I used to always cook with vegetable oils mostly because that's what my mom cooks with and that's the way I was taught to cook, and we've also been told that these vegetable unsaturated oils are more "heart healthy" and are supposed to protect us from heart disease. It turns out, that was a really BAD idea as they actually do more harm than good.
Here is why. Unsaturated oils like vegetable oil, corn oil, safflower oil just to name a few oxidize when exposed to any heat, even room temperature heat. The problem with oxidation in oils is that it makes it rancid and produces Free Radicals. Free Radicals are molecules that are missing a critical component and steal what they need from your healthy cells, altering your DNA which accelerates aging and over 90% of all diseases we suffer from today. This is BAD, and why you should move your family away from these oils, and stop cooking with them. Cooking with these oils accelerates oxidation, which produces more Free Radicals.
I've recently moved over to cooking with Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil is saturated and heat stable so that it doesn't get damaged when you cook with it, and it does not oxidize so no free radicals are getting into my kids bodies destroying their healthy cells. You can cook with it, bake with it, and mix it up for dressings and other healthy treats.
Other benefits:
Promotes heart health
Supports the Immune System
Gives you Energy
Supports healthy metabolism
Promotes weight loss
Maintain normal Cholesterol levels
Promotes heart health
Supports the Immune System
Gives you Energy
Supports healthy metabolism
Promotes weight loss
Maintain normal Cholesterol levels
It also doubles as an excellent moisturizer for your skin.
If Coconut oil is a saturated fat, then how can it be healthy? It's all in the chemical structure. Coconut oil is made up of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA's). Most vegetable and seed oils are comprised of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA's).
LCFA's are bad. Your body has a difficult time breaking them down which strains your liver, pancreas, and entire digestive system. They also lead to high cholesterol, which leads to a bunch of other problems. LCFA's almost always get stored as fat.
Medium-Chain fatty acids are easily digested; stimulate your metabolism, which leads to weight loss. They are also smaller and permeate your cell membranes easily and convert to energy rather than being stored as fat.
One other really cool fact that I as a mom found really interesting is that Coconut Oil contains Lauric Acid, which is a natural compound found in breast milk! Lauric acid is super important because it strengthens your immune system.
Be choosy when purchasing Coconut oil. I use Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil that I find in my local health food store. Find one that is cold pressed, organic, made with fresh coconuts (instead of dried "copra" used in cheap oils), not refined or bleached.
Angela is a Health and Wellness expert who turns the pickiest eaters into fruit and veggie eating machines!
Visit her site today for free info on how to "get" your child to eat the foods you want them to so they can lead happy healthy futures!
Angela is also the founder of the popular Change your Food Change your Future program. Helping parents and caregivers everywhere retrain the way they think about food, re-gain control, and get their children to eat something naturally green (without tears!)
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angela_Garrison