Olive Oil Will Change Your Life—Here’s How


Want to become healthier with just one simple change to your diet?

If you want to reduce your risk of inflammation-related diseases, like cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, stroke, diabetes and cancer…

Then you want extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).

Extra virgin olive oil is a primary component of one of the healthiest diets on the planet: the Mediterranean diet. This nutritious fat plays a role in chronic inflammation by minimizing inflammatory pathways, regulating metabolic processes, detoxing cells, and protecting blood vessels.

These properties make it one of the key fighters and prevention methods against serious diseases, including cancer, heart attack, and stroke.

EVOO can even impact your genes and epigenetics!

What is the value of adding extra virgin olive oil to your diet? How will it impact your health? And how can you make olive oil a part of your daily nutrition?

What is extra virgin olive oil? 

Olive oil is the natural oil extracted from olives, which are fatty fruits. In its purest form, olive oil contains a number of beneficial bioactive components, including oleic acid, biophenols, and vitamin E.

EVOO is a source of unsaturated fats, specifically monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are a necessary and nutritious part of your daily macros. Oleic acid is the predominant fatty acid in olive oil, making up about 73% of EVOO. It’s considered one of the healthiest fatty acids on the planet (that we know of). We’ll get more into these benefits below.

About 24% of olive oil is saturated fats, omega-3s, and omega-6s. Omegas are essential fatty acids that the body needs for everyday function. Omegas play a role in brain function, cardiovascular disease, asthma, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, macular degeneration, depressive disorders, skin disorders, and more.

100 grams of olive oil contains:

  • Monounsaturated fat: 73%
  • Saturated fat: 13.8%
  • Omega-6: 9.7%
  • Omega-3: 0.76%
  • Vitamin E: 72% of the RDA
  • Vitamin K: 75% of the RDA

1. Helps prevent cancer

One of the most potent benefits of olive oil is its impact on cancer. Olive oil is filled with antioxidants like vitamins E and K that help fight off disease and inflammation. Olive oil also contains a large number of specific anticancer agents like squalene and terpenoids.

Oleic acid in EVOO is especially cancer-fighting. Oleic acid fights free radical damage, which is the main cause of cancer. It’s also highly resistant to oxidation, and it plays a role in controlling genetic expression (also referred to as epigenetics).

Oleic acid suppresses the overexpression of HER2, which is an oncogene (a gene that can transform a cell into a tumor cell). This acid has been shown to reduce the onset, progression, and metastasis in a number of cancers by inhibiting the HER2 gene activity.

Moreover, studies show that the oleocanthal in EVOO can kill cancer cells in less than an hour… while most cells die between 16 and 24 hours. This means that it can help kill cancer cells before they even have the chance to grow or spread.

In fact, a number of experts believe that olive oil is the main reason why people in Mediterranean countries have a lower risk of cancer.

2. Reduces chronic inflammation

The antioxidants that help prevent cancer also assist in fighting systemic (body-wide) inflammation. Chronic inflammation is the number one cause of serious diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

Oleocanthal is a compound in olive oil that shows surprisingly similar features as that of ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, like over-the-counter Advil or Motrin. You take ibuprofen if you have inflammation in the body, like a headache, a fever, or a swollen ankle. Thus, if oleocanthal has almost identical properties to ibuprofen, it could be a natural solution for long-term and chronic inflammation.

Moreover, oleic acid reduces the serum C-reactive protein, which is a driver of chronic inflammation.   

3. Improves heart health

Chronic inflammation is a major driver of heart disease. As discussed above, olive oil helps minimize chronic inflammation, which in turn helps keep the heart healthy. One study found that olive may even lower blood pressure, reducing the need for blood pressure medication by nearly 48%.

Moreover, the oleuropein in olive oil can actually help prevent the oxidation of LDL “good” cholesterol. This keeps the good cholesterol levels high, which in turn minimizes levels of bad cholesterol. High good cholesterol and low bad cholesterol is essential to long-term heart health and the prevention of cardiovascular disease.


Some studies show that olive oil can also improve endothelial (blood vessel) health and strength. One study suggested that it increases the release of nitric oxide, which is the compound that relaxes and expands the blood vessels to let blood flow freely. This allows more blood to naturally move to the heart. Nitric oxide also plays an important role in preventing erectile dysfunction… so olive oil may be good for the blood vessels in your penis too!

