I Took an Olive Oil & Lemon Shot Every Morning for 90 Days (Here's What Happened)

90 days. One spoonful. Three changes I didn't expect.

The Setup: Why I Did This Differently

For years, I was caught in the "fasting trap." Black coffee until 2 PM. No breakfast. Just adrenaline and hunger by 4:00 PM, which meant I'd eat the entire pantry.

My skin was inflamed. My brain was foggy. My body was stressed.

Then I looked at the research—specifically from Dr. Stacy Sims and experts on metabolic health—and I realized I was doing it backwards. I wasn't starving myself into health. I was starving myself into cortisol chaos.

So I ran a 90-day experiment. Every morning: 10 grams (⅔ of a tablespoon) of lab-tested Papa Vince extra virgin olive oil + 20 grams (1 ½ tablespoon) of fresh lemon juice + 15-20 grams of protein (boiled egg, cottage cheese). The protocol matters. The ratios matter. And the quality of the oil? That matters most of all.

Here's what happened.

Result #1: The "Food Noise" Disappeared

By week one, something shifted.

I wasn't thinking about snacks two hours later. The constant hunger cues—that mental chatter about what to eat next—just stopped.

What actually happens: when you pair quality EVOO with protein first thing, you're signaling satiety to your brain before anything else. The polyphenols in high-quality olive oil—specifically compounds like those found in our Nocellara del Belice olives—work with your body's natural appetite regulation. You're not forcing yourself to eat less. You're supporting your body to feel naturally satisfied.

For the deep science on this, check out Is EVOO Nature's Ozempic? — I break down how five different polyphenol compounds work together to support your body's natural GLP-1 and PYY signaling. Those are the hormones that say "I'm full."

Result #2: The Brain Fog Lifted

Week two: clarity.

I felt purified. Light. Sharp—without the caffeine jitters I used to chase.

Here's why: most people trying to fix low energy drink more coffee. But that's like polishing a rusty engine instead of rebuilding it. What my body actually needed was support at the cellular level.

Hydroxytyrosol—a specific polyphenol found in high amounts in our current harvest—does something different. It acts like a construction crew for your mitochondria. It supports mitochondrial biogenesis: the creation of new cellular power plants.

Read more here about why hydroxytyrosol matters in olive oil!

This isn't a substitute for sleep or exercise. But when you're giving your cells the raw materials they need to produce energy efficiently, everything shifts.

If you feel tired all the time, watch Why Your Mitochondria Love Hydroxytyrosol — I detail exactly how this compound works and why it matters.

Result #3: Physical Changes I Didn't Expect

My skin got softer. Inflammation went down. And yes, my body composition changed.

Full transparency: the body composition shift came from maintaining a caloric deficit. The oil didn't burn fat on its own. But here's the crucial part because I wasn't fighting hunger pangs constantly, staying in that deficit was easy. I wasn't fighting my biology. I was working with it.

That's the difference between forcing restriction and supporting satiety.

The One Thing That Mattered Most

Here's what I learned: you cannot do this with generic oil.

I get messages from people saying, "Maria, I tried this with supermarket olive oil and felt nothing." Of course they didn't. The polyphenols—the actual medicinal compounds—oxidize and degrade over time. Sitting in a warehouse for two years? Blended with cheaper oils? Those compounds are gone. You're just drinking fat.

The science I mentioned—the satiety triggers, the mitochondrial support—only works if the polyphenols are alive.

That's why Papa Vince tests every harvest. Our current harvest: 10.29 mg of hydroxytyrosol and derivatives per 20g of oil. That's over double the European benchmark for supporting blood lipid oxidation.

This isn't a flex. It's accountability. We show the lab results. Most brands don't even test.

Go Deeper Into The Science

Want to understand the full picture?

• Is EVOO Nature's Ozempic? — The synergy of polyphenols and appetite control
• Why Your Mitochondria Love Hydroxytyrosol — How this compound supports cellular energy
• The Body Reset: How Women Should Eat & Exercise — Dr. Stacy Sims on metabolic health and protein timing
• Our Lab-Tested Hydroxytyrosol Results — See the exact numbers, verified

The Real Takeaway

Stop trying to run on fumes. Stop polishing the old engine. Start building a new one—with real fuel.

This 90-day experiment wasn't about the EVOO. It was about alignment. When you stop fighting your body and start supporting it with real food, real polyphenols, and real protocol—everything changes.

Quality matters. Transparency matters. Knowing exactly what you're putting in your body matters.