, in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. Jesus was arrested there, tried, convicted, crucified and later ascended to heaven, after his resurrection from the tomb.

Impressionist artists were stunned by the antique age and beauty of olive trees and their productiveness that resulted in masterpiece paintings by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Renoir, and Matisse. The world’s great Biblical reporters, literary writers, and poets immortalized the olive tree, such people as Jesus, Milton, Shakespeare, and Lord Byron.

Thomas Jefferson wrote “The olive tree is the richest gift of heaven.” The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has reported “Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, who traveled abroad, brought plant material such as olive trees and rice back to the U.S. to develop United States agricultural production.” Thomas Jefferson was the U.S. ambassador to France during the Revolutionary War, and he began to import olive trees and seeds into the southern U.S. The excessive humidity of South Carolina and Georgia did not allow profitable olive tree orchards to develop properly in those areas. Jefferson wrote “The greatest service which can be rendered to any country is to add a useful plant to its culture.” He ranked his introduction of the olive tree and dry rice into South Carolina as two of his top lifetime achievements. Thomas Jefferson wrote to James Ronaldson on January 13, 1813, “it is now twenty-five years since I sent them (southern planters) two shipments of about 500 plants of the olive tree of Aix, the finest olive trees in the world.”

The fragrant flowers of olive trees are small and creamy white, hidden within the thick leaves. Some cultivars will self pollinate, but others will not. The blossoms usually begin appearing in April and can continue for many months. A wild, seedling olive tree normally begins to flower and produce fruit at the age of 8 years. The fruit of the olive tree is a purplish-black when completely ripe, but a few cultivars are green when ripe and some olives turn a color of copper-brown. The size of the olive fruit is variable, even on the same tree, and the shape ranges from round to oval with pointed ends. Some olives can be eaten fresh after sun-drying and the taste is sweet, but most olive cultivars are bitter and must be treated by various chemical solutions before developing into edible olives. If the olives are thinned on the limbs of the trees to 2 or 3 per twig, the ultimate size of the olives will be much larger. The fruit is gathered in mid October and should be processed as soon as possible to prevent fermentation and a decline in quality.

The leaves of olive trees are gray-green and are replaced at 2-3 year intervals during the spring after new growth appears. Pruning yearly and severely is very important to insure continued production. The trees have the unproductive limbs removed, “so that it will be more fruitful” John 15:2. An olive tree can grow to 50 feet with a limb spread of 30 feet, but most growers will keep the tree pruned to 20 feet to assure maximum production. New sprouts and trees will emerge from the olive tree stump roots, even if the trees are cut down. Some olive trees are believed to be over a thousand years old, and most will live to the ripe old age of 500 years.

Olives generally are beaten off trees with poles, harvested mechanically or by shaking the fruit from the trees onto canvas. Most ripening olives are removed from the trees after the majority of the fruit begins to change in color. It is important to squeeze out the olive oil within a day after harvesting or else fermentation or decline in flavor and quality will occur. The olive oil can be consumed or used in cooking immediately after its collection from the press. Olive oils are unique and distinct, each brand of olive oil having its own character, as determined by many factors, like those unique flavor differences found in fine wines. Prepared commercial olive oils can vary greatly in aroma, fruit flavor; whether the taste is, flowery, nutty, delicate, or mild, and the coloring of olive oil is quite variable.

Olive oil produces many health benefits when used in cooking or when poured over salads. The use of olive oil can improve digestion and can benefit heart metabolism through its low content of cholesterol. Experts claim that olive oil consumption will cause a person to grow shiny hair, prevent dandruff, prevent wrinkles, prevent dry skin and acne, strengthen nails, stop muscle aching, lower blood pressure and cancel out the effects of alcohol.

Olive trees can survive droughts and strong winds, and they grow well on well drained soils up to a pH of 8.5 and the trees can tolerate salt water conditions. In Europe, olive trees are normally fertilized every other year with an organic fertilizer. Alternate bearing can be avoided by heavy pruning and generally the trees respond to this very quickly and favorably.

Olive trees should be purchased that have been vegetatively propagated or grafted, because the seed grown trees will revert to a wild type that yields small olives with an insipid taste. Olive trees are more resistant to diseases and insects than any other fruit tree and, therefore, are sprayed less than any other crop.

The Romans conquered Greece in 146 BC, and the victors took olive secrets to Rome, but since then Greece has remained the greatest exporter of olive oil during the centuries. The olive tree seems to be perfectly adapted for growing in the mild climate of the Mediterranean countries. The trees grow well in dry areas with mild winters and long hot summers, even enduring drought conditions or high winds. The European area of the Mediterranean produces 98% of the world olive oil supply. Olive seed are believed to have been brought to California in 1769 to grow into trees hardy to 12 degrees Fahrenheit. Those olive trees were cultivated in the Franciscan Spanish monasteries.

Sogno Toscano is proud to offer excellent Italian olive oil products that represent the very best of what our country has to offer. Sogno Toscano also collaborates with several American service suppliers to deliver effective and consistent customer service to all of our customers.

We encourage and invite you to come to our farm in Bolgheri and witness why we named the company Sogno Toscano Tuscan Dream. Since words can not fully describe the love and effort that goes into each and every product that bares the Sogno Toscano name.

Olive Oil, An Ancient Gift For Health.

Scientists are always looking to plants to find medicinal and therapeutic secrets. Discoveries of natural compounds within the olive tree and olives, provide promising health and medical benefits. Organic olive oil has significant health related properties that have spanned centuries and cultures in the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean olive dates back 6000 years and was native to Iran, Syria and Palestine (Asia Minor). From there it spread to the Mediterranean basin. It is one of the earliest known cultivated trees. According to the Bible, an olive leaf was that which a dove brought back to Noah, as an indication the great flood waters were abating.