Most importantly, a study of 7,447 participants, aged 55 to 80 at high risk for heart disease, found that diets supplemented with EVOO or nuts significantly reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events. This is only one of a number of studies practically proving the heart-healthy benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

4. Reduces the risk of stroke

Olive oil has been linked to a lower risk of blood clotting. Blood clots are the cause of heart attack, stroke, and pulmonary embolism.

One review analyzed 32 studies and found a significant association between a higher intake of olive oil and a reduced risk of death by any cause; EVOO especially showed a minimized risk of stroke with nearly a 17% reduction.

Another study of over 38,000 participants found an inverse association between olive oil consumption and stroke.  

5. Improves brain health

The Mediterranean diet has been shown to promote cognitive function and brain health throughout life, especially in later years.

EVOO also plays an important role in minimizing the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Patients with Alzheimer’s have a buildup of beta amyloid proteins in their brain. But research shows that EVOO can actually clear out these proteins, which may help prevent Alzheimer’s.

6. Fights mood disorders

Mood disorders like anxiety or depression occur when the brain doesn’t have enough serotonin or dopamine, which are the “happy hormones” that play a role in mood, sleep, and cognitive function. Olive oil may actually balance these hormones to minimize cortisol and leave room for the production of these happy hormones.

Olive oil’s anti-inflammatory properties also help reduce inflammation in the brain that can cause neurological disorders.  

One study found that an intake of unsaturated fats has an inverse relationship with depression, while trans fats have a linear and proportional relationship.

Olive oil may actually make you happier!

7. Strengthens bones

Research shows that olive oil can positively affect bone thickness. Patients with osteoporosis, which is a decrease in muscle mass, are at greater risk of fractures and breaks—which can even be fatal in older patients.

Olive oil, though, may help fight against osteoporosis and arthritis by allowing the body to better absorb calcium, which is necessary for strong bones.

8. Reduces risk of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is an American epidemic. It’s expected that by 2050 1 in 3 Americans will be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Olive oil actually stabilizes blood sugar and insulin levels. Balancing out insulin helps increase insulin sensitivity, which minimizes the risk for diabetes.

One small study of non-diabetic subjects found that eating a Mediterranean diet with olive oil reduces the risk of developing diabetes by 40%. A second study confirmed these findings, as olive oil caused less of a spike in blood glucose levels than corn oil.

9. Manages weight  


Low-fat diets, like high-protein diets, can actually cause you to gain more weight. Cutting healthy fats out of your diet means taking away one of your three essential macronutrients that keeps your body functioning.

Olive oil is a necessary healthy fat that will not make you fat. In fact, it might do just the opposite.

Countless studies have linked the Mediterranean diet to lower body fat, obesity prevention, and weight loss. In fact, one study found that those eating a Mediterranean diet have an 88% lower risk of obesity. 
This weight management likely has three causes.

  1. Olive oil can also help regulate insulin and blood sugar levels. Spikes in sugar levels cause the body to store fat, but minimizing these spikes can help regulate how your body uses its energy.  
  2. The Mediterranean diet encourages a higher intake of fruits, vegetables, and fish, which all have positive effects on weight.
  3. Healthy fats help reduce hunger, which minimizes the number of calories consumed.

What’s the best kind of EVOO?

There are different types of olive oil out there, some better than others. You want to make sure that you’re getting extra virgin olive oil. The “extra virgin” means that it’s as pure as possible. Other types of olive oils go through a refining process that can remove all of the antioxidants and bioactive compounds—and some brands even add in unhealthy, saturated fats!

Make sure that you’re getting real extra virgin olive oil. Do your research to ensure that your “extra virgin” hasn’t been diluted with other refined oils (which is a common oil scam in our grocery markets today)

A good rule of thumb is to go for the darkest bottle of olive oil on the shelf. Darker bottles help protect the oil inside, because the active components in olive oil can go bad when exposed to the sun.

Look for pure oil in dark bottles.

How do you consume extra virgin olive oil?


I love olive oil because it’s so versatile—and delicious!

Olive oil is a great salad dressing. Olive oil and vinegar is one of the healthiest—and tangiest—ways to spice up your favorite salads.  

If I’m treating myself to a dish of whole-wheat pasta, I’ll throw some olive oil in with my tomato-basil sauce for a deliciously healthy addition. If you like your pasta plain, a few tablespoons of olive oil adds a bit of flavor while softening the pasta.  

