Oils: How to choose 'em, how to use 'em

If you’re not already an oil whiz, and have oft wondered why everyone doesn't just pick up the big jug of olive oil that’s on sale and use it until it’s gone, read on.

There is so much to know about oils that this post will barely scratch the surface.  But since my readers are time-crunched people who like to cut to the chase, I’m going to attempt to remain firmly off my soap box and stick to the key takeaways.  There is even a bullet point summary at the end if you’re pressed for time.

3 things you need to know about your oil:

1. Fat type and ratio
2. Extraction method
3. Smoke point (for cooking)

1. Fat type.  Natural fats (oils) contain saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.  Side note of which you’re aware: trans fats (hydrogenated) are not from natural sources, and should not be part of your diet at all.

Saturated fats come primarily from animal sources, are associated with higher cholesterol and diabetes risk, and should exist in your diet in limited quantities.  These guys are typically solid at room temperature.  Think butter, shortening, pork fat.  Mono and polyunsaturated fats on the other hand are generally beneficial to your health, can actually improve cholesterol and lower diabetes risk, and therefore should be added to your diet with care.  These guys are typically liquid at room temperature (e.g. olive oil).

One of the most important kinds of polyunsaturated fats are Omega-3’s.  You’ve no doubt heard of these, and maybe you even take a fish oil supplement or better, you make sure to get your fill of salmon, sardines, flax, and walnuts.  They help just about every part of your body since they are an integral part of cell membranes, are linked to heart, brain, and eye health, and have shown promise in lupus, eczema, arthritis, and yes, even cancer.  Whew!  Quite a resume.  Omega-3’s are not made in our bodies, so we have to get them elsewhere.  That’s why they’re referred to as “essential” fatty acids.

Fat ratio.  Omega-6’s are also essential fatty acids, but you don’t see those supplements on the shelf at the health food store next to the Omega-3 supplements.  Why not?  Because these guys are WAY too present in the Standard American Diet (aka SAD).  According to this study, humans evolved on a diet with a 1:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids, whereas today’s Western diet is around 16:1.  Excessive Omega-6 fatty acids basically undo all the benefits aforementioned on Omega-3’s.  These are found in refined vegetable oils that land in tons of processed foods (think snacks, cookies, and crackers), and in fast food.  So the key is to find fats with a good ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids.

2. Extraction method.  You might have heard the terms “cold-pressed” or “expeller-pressed.”  If you don’t see one of those phrases on your cooking oil, by the way, you probably shouldn't buy it.  Those terms indicate that the oil has been mechanically extracted from the seed rather than chemically extracted.  Many of the oils you see on the shelf at the grocery store are extracted using a chemical like hexane gas.  When that’s the case, they then go through even more refinement to make sure the hexane itself gets removed.  Needless to say, these will be much less flavorful, not to mention nutritionally deficient at best.  Do your body a favor: pay the extra few bucks, and look for cold pressed or expeller pressed oils.  Also, since I can’t get through most posts without saying it, go for organic if you can find it.  Canola is one of the most genetically modified crops, so if you’re not buying organic canola oil, you’re almost certainly getting GMO’s with your stir fry.  Olive oil is also easy to find organic.  Organic grapeseed oil is hard to find, mostly because it’s incredibly hard to get the oil out of the tiny grapeseed without using the hexane, though you can find brands that do not use hexane even though they aren’t organic – that’s what I look for.

3. Smoke point.  Here’s the important part most people don’t consider.  Some oils are better for cooking than others due to their smoke point.  My Italian relatives would cringe to hear me say so, but cooking everything in olive oil is not the way to go.  It has a low smoke point, so if you’re stir frying in olive oil, you’re likely killing the phytonutrients you would’ve gotten from the oil had you drizzled it on salad.  Worse, the decomposition process can create oxygen radicals, which are linked to cancer.  So it’s important to note the smoke point and cook accordingly.  See table below for smoke points of commonly used oils.

In summary:

• Unless you’re a serious chef, you can probably get by with 3 kinds of oil in your kitchen: olive, canola, and grapeseed.
• Use organic extra virgin cold- or expeller-pressed olive oil for drizzling, not cooking.
• Use organic cold- or expeller-pressed canola or cold- or expeller-pressed grapeseed oils for cooking and sautéing.
• Use organic coconut oil in place of butter (yes, it’s high in saturated fat, but also good for heart health, immune system, skin and metabolism, among other things!)
• Use organic flax oil in your smoothies or drizzled on salad, but never heat it.
• Use other organic, cold- or expeller-pressed oils with decent omega 6-3 ratios in moderation (e.g. peanut, sesame, walnut).
• Try to limit all other oil intake (e.g. corn, cottonseed, sunflower, palm), and remember, they aren't just in a bottle on the shelf.  In fact, they’re mostly NOT there.  They’re in chips, dried fruit, peanut butter and lots of other places.  Read the label!