The olive tree thrives best in a sunny position and climate. A rocky subsoil suits it well. The trunk is knotty, hard, and gnarled, the bark smooth and ash colored. Olive wood is valuable for its durability and is crafted into many items such as gourmet cooking utensils. The olive tree experiences slow growth, but it lives very long. It is reported that the olive trees on Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, are over 2000 years old. It is commonly believed the Bible passage of “the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine,” refers to the olive tree. Olive leaves are silver grey-green, and possesses the health qualities of “olive leaf extract” which is pressed from them. Extracted from olive leaves is a bitter substance named oleuropein. In the 1960’s researchers reported that oleuropein lowered blood pressure in animals, this caused immediate medicinal interest in the olive leaf. There are new studies that indicate olive leaf extract may be a natural preventative against the common cold and flu.

The olive is believed to be a source of wealth for the Minoan Kingdom. Egyptians tombs dating back as far as 2000 BC have been proved to contain olives. The Greeks spread the usage of olives to the Romans who, in turn, spread it across their vast empire. The use of olive oil has been advocated by many religions and cultures. The early Greek Kings were anointed with olive oil. It was also used to anoint winning Olympic athletes. Across many cultures, olive oil is recognized for healthy benefits for both the inner and outward body.

Some research indicates extra-virgin olive oil is the most digestible of the edible fats. Olive oil also it helps to assimilate vitamins A, D and K in the human body. Benefits of consuming olive oil include slowing down the aging process and helps liver, bile, and intestinal functions. Olive oil is valued for its culinary attributes and organoleptic virtues, these being: flavor, bouquet or aroma, and color. Various grades of olive oil are derived from the time of pressing. Earlier pressings are regarded as better quality. Cold pressed olive oil is a pressing process requiring no heat or chemicals, which destroy vital nutrients. This olive oil is generally the best to use for cooking and healthy cuisine.

Olive oil has been extensively used in cooking and forms an integral part of the basic Mediterranean diet. It is a healthier substitute to butter. Strong and pungent flavored olive oils are great for frying fish or other items having a strong flavor. Extra virgin olive oil goes well with salads. A late harvest mission variety olive oil, which is mellow, can be used for baking cakes. Gourmet olive oil is a healthier and tastier substitute to other fatty cooking oils. The health benefits of cold pressed olive oil already have federal agency approval. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized marketing ads that say organic olive oil helps reduce the risk of coronary disease and disorders.

Given below is a simple recipe for olive oil bread dipping sauce.

Bread Dipping Sauce

Servings : 2 - 4

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Ingredients:

½ cup Sogno Toscano Elite Olive Oil

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced (Italian parsley is best)

1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced

½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed well

1/8 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt, to taste

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and sauté till it changes color. Add all the other ingredients and cook for about 2 – 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve as a bread dip.

Sogno Toscano Meals in Minutes Tuscan Focaccia Recipe

Tuscany - The Land Of Beauty and Art

Tuscany is an amazing place in Italy, well known for it's history of art and the spectacular landscapes that you will find there. These two reasons, correlate really well with the idea of Tuscany Paintings and Tuscany Landscape Paintings. 

If you've never been to Tuscany, you might have seen Under The Tuscan Sun, a very popular and romantic movie. There you would have seen the sights of Tuscany, and how amazing they really are.

There are many talented artists that make artwork based on Tuscany, whether it be the homes, landscapes, villages, everything in general about the place is serene. it is a place so unique to this world.

Whether you are looking to get a painting of Tuscany for decorating your home, or for the simple love of art, you will never be dissatisfied with the final product. It's hard to ruin something that is so fantastic.

Having Tuscany Paintings on your wall are sure to add bright colors, a definite point of focus to your room, or wherever you so put it. The picture itself will speak its own words, you do not need to explain it.

To see the landscapes of Tuscany in a movie, and then Tuscany Landscape Paintings, they are two completely different things, one is actual footage of the place, while the other in an interpretation from an artist, whether it be exact or dramaticized, however it may be.

if someone loves to travel, one place that is a must travel destination is Tuscany, simply because you will not see another place in this world like it.

Tuscany consists of ten provinces, all of which are special in their own way. The land consists of about two thirds consistent hills, not mountains, but not flats. Suttle hills that accentuate the most dazzling sunsets one will ever see.

About a fourth of the land is mountains, which are not as travelled as the hills, or the rest of the land which is flat. The mountains are definitely the least seen, but not to be mistaken.

Out of all the provinces, Florence is the most populated, next to Prato, and then Livorno in a close third. The entire population of the land reaches into the millions.

Tuscany first started to pick up its history in the Bronze and Iron Ages, starting at around 1,100 B.C. A lot of controversy between religion was brought up in the early times of Tuscany, and eventually the land was essentially split into two.

Each province having it's own strength, for instance, one in banking, another having a dock, specializing in silk, and more. But that time is when Florence rose to the top as the cultural capital, and still holds the title for the most populated province.

Back to the subject. Overall, Tuscany Paintings are a great asset to anyones home, simply because of the beauty and power that the image holds. Especially in the United States, where you won't find anything close to what Tuscany has to offer in environmental beauty, having a frame on the wall is a close second though.

Hopefully this article will help you make your decision on purchasing Tuscany Landscape Paintings, and that you now know a little history to tell your friends and family if they do happen to ask.

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