Best yet, extra virgin olive oil is great for cooking. Studies show that it can withstand high temperatures while resisting oxidation. Other oils actually emit toxic fumes and produce harmful free radicals when exposed to high temperatures.

Not only does EVOO not create toxic chemicals when heated, but it also maintains the majority of its antioxidants and bioactive compounds even at high temperatures! This means that cooking with EVOO can actually add more nutrition to some of your favorite healthy dinners.

So throw a capful of EVOO in the pan to sauté your veggies or grill up some chicken. I’ll even put a few drops in the water before boiling pasta or rice as a substitute for salt. EVOO adds flavor and helps the grain cook faster, and it’s a great way to minimize your sodium intake.  

There’s not much you can’t do with extra virgin olive oil.

Pro-tip: Olive oil also has antibacterial properties. Studies show that it can reduce bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and H. pylori, even when used in mayonnaise and salads. One study even found that EVOO is effective against 8 strains of H. pylori that are resistant to antibiotics. Toss your salad in olive oil for added layers of protection.

Conclusion

I like to think of extra virgin olive oil as the chimney sweep. It clears out your heart, blood vessels, brain, hormones, fat cells, and more. It basically helps “reset” your body and genetics towards a healthier resting state.

Best yet, incorporating more EVOO in your diet is a small, delicious change that will radically improve your health.

Do you want more nutrition tips that will help boost your vitality in weeks?  

Do you want to be the most vibrant and sexy you’ve ever felt?

Are you ready to take action to regain your health and vigor?

Are you ready to upgrade your health?

Schedule a consultation to learn how.

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In Male 2.0™, Dr. Tracy Gapin has turned everything we once thought we knew about men’s health and performance upside down. The old model of how to be “a man” is broken. A man who works himself to death.  Unfortunately, a man who tries to NOT get sick but isn’t really healthy either.  And a man who takes a pill for every ill but is never really cured. That was Male 1.0. Now, imagine being THE MAN ─ owning your performance in the bedroom, the weight room, and the boardroom. Living a fully optimized life. Becoming limitless. This is Male 2.0!

Tracy Gapin, MD, FACS  is a board-certified Urologist,  world renowned Men’s Health & Performance Expert, Author, and Professional Speaker. Using state-of-the-art biometric monitoring, nutrition and lifestyle intervention, Dr. Gapin coaches Fortune 500 executives and evolutionary leaders of business, sports medicine, and high performance. He specializes in cutting-edge precision medicine with an emphasis on epigenetics, providing men with a personalized path to optimizing health & performance. www.GapinInstitute.com

Want more tips to optimize your health?  Listen to the latest podcasts. Click HERE

Transform Your Body In 24 Hours With Intermittent Fasting


Intermittent fasting (IF) has become a craze in the health and nutrition world in recent months… and I’m thrilled to see it’s finally becoming more widespread! Short-term fasting has proven beneficial for years, and IF diet-supplementation is finally getting the props it deserves.

So what is intermittent fasting? What are the benefits?

And how can you implement intermittent fasting to start seeing benefits instantly?

What is intermittent fasting?

What you put into your body isn’t the whole story. Your body responds to more than just calories. When you eat, how often you eat, and how you consume your food also plays a significant role in how your body responds to and uses your food-based nutrients. This is where the idea of intermittent fasting comes in.

Intermittent fasting is a dietary practice that limits the number of calories you consume in a daily or weekly period. While other dieting practices focus on what you eat, IF focuses on how you eat.

IF is not the same as starving yourself. Rather, it restricts your food consumption to a specific window of time. This “feeding” period ensures you still receive the proper daily nutrients your body needs for healthy functioning. Then the “fasting” period—the time in between meals—helps your body use those nutrients to reset and rejuvenate for optimal health.

There are a number of forms of intermittent fasting, which we’ll discuss below in our IF diet plans. But first… why should you even hop onboard the IF train?

What are the benefits of intermittent fasting?

1. Boosts weight loss

Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to overall health. Obesity is linked to a number of serious and chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, arthritis, gout, and even cancers. Maintaining a healthy weight is also crucial to hormone regulation and a functioning endocrine system. This is especially important for men who are suffering from symptoms of low testosterone or erectile dysfunction.

Intermittent fasting can help improve your weight loss efforts in two key ways.

Firstly, your body uses food as its energy source. When fasting, your body still needs energy in order to function. When you’re not consuming energy through food, your body has to tap into its energy storage—aka your fat reserves.

