Not All Oils Are Created Equal

by CANDICE DEAL

Coconut oil is a great oil for your skin, but it’s better left to skincare than using it in the kitchen. Coconut oil is 98% saturated fat (the bad fat). Palm oil is an oil we see in the ingredients list in an array of foods. From Valentine’s Day chocolates to peanut butter, it’s everywhere. The palm oil ingredient we see on food packaging is going to be refined palm oil and that is where the benefit of unrefined palm oil is lost and we put palm oil on the “watch out for” list since it’s very high in palmitic acid and that is high in saturated fatty acid.

Let’s get to the good oils! Avocado, almond, peanut, macadamia, and olive oil. These are all heavy monounsaturated fats. This makes flaxseed oil a great oil, too, but it’s not great if you put it with heat. It’s a better one for dressings in the kitchen which means it doesn’t make my shopping list because I need oils that are multifunctional, good for cooking, skin care, and dressings!

Our good oils are loaded with Omega 3s, the anti-inflammatory omega, and they are loaded with HDL, the good cholesterol that picks up the excess LDL in your system and moves it to your liver, which breaks it down and kicks it to the curb. Your brain loves Omega 3 rich oils as it feeds your cognitive function and keeps the brain healthy - because your brain is 60% fat!

A good shopping tip when selecting your olive oils, is to look for oils that have a stamped harvest date. Olive oil can go rancid if it sits for too long. Most extra virgin olive oil is good on a shelf for two years and it should be purchased within one year after harvest date; once it’s opened you want to use it up within six months. Choosing one that’s in a dark glass will keep the light out and keeping it in a cabinet away from sunlight is best when storing it at home.

Avocado oil is a great choice for cooking because it has a high temperature smoke point, higher than olive oil. If your dish calls for a sauté pan set on medium-high or high, this is a great choice to ensure you don’t set off any smoke alarms! It’s high in Omega 3 oils and has a very low saturated fat content. It’s also loaded with Vitamin A and E and it’s an oil for feeding your skin and hair!

An easy way to add some good, healthy fat to your daily diet is to just add in a small amount of oil to your meals. Use it as a base for meats when adding herbs and spice, add some when cooking your sauteed veggies, use it to make a salad dressing. Small but mighty changes!