something old/something new

good oils

'THE GOOD OIL' ON HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES

Here are several additional ways to improve your fatty acid balance and avoid the trans- fat trap:

-> Have some freshly ground flaxseeds every day. Pulverize three tablespoons of seeds in a blender or coffee grinder to yield about one tablespoon of oil (mixed in with the powder). This will approximate the suggested daily amount of omega-3 oil for an average person. It can be mixed with cereal, blended in a smoothie or added to yogurt. You can also mix it with warm (not hot) apple juice, and add some sliced banana or other fruit to make a tasty, nutritious, pudding-like cereal that's filling and will do wonders for bowel function! Be sure to consume the ground flaxseeds within 10 to 15 minutes to minimize the damage from oxidation. However, a note of caution: in doing allergy testing, I have seen several people (my wife and myself included) who are allergic to flax seeds, and others who are allergic to psyllium seeds which are commonly used for their fiber content.

-> Use butter instead of margarine or shortening in cooking. Butter has some problems, too, such as residual hormones and pesticides, but it is a whole food. Whole foods have fat-mobilizing nutrients to take care of their own fats if eaten in moderation. If you want to use butter, try to get organically produced butter.

-> An even better alternative is the organic ghee, or clarified butter, mentioned earlier. Ghee is the cooking fat most highly regarded by Indian and French chefs. It has a good aroma and will not burn, smoke or develop toxic compounds when heated.

-> Organic, unrefined coconut butter is an alternative to regular butter in your diet. Omega Nutrition has this product. However, most other coconut oil products are hydrogenated. Commercial vegetable oil producers have subjected coconut oil to a smear campaign, but the research studies cited have used hydrogenated coconut oil, which may have skewed the results.

-> Use olive oil or a 50:50 mixture of ghee and olive oil. Do not fry or sauté with "polyunsaturated" light oils such as safflower, sunflower or corn oils. They oxidize readily into damaging free radicals at high temperatures. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can tear into your cells and start nasty chain reactions that can leave behind extensive damage, including alteration of your genetic code (DNA) and formation of cancer cells. Free radicals are widely considered to play a major role in degenerative disease. While there are virtually no EFAs in olive oil, it is rich in "mono-unsaturated" fatty acids and is not so easily oxidized. Use an "extra virgin, cold-pressed, first pressing" olive oil, preferably with a greenish color and some sediment on the bottom, which usually indicates less processing. Most co-ops carry it.

-> If allergic to milk, you can often substitute a 50:50 mixture of apple sauce and organic, unrefined canola, sunflower or safflower oil for margarine or butter in recipes, which we have tried in pie crusts and cakes with great results. We used to substitute canola oil by itself, but the texture was somewhat drier and a little crumbly.

-> Try non-hydrogenated peanut butter, available in some grocery stores and all food co-ops. The peanut butter will separate, with the oil floating to the top of the container. The best brand is probably Arrowhead Mills. They sun-dry their organic peanuts to avoid growth of a common mould that produces aflatoxin, which is as toxic as the name suggests. Most commercial peanuts reportedly have aflatoxin as well as pesticide residues. Almond or walnut butters contain healthier fats than peanut butter, without the mould problem. You can find them at food co-ops and health food stores.

-> Buy your oil in sealed bottles and avoid the bulk oils in co-ops, since they are usually rancid (free radicals again). Oil that tastes bitter when you place a drop on your tongue is rancid and should not be consumed.

-> Always refrigerate your oils after opening. Unrefined oils are best refrigerated as soon as you buy them, to prolong their shelf- life. If they are not in lightproof bottles, keep them out of the light.

-> The greater your intake of unsaturated fats like vegetable oils and fish oils (EPA/DHA omega-3s), the more you need antioxidant protection against free-radical damage. If you take supplements of fish oil or evening primrose oil, or use polyunsaturated oils, consider taking extra vitamin E. An effective daily dose of vitamin E is about 400 to 800 IUs per day, and "mixed tocopherols" is probably the best general-purpose form to use. Many studies support its effectiveness in reducing risk of heart disease, arthritis and other free-radical-related diseases. Since vitamin C is used to regenerate 'used' vitamin E, supplementing with 500 to 1,000 mg of vitamin C a day would be prudent as well.

-> The most expensive oils and supplements cannot fully compensate for an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. Use common sense and consult with a nutritionally oriented health professional when you have health concerns. Books by Dean Ornish, M.D.¹⁶ and John McDougall, M.D.¹⁷ offer many excellent ideas regarding diet and lifestyle, and I recommend them for basic dietary information, although their programs tend towards very low fat intake. However, to ensure adequate EFA intake you should have some raw, organic nuts and seeds along with high-quality oils (such as those mentioned above) to supplement these low-fat diets.