4 reasons you should avoid vegetable oil!
I learned through experience, at a young age that canola and other vegetable oils are not a health food. Whenever I accidentally eat something cooked in a cheap vegetable oil I get a terrible stomach pain that lasts for at least an hour.It wasn't until a few years ago that I learned how toxic and unfit for human consumption these oils actually are. If you had asked me back then "Heather, what is the most detrimental food that Americans eat?" I probably would have said refined sugar. However, today I am convinced that vegetable oil takes the lead.Vegetable oil is in virtually every processed food including chips, candy, baked goods, gluten-free bread, pasta sauce, milk replacements and many processed "health foods".What's worse is that they are marketed as healthy fats! Some of the claims are:"free of saturated fats""comes from vegetables""heart-healthy"If my stomach, couldn't convince me of the toxicity, there is much evidence to prove that these refined oils are not health foods.1. Most are genetically modified. Canola is a genetically modified version or the rapeseed. Soy and corn oils, unless certified organic are guaranteed to be genetically modified as well. There is substantial evidence proving that GMO foods lead to many serious diseases but that's a topic of its own.2. They are extremely high in Omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega 6 fatty acids, when eaten in excess are shown to cause inflammation in the body, and brain. In fact, it wasn't until the consumption of vegetable oils that heart disease and mental health problems like depression became an issue.3. They cause weight gain. Your brain and body are wonderfully designed to know exactly what fats they need. Typically we crave saturated fats (butter, coconut oil, cheese, bacon) & monounsaturated fats (olives, avocados and some nuts) as we need higher amounts of these than polyunsaturated fats. Have you every craved dipping your bread in vegetable oil? I didn't think so. Your body knows it doesn't need those oils.When we replace fats that our body is craving for the "heart healthy" vegetable oils, our body recognizes the difference and continues to crave the fats we really need. This is why "fat free" fats like special salad dressings, and butter replacements are never a good idea. You can eat a generous serving of "I can't believe its not butter" and still crave the real thing afterword.4. They cause free radical damage. Canola oil and other vegetable oils are very sensitive to heat. Unfortunately the refining process incorporates high temperatures which oxidize the fats, creating free-radicals in the body. The oxidation is so extreme that these oils have to go through a deodorization process in order to cover up their rancidity.Free-radicals are known to cause cancer, but on a more subtle note, they are also responsible for increasing inflammation, and accelerating the aging process.Oils to avoid:
- Safflower oil
- Sunflower oil
- Soybean Oil
- Canola Oil
- Vegetable Oil
- Corn oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Rapeseed oil
- Margarine
- Hydrogenated oils
Fats to use instead:
- Coconut Oil
- Butter
- Olive Oil
- Avocados
- Animal Fat (only from pastured, organic animals)
Have you cut out vegetable oils from your diet?