Oils - Which Should You Use?
When it comes to cooking, most of us use oils. Whether its Clean Eating For Your Health Review adding oil to a cake mix or preparing to fry up a chicken breast, whether its drizzling oil over a salad or pouring a little into boiling water before adding pasta, oil is used so often and so frequently that it's imperative that we figure out what's healthy and what's not. Also, there are so many varieties out there that it can be a little overwhelming-should you use canola, olive, coconut, animal fat, soybean oil, or what? We're going to break down the list here, go over the benefits and health risks, and give you a good idea as to what you should be using.
First, let's be clear about something: all oils are basically fats. If you weren't aware of that, now you know, but whether its vegetable oil or olive or whatever, they're all fats, so be aware of how much you use and why. Just as there are good fats and bad fats, from transfats to monounsaturated, the same holds true for oils.
First, the good oils. Let's start with olive oil, which is not only an ancient fixture in recipes but is also the most monounsaturated oil there is. It has proven cardiovascular benefits (raises HDL and lowers LDL cholesterol) and also boasts of powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It's great drizzled on a salad, and can be used for cooking, but here you must be careful-only use olive oils at low heat. Higher heats can sour it, and ruin its health benefits.
