Wanna Know the One Destructive Ingredient you Should ALWAYS Avoid?
There’s a destructive ingredient that’s sneaking into your food. And it can absolutely wreck your health over time! We’ve got some healthy substitutes we’re serving up right here. Get the bad out and all the goods in.
Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of Nutrition Made Simple. With the start of a new year, many people are looking for simple changes to improve their health. And in true Nutrition World fashion, we will almost always tell people that your dietary choices are the most important thing you can do to improve this area. So with that in mind, we wanted to take a look at one sneaky ingredient in particular, that can absolutely wreck your health over time. And that's canola oil. And we want to take a look at some better healthier options. So here's something I didn't know canola oil is actually derived from the rapeseed plant, which actually has a bunch of toxic compounds. So Canadian scientists developed a modified version without the toxicity. And that's where canola actually gets its name, the can comes from Canada and ola meaning oil. Maybe it's just my own ignorance, but I honestly had no idea this is where the name came from. But I digress. Over 90% of canola crops are genetically engineered for higher yields and herbicide resilience. And it's highly refined, meaning that it's exposed to chemicals to purify the end product. The refining process basically makes it devoid of its already limited nutrient content, but it increases its shelf life, which is one of the reasons it's used so widely in the industrialized food industry. Organic canola oil does exist, but that shouldn't be an excuse to use it. This just means that the already modified plants are organically grown, but they still go through those same processes of all other highly refined oils. And to top it all off, it's high in omega-6 fats which contribute to inflammation. And if it's, and if it's consumed in high amounts, it can lead to obesity, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, and hormone disruption, amongst other things. As I mentioned before, canola oil is sneaky, and it's not always as easy to avoid as you may think, from box goods like crackers and soup mixes to salad dressings to seeds, nuts, and even many healthy foods. When you start looking for it, you will actually start finding it everywhere. So what are some steps to avoid it? Well, for starters, you can cook at home as much as you can. By preparing your own food, you'll know exactly what's in every meal. Does that take more time and preparation? Yeah, absolutely. But we still think it's worth it. And if you still want to incorporate pre-made goods into your meals, that's absolutely fine. But just be diligent to read exactly what's inside the box or bottle. And then once you find those products you know you can trust stick with them so you know that you're getting the best quality. There are plenty of other healthy oils to use in place of canola oil as well. For cooking in high heat something like coconut or avocado oil are perfect. For salad dressings or eating raw, high quality olive oil like this from Olive Chatt, walnut oil, sesame seed oil, flaxseed oil are all great options. So now you know. Run from canola. Avoid it if at all possible, it is doing absolutely nothing beneficial for your health. We hope this helps and we'll see you next time for another episode of Nutrition Made Simple. Have a great day, everyone. Take care.