What oil should I use?

This is another question I get asked often. Especially with the surge of interest in coconut oil.

Put simply the main oil you want to use is extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

And don’t believe the hype about not being able to cook with it, you can. And contrary to what many people say, it actually has a higher smoke point than coconut oil. But having said that, I encourage you not to allow any oil you use to get hot enough that it smokes!

The other oil I love to use in some salad dressings and in baking is macadamia oil. It is a monounsaturated fat like evoo and a great alternative for those who don’t like the strong flavour of evoo.

I suggest people avoid using sunflower and other vegetable based oils in cooking as we are exposed to enough of them in pre-prepared and packaged foods. Too many of these types of oils can encourage inflammation in the body, which doesn’t sound like a good thing for a very good reason!

Due to its high antioxidant content, evoo can help reduce inflammation in your body which can help to prevent against many issues including arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimers and Parkinsons.

Coconut Oil…

While there is an incredible about of information about coconut oil on the internet, with all sorts of claims about how healthy it is, there actually is no evidence to substantiate these claims.

Currently the evidence suggests that coconut oil isn’t as healthy as many people make out it is.

Having said that, I am not against using coconut oil at all or ever and I have to admit it is actually great to use in baking. But just don’t use it all the time. Make evoo your go-to main oil you consume and use coconut oil sometimes, and sparingly!

Read on to learn more about coconut oil…

A blog post from Thinking Nutrition – Crazy Coconut Heart Claims Need Therapy