Hailey Bieber has authored yet another wellness craze. Here, Living360 reveals the pros, cons and possible side effects of a daily dose of olive oil.
Hailey Bieber is undoubtably one of the biggest trend-setters of her generation. Thanks to her casual street style and her game-changing skincare brand, Rhode, she’s a regular feature on the Pinterest board of many a millennial and gen Z.
Now, however, she’s making waves in the world of wellbeing.
In a recent interview with Time magazine, Hailey outlined her morning routine, which unsurprisingly consists of skincare and coffee. It was then that she revealed her unexpected ‘health hack’, noting that “it’s newer but it really does work”.
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@time @haileybieber on one of her morning must-haves: “It really kind of just takes like a big gulp of salad dressing.” #haileybieber #rhode #wellness ♬ original sound – Time Magazine
Hailey Bieber’s morning health hack
In true Mediterranean fashion, Hailey loves to have a shot of olive oil and lemon.
“That’s been in my morning musts without fail for like the last few months,” Hailey explained.
It sounds more like part of a salad dressing recipe than a wellness hack, but the founder goes on to say that it “helps coat the gut”.
In a bid to separate fact from fiction, we spoke to an expert to discover whether olive oil is a secret holy grail hiding in our kitchen cupboards, or just another social media fad.
Read more: The health benefits of having a high-protein breakfast
Olive oil and lemon juice shot benefits
“There’s no strong scientific evidence that olive oil and lemon shots ‘detox’ the body,” says Rachel Clarkson, founder of The DNA Way. “Our liver, kidneys and gut are already highly sophisticated detoxification systems on their own.”
She explains that extra virgin olive oil contains healthy fats and polyphenols, which can support overall health, and lemon juice can stimulate digestion for some people. Rachel adds that “nutrition is rarely about one trend or one ingredient”.
Are there any potential negative side-effects to having a daily shot of olive oil?
While we know about the benefits of a balanced consumption of healthy fats, how much is too much?
“If you’re thinking about weight maintenance or even weight loss, having a shot of olive oil in the morning may be detrimental to your progress if other fats in the day aren’t accounted for,” says Rachel.
Is there a ‘best’ type of olive oil to take as a morning shot?
The idea behind taking shots of olive oil is that cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is high in polyphenols, which are anti-inflammatory micro-nutrients.
Therefore, opting for a cold-pressed high-quality olive-oil would be the best bet.
Read more: The surprising health benefits of iced coffee
Is drinking coffee before breakfast good?
The Rhode founder said: “I try to do the olive oil shot, then food, then coffee.”
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach has been a point of contention for wellness experts and nutritionists.
“For some people, drinking coffee on an empty stomach can increase feelings of anxiety, jitters, nausea or energy crashes,” says Rachel.
“Variations in genes such as CYP1A2 and ADORA2A can influence how quickly somebody breaks down caffeine and how sensitive they are to its stimulant effects.” This means some people are naturally more prone to anxiety, palpitations or sleep disruption after caffeine than others.
If this sounds similar to your experiences, having a balanced breakfast before a coffee can help create more sustained energy throughout the day.
Feature image: Unsplash