Basically, your body has to burn fat in order to stay functioning while fasting. This can help you shed those extra few pounds that seem to be hanging on for dear life.

Secondly, fasting helps to limit the number of calories you consume. Your body physically can only eat so much in a period of time. This means that if you take away hours of the day where you could be consuming food, you naturally drop your caloric intake.

For example, say your body could consume 1,000 calories per meal. That’s 3,000 calories per day. If you fasted for one of those meals, you’re down to only 2,000 calories. Fast for two meals and you’re at a third of your caloric intake for that day.

This is especially useful for people who are overweight and have a tendency to eat a lot at one sitting. Cutting back on the meals you eat in one day can help you drastically cut your number of calories. Over time, your stomach will start to shrink and your body will crave fewer calories.

You’ll be eating less and burning more!

Note that too much fasting can actually have a negative effect on weight loss. Fasting too frequently or too long can actually put your body into “starvation mode.” Your body then thinks it’s starving, so it will actually hold on to your fat as a way of protection. This is why the practice is called intermittent fasting.

2. Improves workouts

Intermittent fasting can actually improve the efficacy of your workouts, which can then lead to increased weight loss and healthier functioning.

Working out in a fasted state can help build muscle during resistance training. Furthermore, eating post-workout after fasting promotes a faster absorption of nutrients. Two-for-one benefits just by fasting before a workout and eating after!

One study found that when weightlifters underwent 16 hours of fasting, their fat mass decreased significantly… but their muscle mass stayed the same. This means that fasting doesn’t “kill your muscles” as some Negative Nancies would have you believe.

Although the benefits of intermittent fasting are most pronounced for resistance training, IF also has benefits for aerobics and endurance as well. One study found that fasting can even improve training performance while running.

3. Gets rid of toxins


Intermittent fasting helps boost the body’s natural cell death process, which kills off toxic cells and promotes the rebirth of healthy ones.

This is the process of autophagy, which is when unhealthy cells devour themselves. This helps rid the body of toxicity, which can help reverse the aging process and prevent certain diseases. If this process isn’t activated, then damaged cells will hang around and harm the healthy cells. This can lead to cancers (like prostate cancer), growths, inflammation, and other diseases. Autophagy basically cleans out the bad cells, so fresh, healthy cells have room to be born.  

Intermittent fasting can initiate this autophagy process.

In fact, there have been several preliminary studies on the effects of intermittent fasting on cancer patients. A 2009 study found that fasting could help reduce the side effects from toxic chemotherapy. Patients also reported a higher quality of life post-treatment. This response is likely because fasting can help preserve lean body mass while promoting the death of toxic cells (aka those cells that are damaged by chemo).   

Another study concluded that “calorie restriction or fasting demonstrates a wide range of beneficial effects able to help prevent malignancies and increase the efficacy of cancer therapies.”

This research insinuates that intermittent fasting may be able to help protect the body from toxicity.

Those are three pretty consequential benefits of intermittent fasting. Lose weight, have more productive workouts, and get rid of toxins. Plus, these effects then lead to enhanced energy, mental clarity, concentration, hormonal balance, and more. Think of IF as the ultimate “reset” for your body when it’s feeling sluggish.

So how can you implement intermittent fasting in your life so you can reap these awesome rewards?

What are the types of fasting?

There are a number of fasting approaches. I recommend starting with the first approach and working your way up to the last to avoid “shocking” your body. Keep in mind that IF works differently for each person, so you’ll want to find the approach that best fits with your body’s rhythm.

1. Skipped meals

Start by skipping one meal. This will help your body fast for an extra period of time in an easy, convenient way.  

The best meal to skip is breakfast. This means you’ll have fasted for the entire nighttime and morning, which can be a fast of up to 12 hours. In fact, look at the word breakfast: it’s literally the meal that breaks your fast from a night of not eating. If you skip breakfast, you can hold off on breaking that fast just a little bit longer.

You can skip meals once a day, once every other day, or once a week. For this approach, the more frequent the fasting, the more you’ll see the effects.

2. Eating windows

This type of fast lengthens the number of hours you go without food, while still allowing for 1-2 meals during fast days. This type of intermittent fasting condenses your caloric intake to a window between 4 and 7 hours. The rest of the day (and night), you’ll be fasting. It’s most common to fast between 5pm and 11am or 6pm and 12am. This means basically skipping two meals—dinner and breakfast—and eating a heartier lunch.


