Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the oil to the skillet before placing it on the stove. Heat the oil over medium-high heat for one to two minutes. You can also use butter or another type of vegetable oil in place of the olive oil. Use a wok, if you have one available.
Egg whites help emulsify fats and water-based liquids in certain recipes. Emulsification is a process by which you mix two liquids that normally do not mix well together. Emulsification of fats allows you to mix them with water-based substances, which has important implications for cooking and for digestion. To emulsify fats, you need substances such as bile salts or other compounds that help connect the fat and water.
Emulsification of fats is also a critical part of digestion. Most of the fluid in your digestive tract is water-based, so when you consume fats, they tend to form large globules in your intestines. When the fat is in large globules, it is hard for the enzymes in your digestive tract to break down dietary fats. Large globules of fat are also poorly absorbed by your intestines. As a result, your body uses an emulsifier known as bile to break up these fat globules.