Have you been lied to about the health benefits of canola oil?
by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
If you've been following my fitness newsletters for some time, you may have noticed that I NEVER include canola oil in any of my recipes or any of my lists of healthy foods.
Many people have asked me why, because all they hear in the mainstream media is that canola oil is "heart healthy" and a good source of monounsaturated fats similar to olive oil.
Well, first of all, you need to realize that much of what you hear in the mainstream media has been influenced by heavy handed marketing tactics by big food companies.
Canola oil is cheap for them to produce so they want to fool you into thinking it's a "health oil" so that people, restaurants, etc will buy it up as their main oil of choice.
The dirty truth about canola oil
Yes, it's true that canola oil is high in monounsaturates, but let me explain why canola oil is anything but "healthy".
Canola oil is made from something called rapeseed. Rapeseed actually had to be bred over the years to reduce the percentage of a problematic component of rapeseed, which is erucic acid. Canola oil typically ranges between 55-65% monounsaturated fat and between 28-35% polyunsaturated fat, with just a small amount of saturated fat.
While we've been led to believe that high monounsaturated fat oils are good for us (which they are in the case of virgin olive oil or from unprocessed nuts or seeds), the fact is that canola oil has more detriments than it does benefits.
As you may have heard me talk about in other newsletters or in my Truth about Abs book... one of the biggest problems with highly processed and refined vegetable oils such as corn oil, soybean oil, and yes, even canola oil, is that the polyunsaturated component of the oil is highly unstable under heat, light, and pressure, and this heavily oxidizes the polyunsaturates which increases free radicals in your body.
The end result of all of this refining and processing are oils that are highly inflammatory in your body when you ingest them, potentially contributing to heart disease, weight gain, and other degenerative diseases.
The reason that extra virgin olive oil is good for you is that it is cold pressed without the use of heat and solvents to aid extraction.
Canola oil, on the other hand, is typically extracted and refined using high heat, pressure, and petroleum solvents such as hexane. Most canola oil undergoes a process of caustic refining, degumming, bleaching, and deoderization, all using high heat and questionable chemicals.
Does canola even have trans fats?
Even worse, all of this high heat, high pressure processing with solvents actually forces some of the omega-3 content of canola oil to be transformed into trans fats.
According to Dr. Mary Enig, PhD, and Nutritional Biochemist, "Although the Canadian government lists the trans fat content of canola at a minimal 0.2 percent, research at the University of Florida at Gainesville, found trans fat levels as high as 4.6 percent in commercial liquid canola oil".
And this is the crap that they are marketing to you as a "health oil"!
As you can see from the details above on how canola oil is processed, it is barely any healthier for you than other junk oils like soybean oil or corn oil. The bottom line is that it is an inflammatory oil in your body and should be avoided.
The only canola oil that might be reasonable is if you see that it is "cold pressed" and organic. Most canola oil is NOT cold pressed or organic, so you might as well choose oils that you know are healthier.
Your best bets are these oils:
• extra virgin olive oil - for lower temperature cooking or used as a healthy
salad dressing oil
• Udo's Choice Oil Blend - NEVER use this for cooking as it has a higher
polyunsaturated fat content (therefore heat destroys the benefits of
this oil), but it is a cold processed blend of healthy oils that mixes
well with olive oil for salad dressings.
• Virgin coconut oil - great for all temperatures of cooking due to it's high
stability under heat. A great source of healthy saturated fats in the
form of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), one of which is Lauric
Acid, which helps support the immune system and is lacking in most
western diets.
• Organic grass-fed butter - I like to use a mix of butter, coconut oil, and a
small bit of olive oil for most of my cooking. Grass-fed butter is a
great source of CLA, which has even been shown in studies to have
muscle building and fat burning properties.
So don't be fooled by food labels claiming that they contain "healthy canola oil"... as you can see, this couldn't be further from the truth! Choose some of the healthier options above and your body will thank you!
Source: http://www.truthaboutabs.com/the-canola-oil-deception.html
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Nutrition Magic of Mushrooms
My post today is about the health benefits of mushroom. Honestly, I’m not fond of eating this food because I thought it will not give any nutrients to our body. So, when I came across this article at the Reader’s Digest, I find it worthwhile to share it with you.
These newly discovered health benefits might move mushrooms to the top of your grocery list.
By Janis Graham
It's spring, and mushrooms are popping up all over, including in your local produce aisle. You don't have to be a top chef to prize the lush, earthy flavor of exotic mushrooms. But whether you pick smoky morels or the familiar buttons, you'll get some newly discovered health benefits:
They safeguard against cancer. Mushrooms are rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals, and eating them regularly has been linked to a lower risk of breast cancer in studies of Chinese and Korean women. Mushrooms also prevent prostate cancer cells from multiplying in mice -- and might do the same in men.
They supply hard-to-get nutrients. One medium portobello mushroom supplies 21 percent of the recommended daily intake of selenium and one third your need of copper; it also has as much potassium as a medium-size banana. Other varieties are just as rich in minerals, a recent analysis found. What's more, mushrooms retain their nutrients when stir-fried, grilled, or microwaved.
