Coconut Oil (for cooking) – GOOD
Coconut oil used to be considered a “bad” fat since it is a
saturated fat. Coconut oil is a naturally saturated fat which is very different
from hydrogenated oils which are also known as trans fats. Most hydrogenated
oils on the market were hydrogenated to have a longer shelf life, which
increases company profits.
Extra-virgin
organic cold-pressed coconut oil is the best kind of all the coconut oils on
the market and contains high concentrations of lauric acid. Once you take in
coconut oil, your body will covert the lauric acid to monolaurin, a powerful
anti-inflammatory because has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal
properties.
How Do I
Use Coconut Oil?
The best
way to use coconut oil in your cooking if you want to keep a buttery taste but
eliminate the bad fats and increase your coconut intake is to replace half of
the measurements that call for butter with coconut oil. You can try this with
everything, from fried eggs to popcorn and the result is delicious!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for raw food) - GOOD
The other healthiest oil you can consume is extra virgin olive oil, which
contains polyphenols which lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and
mortality. (Guasch-Ferré et al., 2014) With that being said, try to opt for
certified organic extra virgin olive oil whenever possible. I learnt at an Olive plantation in Mendoza in Argentina that Extra Virgin olive oil is the first press of olive oil, this is where the oil is squeezed out of the olives, virgin olive all is the second press where the olives are squeezed again with water and standard olive oil is a third press that is heated. Many organic extra virgin olive oil farmers will use the olives as fertilizer instead of performing a second press. Remember that heating olive oil makes it toxic, therefor you should only use Extra Virgin Olive oil and you should not heat it.
It is also important to get certified organic olive oil as over 60% of olive oils you will find in the grocery store are not actually olive oil. An author by the name of Tom Mueller broke the news in his book, “Extra Virginity,” which blew the lid off of a global olive oil conspiracy. Many of these oils are imported from various countries and the companies themselves that are packaging the oils have no idea that the oil shipped to them is not olive oil, but actually soybean or vegetable oil tinted with chlorophyll. Olive oil piracy is common in Italy so anything imported that you buy in the store is quite possibly fake. To be sure your olive oil is the real deal, only buy olive oils with a certified organic seal or from trusted local olive oil artisans.
It is also important to get certified organic olive oil as over 60% of olive oils you will find in the grocery store are not actually olive oil. An author by the name of Tom Mueller broke the news in his book, “Extra Virginity,” which blew the lid off of a global olive oil conspiracy. Many of these oils are imported from various countries and the companies themselves that are packaging the oils have no idea that the oil shipped to them is not olive oil, but actually soybean or vegetable oil tinted with chlorophyll. Olive oil piracy is common in Italy so anything imported that you buy in the store is quite possibly fake. To be sure your olive oil is the real deal, only buy olive oils with a certified organic seal or from trusted local olive oil artisans.
How Do I Use Olive Oil?
The best way to get your polyphenol benefits from olive oil
is to pour it on salads or onto cooled, cooked dishes that you want to increase
the healthy fat benefits, such as savoury dishes, rice, pasta or quinoa. The
flavor of olive oil goes well with most saucy or flavorful, salty recipes.
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| Kimbo and I at an Olive Plantation in Mendoza, Argentina |
Vegetable Oil - BAD
Vegetable oil usually consists of soybean oil, canola oil or corn oil, most of which are produced using GMOs or genetically modified organisms. Many major companies use GMO seed so that the crop becomes poisonous to insects by causing the insect to literally starve itself to death. (Extension, 2014)
The long-term health effects of eating GMOs is still controversial, however, the truth remains that these oils mainly contain omega-6 fats, which when eaten excessively greatly affect the immune system and all bodily functions. Most who have too high of a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 will experience depression or increased inflammation. (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2014). Increased inflammation leads to serious diseases, including heart diseases, autoimmune diseases, depression and even cancer.
Extension, C. (2014). Bacillus
thuringiensis. [online] Ext.colostate.edu. Available at:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05556.html [Accessed 9 Sep. 2014].
Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, (2014). The importance of the ratio of omega-6/o... [Biomed Pharmacother. 2002]
- PubMed - NCBI. [online] Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909
Please checkout my You tube Nutrition Playlist for a few videos for more on cooking oils
Please checkout my You tube Nutrition Playlist for a few videos for more on cooking oils
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| Kimbo and I testing Grappa (wine made from olives) at an Olive plantation |
