Ready to dive deep into the world of cooking oils? First off, here's the real deal on fats.
Back in 1977, USDA dietary guidelines told us to choose low-fat, high-carb foods in an attempt to reduce diet-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Fat was made to be the villain. The food industry started creating low-fat products, which were often filled with transfats and loaded with processed sugars. Right around this time, Americans started getting bigger and bigger, and we witnessed a rise in diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. There were definitely unintended consequences of this advice on reducing fats.
We now know better, and the truth is that fats aren't your enemy. Turns out, they have a bunch of benefits:
They keep you satiated
When combined with carbs, they help to stabilize blood sugar
They’re essential for building cell membranes and hormones
Combined with veggies, they help absorb essential vitamins like A, D, E, and K
They aid mineral absorption, especially calcium
Good fats can help manage your cholesterol
But here's the thing: it's all about the kind of fats you pick.
What's on the Good Fats List? Think REAL food: veggies, olive oils, nuts, seeds, fish, and eggs. Especially avocados, those creamy delights are packed with good fat and fiber. The stars here are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs): are heart-healthy fats mainly found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados. They can help lower bad cholesterol levels, potentially reducing the risk of heart disease.
Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs): Found mostly in plant-based foods and oils, these fats can provide essential fats that your body needs but can't produce itself, like omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. However, we want to avoid having too much omega-6. A high ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is pro-inflammatory, just like too much total PUFA. Healthy PUFAs include salmon, mackerel, tuna, chia seeds, walnuts, and flax seeds. Avoid industrial oils (corn oil, canola oil, “vegetable oil,” soybean oil…) and anything made with them (read packaged food labels). These oils are very vulnerable to heat, light, and oxygen damage. Oxidized fats are dangerous because they’re inflammatory. Eating oxidized fats increases inflammation, and inflammation contributes to just about every chronic disease, including obesity and diabetes. Most packaged foods are full of these oils, so we need to be mindful of reading food labels when purchasing these foods.
The Naughty List of Fats Steer clear from the overly refined and those created in labs—especially those sneaky trans fats. Reading ingredients is your secret weapon. Spot “hydrogenated fat”? Drop it like it's hot!
Trans fats are no joke: they mess with your cholesterol, inflame your system, and up your risks of heart disease, diabetes, and more. Thankfully, these have been banned in the U.S.
Cooking Oils: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Avoid these:
Vegetable oil
Soybean oil
Corn oil
Canola
Sunflower
Grapeseed
Margarine
Shortening
Embrace these:
Organic, grass-fed butter or ghee
Coconut Oil
Avocado Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coconut Milk
MCT Oil
Here's a quick rundown:
Vegetable/Seed Oils: Think corn oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, and peanut oil. Avoid these highly processed oils!! These are often made with hexane, a nasty chemical. They might be pocket-friendly, but your health pays the price.
Coconut Oil: A great cooking oil. High in lauric acid, which can lower bad cholesterol. Safe for high-heat cooking. Go for virgin, organic variants.
Ghee or Grassfed Butter: Opt for organic and grass-fed, like the renowned Kerrygold butter. Ghee is even purer, with lactose and proteins removed, having a high smoke point and a long shelf life.
Olive Oil: Filled with healthy monounsaturated fat, which manages your cholesterol. Opt for Organic, Coldpressed, Extra Virgin variants. It is less stable at high heat but amazing raw (like in salads) or for cooking over low-medium heat settings.
Avocado Oil (My absolute fave!): Full of monounsaturated fat, battles inflammation, helps heart health and manages blood pressure. It’s taste-neutral and great for high heat.
Macadamia Nut Oil: I love this oil. The oil assumes the buttery, smooth, rich flavor of the macadamia nut, making it an interesting – but favorable – choice for salad dressings. It’s also remarkably high in MUFAs and low in PUFAs. It can be expensive, so use it as a treat.
Alright, superstar, now you’re armed with the 411 on cooking oils. Maybe take a peek in your kitchen and bid adieu to those not-so-great oils. And purchase some good quality olive or avocado oil to use for your daily need 😉
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