The truth about cooking oils

I grew up with vegetable oil in the house. I continued using it because I thought it was the way to go. It sounds like it is healthy for you. But, I was wrong!

Bad oils:

Vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola: Most of what is labeled as vegetable oil is simply heavily refined soybean oil. It is processed under high heat, pressure, and industrial solvents. Almost all of these processed oils are not healthy for you. Vegetable oils are mostly comprised of polyunsaturated fats. Processed polyunsaturated oils are the most inflammatory inside our bodies because of their high reactivity to heat and light. This inflammation is what causes many of our internal problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and other degenerative diseases.

Healthier oils:

Coconut oil: Coconut oil is the best for cooking because it has very little polyunsaturates and is mostly comprised of natural saturated fats which are the least reactive to heat/light and therefore the least inflammatory in your body from cooking use. It also has a high smoke point which means the temperature can be pretty high and oil remains stable.

Olive oil: Olive oil, preferably extra virgin is a better monounsaturated fat that works great as a salad dressing. There can be no refined oil in extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage. If the coconut flavor of coconut oil doesn’t work with what you are cooking, you can add a little bit of water to the pan with olive oil before you turn the heat on.  The oil will not get as hot and will be healthier to cook with.

*You can also use water or veggie broth for cooking.