They help you cut calories. When ground beef was swapped out for mushrooms in lasagna, sloppy joes, and chili, adults consumed 400 fewer calories per day, according to a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study. Researchers estimate that if you sub mushrooms for ground meat in one meal every week, you can lose five pounds in a year. Just don't sabotage this fringe benefit by preparing mushrooms with loads of butter. Instead, toss them into a nonstick pan that's been lightly sprayed with oil, then sauté on low heat until they soften.
Source: Reader’s Digest – April 2009
These newly discovered health benefits might move mushrooms to the top of your grocery list.
By Janis Graham
It's spring, and mushrooms are popping up all over, including in your local produce aisle. You don't have to be a top chef to prize the lush, earthy flavor of exotic mushrooms. But whether you pick smoky morels or the familiar buttons, you'll get some newly discovered health benefits:
They safeguard against cancer. Mushrooms are rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals, and eating them regularly has been linked to a lower risk of breast cancer in studies of Chinese and Korean women. Mushrooms also prevent prostate cancer cells from multiplying in mice -- and might do the same in men.
They supply hard-to-get nutrients. One medium portobello mushroom supplies 21 percent of the recommended daily intake of selenium and one third your need of copper; it also has as much potassium as a medium-size banana. Other varieties are just as rich in minerals, a recent analysis found. What's more, mushrooms retain their nutrients when stir-fried, grilled, or microwaved.
They help you cut calories. When ground beef was swapped out for mushrooms in lasagna, sloppy joes, and chili, adults consumed 400 fewer calories per day, according to a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study. Researchers estimate that if you sub mushrooms for ground meat in one meal every week, you can lose five pounds in a year. Just don't sabotage this fringe benefit by preparing mushrooms with loads of butter. Instead, toss them into a nonstick pan that's been lightly sprayed with oil, then sauté on low heat until they soften.
Source: Reader’s Digest – April 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
11 Medicinal Uses for Food
Hello friends! Here I am again sharing with you a very useful article which I took from my readings:
Check out surprising remedies that are also edible
By Annemarie Conte Posted August 21, 2009 from WomansDay.com
Clearing up infections? Healing wounds? Getting rid of head lice? There are pills and creams that can help, but also amazing foods that will work in a pinch. We asked Lynne C. David, ND, LAc, a naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist at the Center for Integrative Medicine in Washington, DC, and Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, the Jenkins Director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center, for details. “This is not mumbo-jumbo,” says Dr. Moyad. “There’s a lot of folk wisdom out there that’s now being proven right.” Behold, the healing power of food.
Honey: Cuts, Scrapes and Sore Throats
Because honey has a compound similar to hydrogen peroxide, it can be applied topically for wound treatment. It’s so effective that it’s currently being used in the Iraq war; a thin layer is applied to bandages and placed on bullet wounds and burns. “It’s acidic, so it makes it difficult for bacteria to survive, and it’s a humectant, so any bacteria will shift into the honey, killing the bacteria,” says Dr. Moyad. A study in 2007 also found that nondiluted darker honey (like buckwheat honey) worked just as well as OTC medicine for coughs and sore throats.
Black Tea: Stinky Feet
The tannins in black tea are antimicrobial and astringent, so they tighten and dry out skin. It’s the same reason tea bags are good for puffy eyes. “But be careful,” advises Dr. Moyad, “green tea has little to no tannins, so you need to use black tea.”
Bitter Melon: Diabetes
Head to your local Asian market, because this bumpy green oblong vegetable can be great for diabetes and high-glucose support. “Bitter melon reduces blood glucose, insulin resistance and high blood pressure ,” says Dr. David. It can be eaten raw, but true to its name, bitter melon is bitter, so Dr. David recommends cutting it up and mixing it with scrambled eggs to improve the flavor.
Hot Pepper: Pain
“There are topical creams that contain cayenne to reduce pain, but you can make your own pretty easily,” says Dr. David. Start with a vitamin E cream or coconut oil that doesn’t contain petroleum product (“If you wouldn’t ingest it, you shouldn’t put it in your cream,” says Dr. David). Then add a pinch of cayenne powder for every ounce of cream or oil. Use it to help reduce pain in joint areas like knees and ankles. “It’s the capsaicin in the peppers that shuts down the production of the compound that causes pain. The catch is that when you’re handling hot peppers, don’t rub your eyes or you’ll have bigger problems,” says Dr. Moyad.
Olive Oil: Dry Lips and Lice
Olive oil has oleic acid, which creates a nice covering to soothe dry lips. “There was also a recent study in which extra-virgin olive oil had an impact on protecting the skin from everything from dryness to skin cancer,” says Dr. Moyad. But most surprising, heavy oils, like canola and olive, can be coated on lice infestation and, when allowed to dry, will suffocate the pests.
Oats: Dry, Itchy Skin
“Oats have avenanthramides—they’re anti-inflammatory in nature and can be used for itchy, dry skin,” says Dr. Moyad, who recommends either putting a sock filled with oats into a hot bath or just buying an oatmeal lotion.