Here is a nice summary on smoke points and uses from PCC Natural Markets: 

Oil	Raw	Low heat	Med. heat	Med. High heat	Very	Characteristics and uses
					high heat
Low heat = 275º to 325º F • Medium heat = 325º to 350º F • Medium-high heat = 350º to 400º F • Very high heat = 400º to 495º F
Avocado (expeller-pressed), refined	X	X	X	X	X	Lovely texture, wonderful for searing meat, whipped potatoes and stir-fries. Smoke point 450º F.
Avocado (cold-pressed), unrefined	X	X	X	X	X	Lovely texture, wonderful for searing meat, whipped potatoes and stir-fries. Smoke point 500º F.
Canola (medium-high heat), refined	X	X	X	X		Neutral flavor, all-purpose, good for baking.
						Smoke point 425º F. May be genetically modified if not organic.
Canola, unrefined	X	X				Mild flavor, may be genetically modified if not organic.
Coconut (virgin/extra virgin), unrefined		X	X			Lovely for cakes, pie crusts, light sautéing.
						Cholesterol-free. Smoke point 280º to 350º F.
Grapeseed (expeller-pressed), refined	X	X	X	X	X	Clean, neutral taste. Smoke point 485º F.
Olive (extra virgin), unrefined	X	X				Ideal for salads, raw foods, pesto and dipping bread. Smoke point 325º F.
Peanut (expeller-pressed,	X	X	X	X		Adds flavor to lightly cooked foods and cold dishes. Smoke point 212º to 400º F. Potential allergen.
Safflower (high heat), refined	X	X	X	X	X	Mild flavor for high-heat cooking. Smoke point 450º F.
Safflower, unrefined	X					Delicate flavor.
Sesame, refined	X	X	X	X	X	Adds smoky flavor to seared meats, stir-fries.
						Smoke point 445º F.
Sesame, unrefined (including toasted)	X					Aromatic, nutty, best in dressings and sauces.
Sunflower (high oleic), refined	X	X	X	X	X	Nearly neutral flavor. Smoke point 450º F.
Sunflower (expeller-pressed), refined	X	X	X	X	X	Multi-purpose. Smoke point 460º F.
Sunflower (cold-pressed), unrefined	X					Rich flavor, best in cold dishes.
Walnut, refined	X	X	X	X		Adds character to salads, marinades and sautés. Smoke point 400º F. Potential allergen.

Be an Ingredient Label Sleuth!

What’s the first thing you look at when you pick up a packaged item in the grocery store?  Maybe you scout out calorie count or grams of saturated fat or carbs.  Or maybe you’re drawn to claims about heart healthiness or anti-oxidant richness.  While all of this can be helpful information, it can also make healthy shopping a bewildering task.  Do I prefer higher saturated fat if it means I get more protein?  Is it better to up my fiber or lower my carbs?  What is an antioxidant and why do I care if pomegranate is such a great source? 

In the spirit of simplifying the shopping experience, let me suggest that the far more important, perhaps the only important, information on the label is contained in the words that make up the ingredient list.  Unless of course you’re buying something with no label at all, in which case you’re already Very Healthy!

So, about this list.  Here are some general tips, and below some ingredients to avoid.

• The first question to ask yourself is how long it is.  Are there just a few ingredients (say 3-5), or does the ingredient list itself require a full “paragraph?”
• Can you pronounce everything on the list?  Could your grade schooler?  If not, think about whether that's something you really want to consume.
• Is the first word what you’d expect it to be based on what you think you're buying (e.g. whole wheat flour on your 100% whole wheat bread)?
• How close to the top of the list is sugar?  (Ingredients are listed in order of predominance, with ingredients used in the greatest amount listed first.)

Here are my quick rules of thumb on ingredients to avoid.  If you’re not already a label sleuth in the grocery store, give it a whirl next time you have a few extra minutes!  My guess is you might be surprised (maybe even disgusted) by what you see…

Artificial color or flavor.  You don’t need it, it’s that simple.  Generally speaking, if you see “natural flavor” on the label, that indicates the flavor is derived from natural (as opposed to synthetic or chemical) sources.  That’s better, but if you’re eating good and whole foods, they shouldn’t need any added flavor. 

Aspartame.  This is an artificial sweetener that has been the source of much controversy.  The FDA regards it as generally safe, but many others beg to differ.  Since 1997, various countries and some US states have introduced legislation to regulate or ban its use, and the debate rages on about whether or not it’s safe.  For me, much better to just avoid it.  Common culprits include yogurt, soft drinks, gum, puddings and “sugar free” items.

Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.  Luckily, most of the trans (hydrogenated) fats are largely gone from our food supply due to the overwhelming evidence of its links to coronary heart disease.  But I’ve been surprised in the grocery store more than once to see hydrogenated oils sneak into foods, even some touting health like vegan cream cheeses and several popular peanut butters, so make sure that if you’re buying a spread of any sort you’re reading that label!  (I say spreads because this type of oil was first introduced to make oils spreadable and more stable on the shelf - enter margarine - and that's where it's still most commonly found).

High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Of late, The Corn Refiners Association has put a lot marketing money into convincing the public “it’s just sugar” and “your body can’t tell the difference.”  You’ve probably seen the ads on TV.  I won’t get into the political debate but if you’re interested in an opinion that is not political in nature, but is thought provoking, watch this video which is a fascinating presentation by Robert Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and decide for yourself.  Regardless, high fructose corn syrup, in my opinion, is at a minimum a marker of a highly processed food, and you can usually find plenty of alternatives.  BBQ sauce, salad dressing, condiments, and soft drinks are some of the places it shows up, but it’s become rather ubiquitous.  See right where it shows up in "healthy" bread and big name ketchup.

MSG and its variants.  Many of us remember when Chinese restaurants starting banning the use of MSG.  That was because it’s known to cause reactions like migraine headaches, upset stomach, heart irregularities, and asthma.  But did you know MSG goes by many other names?  Well, technically, the processed free glutamic acid that causes these reactions goes by other names, but the outcome (side effects) is the same.  I was saddened to learn that one of the broths I formerly used contained MSG, but it wasn’t called “monosodium glutamate” on the label, it was called something else.  Look for glutamic acid, monopotassium glutamate, yeast extract, anything “hydrolyzed,” and autolyzed yeast, and avoid products that contain them.

Enriched flour.  We generally think of “enrichment” as a good thing.  In the case of these flours, typically found in breads and other grains, the health profile is actually worse than it is in whole, unrefined (e.g. not enriched) grains.  The grain refining process makes products more stable on the shelf, which is why food manufacturers like it.  To compensate for the fact that this refinement strips away many vital nutrients, enriched grains are then "fortified" with iron, B and some other vitamins.  But they remain higher on the Glycemic index, which means they quickly raise blood sugar (a bad thing, especially for diabetics), and they never get back the fiber they lost.  A later post will discuss the critical nature of fiber.  Look for “whole wheat” or “whole whatever grain” and skip the enriched!

For more tips, I recommend Michael Pollan's "Food Rules".  It’s a quick read, a good laugh, and a great reminder to eat real food. 

Valentine’s Day chocolate: why you should spend more and eat less.

Whether you love Valentine’s Day or prefer it go back to Hallmark for good, it’s a day during which chocolate is likely to cross your mind.  So when it does, I want you to go there.  Go there, fully into the realm of chocolate, and then get yourself some!  But just one piece please, and make it a good one...

If you saw my post on brownies and ice cream then you know some of the health benefits of real chocolate.  Raw, unprocessed, nothing-added cocoa powder is an incredibly powerful antioxidant.  Even though you already know, let’s quickly recap what antioxidants are and why we care.  I like the NIH's explanation for its simplicity so I’m quoting it directly: “Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells, and may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.”  Antioxidant substances include: beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, selenium, and vitamins A, C and E.

As is often the case, I feel that it is best to get antioxidants from food, not supplements.  It’s easy to do because antioxidants are abundant in fruits, vegetables, green tea, nuts, grains, chocolate, and even coffee, so you have plenty of delicious options for getting them every single day.

So, back to chocolate.  My husband and I decided to limit our Valentine’s Day spent to $10 each this year.  With that limit in mind, I hit the Ferry Building in San Francisco, which is full of local shops and eateries, to select some quality chocolate.  $17 later, I caught myself wondering whether I should have just bought the Reese’s.  But no, I should not have.  The key to eating chocolate is, according to me, spend more and eat less! 

Shopping Tip:  When you’re out shopping in health food stores, look for bars that are 70% or higher dark chocolate.  Most, but not all, will have sugar.  Besides the chocolate, other ingredients you might see that you can feel good about are cocoa butter, nuts, sea salt, vanilla, and some maybe some natural flavors if you trust the company (but never artificial colors or flavors!)

