Melissa Paris Fitness

There’s a bunch of different kinds of oils, all with different uses, tastes, colors, and consistency. Some are thicker than others and are used as a deep frying pan cooking method and others are light enough to drizzle on your salad. But what kinds of oils should avoid? Before we jump into the different kinds of oils, here's a little cooking tip:
-The smoke point of oils and fats is the temperature when it breaks down and fails as a lubricant. Knowing how hot the oil can get can help you decrease your risk of cancer from going above the smoke point and also prevent you from burning down the house! The fat is not good for consumption after it reaches its smoke point. The lighter the color oil, the higher the smoke point.

Canola
Canola stands for Canadian Oil Low Acid… doesn’t sound too tasty now does it? Canola is a genetically engineered plant, from the rapeseed plant. Generally, rapeseeds have been used for industry purposes and SHOULD NOT BE CONSUMED! It’s used as an insect repellent, lubricant, soap and synthetic rubber base. It can cause lung cancer, loss of vision, nervous system problems, breathing and heart illnesses. STAY AWAY!

Vegetable
Usually blends of corn, soybean, palm and sunflower. And also another GMO. Don’t be fooled by the word vegetable! It contains a good amount of saturated fat. Saturated fat = cholesterol and cholesterol = heart disase. Use a non-GMO or organic vegetable oil if anything.

Olive Oil
Don’t be fooled by the names of the olive oils, extra virgin, virgin, extra light, and refined, what does it all mean? Extra light and refined are chemically processed oils, and light refers to the color of the oil NOT THE CALORIE CONTENT! Extra virgin and virgin are unrefined oils and uses high quality olives for extraction. Extra virgin olive oil is the most common. Virgin oil is the second in line for quality. It’s good for stir-frying, cooking, sautéing, but best as ingredient on top of recipes such as salads because of its low smoke point. It is one of the healthier oils, as it is high in monounsaturated fat which has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Great oil for Mediterranean or Greek food.

Corn Oil
Not a big fan of corn oil, it’s one of the more cheaper oils but it’s also the more unhealthy choice. Corn oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids, which increases the risk of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.

Coconut Oil
Go coconuts or go home! Extra virgin coconut oil is the healthiest of all oils, it stimulates the thyroid gland, boosting your metabolism, energy and endurance.Studies have also shown that coconut oil fights off bacteria and viruses, preventing diseases. It’s also good for blood-sugar control, people who use coconut oil tend to handle blood sugar since coconut can help improve insulin use within the body. Salons and spas should be afraid of coconut oil, because its so perfect for anti-aging, this superfood has antioxidant components and is also great for the skin and hair! There’s tons of health benefits associated with coconut oil that it would take me hours to list them all. It has a high smoke point

What do avoid: Oils with high amounts of partially hydrated oils (aka trans fats), often found in packaged snacks like chips, crackers and baked goods. I do my best to stray from polyunsaturated fats like canola, vegetable and corn because most vegetable oils are GMO. Stick with extra virgin olive oil (not for cooking though) and coconut oil.