Whether you’re sautéing vegetables, making your favorite muffins, or grabbing a quick afternoon snack, you should be mindful about the ingredients you’re using and eventually consuming. Cooking oils are consumed nearly daily in the average household. So, its safe to say that something used this frequently is safe and you can grab any snack or type of oil off the grocery store shelf, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. A good majority of the oils available today have been genetically modified, are treated with pesticides, and are actually pro-inflammatory!
Lets start with one of the most popular ones- canola oil. Surely this comes from a “canola seed,” right? Wrong. Canola oil actually comes from a hybrid version of rapeseed which has been shown to increase
inflammation and eventually lead to heart disease. What’s even worse is the process of making it into an oil. High heat, extreme pressure, and toxic petroleum solvents are added to make the final product—yikes!
Vegetable oil literally has the word “vegetable” in its name, so surely this one is healthy? Sorry, think again. Vegetable oil is also made from rapeseed and soybeans, along with a few others– none of
which are actually vegetables. It is highly processed and produced similarly to the way that canola oil is. To add to our list of what not to use are sunflower, safflower, corn, and soybean oils, and vegetable shortening. And please, for the sake of your arteries, put down the margarine.
These oils consist of omega 6 fatty acids which add fuel to the fire when it comes to hindering your body’s inflammatory pathways. They also decrease the availability of your omega 3 fats (good fats),
further increasing inflammation, risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer—just to name a few. Studies have also linked excessive omega 6 fat consumption to mental illness resulting
from inflammation of the brain.
Do you read the ingredient lists on the products you buy? If not, now is the time to start! These inflammatory oils are hidden in a majority of food products you’re likely buying. Next time you’re shopping, check out the nutrition label and ingredients on your products. If they contain any of the oils we already mentioned, put them back—trust us. Often times, the better option is right next to the not-so-good product.
By now you’re probably a little bit confused, and likely feeling deceived that these oils are so common, yet so bad for our health! Not to worry, of all the options on the grocery store shelf, there are a few that we love to use!
Our go-to oils include:
-avocado oil
-extra-virgin olive oil (for use with lower heat)
-coconut oil
-ghee
-beef tallow
These oils are high in omega 3 fatty acids, are nutrient dense and actually combat inflammation! Omega 3 fatty acids are responsible for many essential processes in your body that keep your heart, brain, and many other things in check and functioning optimally. Making better choices, even down to something as small as the cooking oils you use, can make a huge impact in the long run!
