5 Healthy Oils You Probably Don't Use (But Should)By Nicole Stevenson [Nutrition & Diet]
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Which super fatty oil can actually aid in weight loss? Nicole Stevenson cooks up a list of your dinner’s new companions.  Oil. It’s known for being greasy, high-calorie, fatty and generally bad for you. But healthy oils are an essential part of your daily diet. Not only is oil a necessary part of many dishes, but the right ones are also full of the kinds of fats your body needs: the unsaturated kinds. You probably have olive oil in your cupboard right now and you are no doubt familiar with canola oil. Perhaps you’ve even used safflower or sunflower seed oil. But there is a vast variety of oils out there that are jam-packed with both flavour and health benefits. So next time you’re cooking up a stir-fry, put down your boring old oil and reach for one of these tasty, healthy ones instead.Coconut Oil This tropical delight has been blasted for it’s high saturated fat content. However, as the fat is medium chain fatty acids, as opposed to long chain fatty acids, it is not stored as fat in the body, but rather goes straight to the liver. Acting like a carbohydrate, coconut oil is burned up for quick energy, but no insulin is involved, so there is no effect on blood-glucose levels. Coconut oil, which can be used for cooking or in margarines, also speeds up your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories and subsequently contributes to weight loss rather than gain. Containing powerful antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial lauric acid, coconut oil can help build your immune system. It can attack and kill lipid-coated viruses, like HIV, hepatitis C, herpes, mononucleosis and the common flu. It also helps kill bacteria and fungus that cause Listeria, yeast infections, Candida, meningitis, urinary tract infections and even dental cavities. Hempseed Oil Considered one of the healthiest plant oils, hempseed oil is very high in polyunsaturated fats, omega-3 and omega-6. Cholesterol-free and nutty in flavour, hempseed oil has a low smoking point and is therefore at its best when it is used uncooked. Try it on salad instead of sautéing with it. Reducing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol and helping with weight loss are not the only things the healthy hempseed oil can do for you. Its high antioxidant content helps prevent disease, it can help painful joints and arthritis-caused inflammation, its vitamin E content is great for skin and hair and it contains essential nutrients like calcium, potassium and magnesium. |
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