I feel somewhat badly doing this because I used to love these little guys, but for comparison purposes, let’s have a look at the ingredients in a Snickers bar: milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, lactose, skim milk, milk fat, soy lecithin (see disclaimer below), artificial flavor (eek!)), peanuts, corn syrup (why?), sugar, skim milk, butter milkfat, partially hydrogenated (eek!) soybean oil, lactose, salt, egg whites (huh?), and artificial flavor (eek!)…

Very healthy:

• One Lucky Duck – raw, vegan, organic, really really really expensive but you’ll feel justified.  WARNING: they don’t add sugar, so this is pure, unadulterated cocoa…it’s bitter, not sweet, and it’ll knock your socks off.
• Skout Trailbars - organic Chocolate-Peanut Butter.  Impeccable ingredient list.  Go.  Eat one.  That is all.
• Dip fruit in chocolate – go back to the ice cream recipe, make it but don’t freeze it, and then use it as a drizzle over fresh fruit!  You can always feel good about homemade treats, and when they're delicious it's that much more gratifying.

Almost healthy (for those who just can’t kick it with bitter):

• Bug Bites - organic, small, and have a cute little bug factoids on each wrapper 
• Garden of Life – chocolate raspberry greens bar.  These are amazing, and packed with greens and probiotics to boot, but they’re down here in “almost healthy” because the first ingredient listed is honey. 

  Disclaimer: I can't fully endorse eating most chocolate bars on any regular basis.  That is in part because most of them contain sugar, but most also contain soy lecithin, which is an emulsifier that helps hold the bar together.  As is the case on many topics I discuss in this blog, the jury is out on whether soy lecithin is bad for us or not, but I don't think it's doing us any good either.  That all being said, I can and do fully endorse LIVING LIFE to the fullest, and if that for you includes eating chocolate on Valentine's Day, then by all means do so, just follow some of the tips above to make sure you're helping, not harming, your body during your indulgence! 

GMOs and the right to know what's in your food.

Most people think about avoiding chemical pesticides and fertilizers when they think about organic, and knowing about the presence of those things in our food is certainly important.  But the lesser discussed tenet of organic, at least until recently, is that of the genetic modification of food.  You may have heard the term "GMO" or "GE" which stand for "genetically modified organisms" and "genetic engineering" respectively.  Foods certified organic by the USDA cannot, by definition, be genetically modified.

Now, I have to be a little careful on this topic because I am not an expert.  There are soil scientists and agriculture experts who have dedicated their lives and professions to understanding this topic, and to their opinions, I will always yield.  But I do want to share my  opinion, based on what I know.

According to the book "Integrative Nutrition" by Joshua Rosenthal, "The most prevalent GM crops were created to resist harsh chemicals;...Farmers who use GM crops can spray their fields to kill everything growing in the area except the food crop."  That all actually sounds very cool technologically per the above, and if we can prove with certainty that there is no harm to humans, great.  But what worries me in the absence of that proof is that we ingest those same killer chemicals when we eat those plants...so, what are they doing inside our bodies?

The reality is, we don't know yet.  Supporters of GM crops would contend its a worthwhile risk to take because crops that can resist certain pests and adverse growing conditions, in theory, produce higher yield and therefore allow more people to be fed.   Even though we now have more over-nourished people in the world than we have under-nourished, but that's another story.  There is, however, some debate about whether crop yields have in fact increased, according to studies like this one from 2009.  Supporters would also remind me that farmers have less wasted crop due to greater pesticide and weather resistance and less time spent spraying and doing other activities that are rendered unnecessary when your crops are the output of modified seeds; therefore, there is an economic component to it.

How does the rest of the world feel?  Per this October 2011 graphic from Scientific American, the US and Canada do not require labeling of genetically modified food, but in 40 other countries (the green dots), there are significant restrictions or outright bans on production as they have not yet been proven safe.  

I'm not asking for bans on production necessarily, just information.  What I want is the ability to make an informed decision in the grocery store.

By several estimates, including this one from Scientific American article mentioned above, 80% of the packaged food in our grocery stores contains GMOs.  That pretty much means if it’s not organic, or labeled “no GMOs,” it probably is genetically modified.  Corn and soy are the usual suspects, but all sorts of crops can be modified.

Shopping tip: If you decide you want to minimize GMOs in your home, look for the USDA organic label or a “no GMO” indication.  According to this and other sources, produce can be identified as:

- Conventionally grown/non-GMO with a 4- or 5- (e.g. 4011 is bananas)

- Organically grown with a 9- (e.g. 94011)

- GMO with an 8- (e.g. 84011)

Brands: Silk and Amy’s are two of my favorite brands that don’t use GMOs.  Silk makes soy milk, yogurt and other dairy alternatives and Amy’s is a California company that focuses on frozen and canned goods for those on-the-goers who don’t always have time for fresh.

Click here for a short 3-minute video worth watching.  If you agree, pass it on.