3. Warrior fast

A similar fast is the “warrior” approach by Ori Hofmekler. This condenses the eating window to four hours at dinnertime, when you’re encouraged to “feast.” The rest of the day you should be fasting or only eating raw fruits and veggies.

This is my favorite type of intermittent fasting for big events (like Thanksgiving). Fast all morning, and then you can indulge in a delicious Thanksgiving dinner without too much guilt. (But this isn’t an excuse to eat 10,000 calories in mashed potatoes. Sorry!)   

4. 24/48 hour fast


These are the most common type of fasts for consistent fasters. The 24/48 hour fast is when you avoid eating food for a full day or two.

While fasting for a full day, you are usually permitted to have light liquids, raw veggies, and a small piece of protein like chicken. This usually allows for about 500-600 calories per day. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, refined sugars, and processed foods.

This can be a challenge for the inexperienced faster. Start with shorter periods of fasting, like 18 hours, and work your way up to a full 24 or 48 hours.

5. 5:2 fast

This is then related to the 5:2 fast, where you eat regularly for 5 days and fast for 2 days. The two fasting days can be consecutive—one 48 hour fast—or on opposite sides of the week—two 24 hour fasts. Follow the same rules as the 24/48 hour fast above.

6. Alternating fasts

An Obesity Reviews study looked at participants who alternated fasting for 24 hours and eating regularly for 24 hours. This was a consistent, consecutive alteration for 12 weeks. They found that these participants preserved more muscle mass than their dieting counterparts (those participating in a low-calorie diet). They also ate fewer calories, lost more weight, and saw improved energy.

If you’re comfortable with intermittent fasting, you can consider trying out an alternating schedule. This means that you have one day of eating as usual, followed by 24 hours of fasting. Then eating as usual, and then 24 hours of fasting.

7. Extended fasts

Some people will also do extended fasts a few times per year. These can be 3-5 days, eating less than 600 calories per day. This can be used in conjunction with other intermittent fasting approaches or on its own. However, this brings with it worries of “refeeding syndrome” for inexperienced fasters, which we’ll discuss below.

Determining the type of fast and the frequency of fasting is entirely up to you. Listen to your body. Try out different forms. When you feel the best, you’ve found your intermittent fasting schedule!

Need an intermittent fasting calculator?  Click here

What are the concerns with intermittent fasting?

Many critics of IF claim refeeding syndrome as a serious complication for fasters. Refeeding is when your body goes from 0 to 60—fasting to feeding—too quickly. Basically, it causes electrolytes and blood sugar levels to spike, which can cause serious sickness. However, refeeding syndrome is rare for any fasting length under 3 days and highly uncommon under 5 days.

Avoid any problems by just taking it slowly. If you’re new to fasting, don’t start with a 3-day cleanse. Take it slow and work up to larger fasts. Also, don’t guzzle food after an extended fast. Start with a small, healthy meal of salad and cold water fish. This will help break your fast and give your body the nutrients it needs without causing any unhealthy spikes.

Another “concern” is simply the mental roadblock that comes with not eating. When you first start fasting, your body will be begging for food. Your brain will try to trick you into thinking it’s starving… simply because it likes food! Our brains are conditioned to crave food to keep us alive.

But you can go for days without food and not harm your body. Mahatma Gandhi survived for 21 days without food. One monk even went for 36 days. You can handle 24 hours, trust me.

When you first start fasting, you’ll be thinking about food a lot. So do something to take your mind off of it. Have fun with your friends and family. Watch a movie. De-stress.

Go for a walk. In fact, walking actually helps boost the benefits of intermittent fasting, because it helps you use up additional energy to burn fat and kill toxic cells.

Enjoy the fast.

Once your body adjusts to fasting, you won’t be as hungry as you used to be. You’ll be more energized, healthy, happy, and ready to take on the world around you!

Psst… Don’t forget to drink a lot of water while you’re fasting! Water can help curb appetite and keep you energized.

The Bottom Line

Intermittent fasting is a healthy way to rejuvenate your body instantly. IF can help you lose weight, improve your workouts, and detox your cells for a better functioning brain, endocrine system, autonomic nervous system, immune system, and more. Your body will thank you.

Intermittent fasting is just one step of the Gapin Institute full-body transformation. If you want to start living your best life now, you need to sign up for our Male 90X program. I guarantee you’ll be thrilled you did!