Ginger: Nausea
Ginger is a common remedy for nausea, with almost no side effects, and is great during pregnancy. “It is possible that too much ginger can give you acne. It’s a warming food, and with too much heat, it may produce heat on the face, which would give acne. But you’d have to eat a lot of it,” says Dr. David. To use, slice up fresh ginger root and make a tea out of it or just chew on the raw root.
Skim Milk: Sunburn
Skim milk that’s slightly cooler than room temperature will hydrate skin and help relieve pain associated with sunburns. “The milk forms a collagen web. Just dip gauze in there and apply it to the area, but watch out because whole milk actually slows healing time,” warns Dr. Moyad.
Banana: Warts
“The inside [of a banana peel] is supposed to contain potassium and an unidentified compound that may shift immune balance of the skin to help relieve warts,” says Dr. Moyad. Though data is lacking, there seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence to support it. Try pressing a banana peel onto an affected area and leaving it there for a little while—since it can’t cause any harm, it may be worth a try.
Check out surprising remedies that are also edible
By Annemarie Conte Posted August 21, 2009 from WomansDay.com
Clearing up infections? Healing wounds? Getting rid of head lice? There are pills and creams that can help, but also amazing foods that will work in a pinch. We asked Lynne C. David, ND, LAc, a naturopathic doctor and licensed acupuncturist at the Center for Integrative Medicine in Washington, DC, and Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, the Jenkins Director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center, for details. “This is not mumbo-jumbo,” says Dr. Moyad. “There’s a lot of folk wisdom out there that’s now being proven right.” Behold, the healing power of food.
Honey: Cuts, Scrapes and Sore Throats
Because honey has a compound similar to hydrogen peroxide, it can be applied topically for wound treatment. It’s so effective that it’s currently being used in the Iraq war; a thin layer is applied to bandages and placed on bullet wounds and burns. “It’s acidic, so it makes it difficult for bacteria to survive, and it’s a humectant, so any bacteria will shift into the honey, killing the bacteria,” says Dr. Moyad. A study in 2007 also found that nondiluted darker honey (like buckwheat honey) worked just as well as OTC medicine for coughs and sore throats.
Black Tea: Stinky Feet
The tannins in black tea are antimicrobial and astringent, so they tighten and dry out skin. It’s the same reason tea bags are good for puffy eyes. “But be careful,” advises Dr. Moyad, “green tea has little to no tannins, so you need to use black tea.”
Bitter Melon: Diabetes
Head to your local Asian market, because this bumpy green oblong vegetable can be great for diabetes and high-glucose support. “Bitter melon reduces blood glucose, insulin resistance and high blood pressure ,” says Dr. David. It can be eaten raw, but true to its name, bitter melon is bitter, so Dr. David recommends cutting it up and mixing it with scrambled eggs to improve the flavor.
Hot Pepper: Pain
“There are topical creams that contain cayenne to reduce pain, but you can make your own pretty easily,” says Dr. David. Start with a vitamin E cream or coconut oil that doesn’t contain petroleum product (“If you wouldn’t ingest it, you shouldn’t put it in your cream,” says Dr. David). Then add a pinch of cayenne powder for every ounce of cream or oil. Use it to help reduce pain in joint areas like knees and ankles. “It’s the capsaicin in the peppers that shuts down the production of the compound that causes pain. The catch is that when you’re handling hot peppers, don’t rub your eyes or you’ll have bigger problems,” says Dr. Moyad.
Olive Oil: Dry Lips and Lice
Olive oil has oleic acid, which creates a nice covering to soothe dry lips. “There was also a recent study in which extra-virgin olive oil had an impact on protecting the skin from everything from dryness to skin cancer,” says Dr. Moyad. But most surprising, heavy oils, like canola and olive, can be coated on lice infestation and, when allowed to dry, will suffocate the pests.
Oats: Dry, Itchy Skin
“Oats have avenanthramides—they’re anti-inflammatory in nature and can be used for itchy, dry skin,” says Dr. Moyad, who recommends either putting a sock filled with oats into a hot bath or just buying an oatmeal lotion.
Ginger: Nausea
Ginger is a common remedy for nausea, with almost no side effects, and is great during pregnancy. “It is possible that too much ginger can give you acne. It’s a warming food, and with too much heat, it may produce heat on the face, which would give acne. But you’d have to eat a lot of it,” says Dr. David. To use, slice up fresh ginger root and make a tea out of it or just chew on the raw root.
Skim Milk: Sunburn
Skim milk that’s slightly cooler than room temperature will hydrate skin and help relieve pain associated with sunburns. “The milk forms a collagen web. Just dip gauze in there and apply it to the area, but watch out because whole milk actually slows healing time,” warns Dr. Moyad.
Banana: Warts
“The inside [of a banana peel] is supposed to contain potassium and an unidentified compound that may shift immune balance of the skin to help relieve warts,” says Dr. Moyad. Though data is lacking, there seems to be a lot of anecdotal evidence to support it. Try pressing a banana peel onto an affected area and leaving it there for a little while—since it can’t cause any harm, it may be worth a try.
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