Oil.

Oils.  We know them.  Rachael talks about EVOO, cakes ask for vegetable oil, dressing requires an oil, as does mayonnaise, and we grease our pans and irons with oil.  My counter is dressed with four different cooking oils at all times, they are never moved from beside the stove, for use multiple times a day.  "Why oil?"  And, maybe more importantly, "What oil?"

Oil is a fat.  Because we have talked about fat we know that it contains 9 calories per gram and should represent less than 35% of our diet.  We also know there are liquid fats, solid fats, animal fats, plant fats which fall into categories such as saturated, unsaturated, hydrogenated, trans, etc., fat.  Oil, mainly a plant  or vegetable fat, is liquid at room temperature, provides omega-3 and other essential fatty acids, and delivers monounsaturated (good) fats to the body.  Olive oil contains flavanoids, macadamia oil contains antioxidants, coconut oil is low in omega 6 but high in lauric acid. Using a variety of oils means you get a variety of benefits, benefits not present in animal fats and oils.

So, "What oil?"
*Not all oils are created equal.  When choosing an oil, find the words 'expeller pressed' or 'fist cold pressed'; this means the oils were extracted with pressure instead of a chemical exchange.
*Oils, no matter the variety, should also be organic.  Non-organic plants are blanketed with herbicides and pesticides.  When the berry or fruit is pressed to release the oil the internal herbicides and residual pesticides flow with it.  When you consume the oil you then consume the chemicals.  Choose organic.
*You also need to make sure the oil on the label is the oil in the bottle.  Some oils are mixed with filler oils (cheaper) and you may be duped into thinking you are eating something you are not.  Looking at the ingredient list may not suffice here, for some filler oils are not listed (and don't need to be), but there might be a quality seal present.
*A Non-GMO (genetically modified organism) label or claim is important as well.

I cannot possibly capture and explain all of the oils in two or three paragraphs but I found a great chart online that does. Thanks to eatingRULES.com, I now have a greater understanding of how some oils compare to others.  It's called the Cooking Oils Comparison Chart.  Click the link, print it out and place it on your fridge.  Great learning tool, great cooking guide, great advice and comparison chart!

Eat real, delicious, naturally occurring food, drink plenty of water, give your vitamins their vitamins, and, as always, remember to wash your hands.  I will soon further our education on oil.  Hydrogenated?  Saturated?  Refined?  It's worth a second look.  The investigation continues...

Anna~