When we decide to make a change in the way we eat, adding more vegetables seems like the no-brainer first step to attaining better nutrition and internal health(it is, by the way). But then, maybe you think, vegetable oil sounds like a clean-eating approach to oil too to grab some extra veggie bonus points.
This would actually be a big mistake.
Adding vegetable oil (think Canola, Crisco, Mazola)to salads, stir fry, or any other pan can mess things up for you in a pretty significant set of ways.
1) VEGETABLE OILS AREN’T MADE FROM VEGETABLES
Say what? We know, it sounds insane that a) it could be true and b) that they’re allowed to title something as misleading as that.
So why is it so unhealthy among the family of oils available? “vegetable” oils are actually made from various seeds that were never intended for human ingestion, and grown for industrial use while being very chemically treated so they can transform into a pourable liquid. They can even be deoderized if a chemical smell needs to be masked. Yeah, it’s like that.
The industrial/vegetable oils that you want to avoid are canola, corn, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, rice bran and soy oil. In opposition, in the healthy corner of the ring are the excellent choices as follows; fruit oils, nut oils (including walnut, coconut, avocado and olive oil). These are simply pressed to extract the oils, without caustic chemical processing. Clean and healthy fats-straight up.
2) VEGETABLE OILS ARE UNSTABLE – THIS CAUSES INTERNAL DAMAGE
We’re not referring to their ability to carry out a healthy relationship, we’re talking about the unstable nature which makes them inflammatory. Saturated fats(these are the healthy fats mentioned above) are more stable because of their molecular structure. Unsaturated fats(unhealthy and not recommended) are less stable—and polyunsaturated fats are the least stable of all-worse than your crazy ex kind of unstable.
When a fat is unstable, it means that it can oxidize easily, which creates free radicals(cancer causing agents) in our body. Any fat can actually be the culprit of this but due to the highly unstable nature of polyunsaturated fats, they’re giving you the biggest risk.
These polyunsaturated fats / industrial oils, can oxidize simply through light exposure through a glass or plastic bottle. Are your wheels turning? They should be, if you’re thinking back to all the vegetable oils that you’ve seen in clear plastic bottles in grocery stores with windows. The chances of these oxidizing before you even get them home is likely fairly high.
Heat can also oxidize fats and cause free radicals so if you’re using vegetable oils to cook, you’re putting gasoline on the free radical fire inside your body going after cellular damage at a rapid rate.
3)VEGETABLE OIL CREATES INFLAMMATION
Vegetable oil doesn’t need to be in liquid form to cause chaos in your system. Those thick, solid, vats of Crisco and margarine or the vegetable oils that have been processed into boxed foods are also responsible.
These products are made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils or ‘trans fats,’ and are horrendous for your body.
Manufacturers create this type of fat by injecting extra hydrogen into vegetable oils, which extends product shelf life, in some cases, indefinitely. Great for product shelf life but the opposite for yours, promoting systemic inflammation throughout your body and creating a ripe environment for heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and cancer down the road.
Bonus insight: ‘trans-fat free’ doesn’t have to mean vegetable oil free. It only means free of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils – and in some processed foods both trans fats and vegetable oils will be present – truly the worst of both worlds.
Ugly trickery. But, fortunately, as of 2018, 0 grams of trans fat per serving will be the law of the land, when the FDA ban finally gets the green light.
That said, it’s past due time to scrap the processed foods – they’re a significant source of trans fats and hidden vegetable oils, both of which do nothing but negatively serve your health goals.
The Deal:
1. Even though pretty packaging can act like a siren song, read the ingredients regardless of how cute the container is.
2. Know your oils, buy the highest quality available(a little goes a long way and the improvement in your health and energy will thank you-it’s worth it), and look for organic or small producer or artisanal batches, to minimize and/or eliminate toxin and GM potentials.
3. Your oily best friends are the fruit and nut oils; coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, walnut oil, and (America’s favorite) avocado.
4. Whenever you can, purchase oils that are cold-pressed. This means they haven’t been exposed to nutrient-killing chemical and heat solvents.
5. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is great for nearly everything and can be used daily. High-quality EVOOs are a bit pricier, but again, think of the extra cost as a tasty and worthwhile investment in your health.
6. Look for EVOO in dark glass bottles to shield it from light to prevent rancidity. You can also wrap the bottle in foil as an added layer of protection – and don’t bother with oils in plastic bottles.
7. EVOOs and avocado oils are great for cooking salad dressings, sauces, and cooking at lower temperatures, like light sautéing.
8. For high-temperature cooking, use fruit oils like coconut oil or avocado oil, and saturated fats like lard (yes lard), duck fat, ghee and grass-fed butter. They have the highest burn temperature so they won’t become rancid as quickly as the other oils.
Now that you’re slick on oils, you’re ready to take on the grocery store.
Stay awesome!