Whats The Difference In...Cooking Oils,Sugars, And Butters
After many discussions about food and health over the years I've learned that most people are clueless about the process of food and how it relates to price. Many people see price tags without considering if its healthy or not. I decided to do some comparisons. There are so many things to compare so I decided to start here.
About
Oils
All
oils seem to have different health and cooking benefits, but
what exactly are these benefits? Oils are composed of heart
healthy, or good fats, and artery clogging, or bad fats. Good fats
include monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat, both of which
lower total cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol, the bad
type of cholesterol. Bad fats include saturated fat and trans fat,
both of which raise LDL cholesterol.
Cooking Oils- When you walk down the
cooking supplies aisle at the grocery store, you may be a bit
surprised and overwhelmed by the selection that is now
available in most markets regarding oils--olive oil, canola oil,
safflower oil and so on. There may be exotic choices, such
as sunflower oil or coconut oil, but also the standard
olive and vegetable oils.
What
is Olive Oil?
Olive
oil is a natural juice that is derived from the olive. Olive oil is
the only vegetable that is natural and can be consumed freshly
pressed from the fruit.
Olive
oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which lowers cholesterol. Virgin
olive oil also contains polyphenol, which is an antioxidant that
protects the body from free radical damage. Olive oil has the largest
amount of heart healthy monounsaturated fat compared to all other
naturally produced oils.
For individuals who are suffering from
ulcers or gastritis, olive oil helps activate bile and pancreatic
hormones, helping to ease symptoms. Also, olive oil has been
shown to lower the occurrence of gallstones.
Olive
oil has a low smoke point, which makes it the preferred oil when
requiring medium to high heat, such as when you are stir-frying or
pan searing foods. Olive oil has a distinct taste that can add flavor
to foods, like pastas or grilled vegetables.
What
is Vegetable Oil?
Vegetable
oil is typically made by blending the oils from a variety of nuts,
fruits and seeds. Common varieties in vegetable oil include olive
oil, soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil and peanut oil.
Vegetable
oil has similar heart healthy benefits as olive oil since
the oil is a blend of heart healthy oils, such as canola and olive
oil.
Vegetable
oil has a higher smoke point than olive oil, making it a better
option when cooking at extremely high temperatures. Vegetable oil
also has virtually no taste, making it an excellent option when
baking or cooking foods. The flavor of the vegetable oil will not
overshadow or impact the overall flavor of the dish.
Olive
Oil Compared to Vegetable Oil
Olive
oil has more health benefits and is a more natural oil
compared to vegetable oil. Olive oil has a lower smoke point than
vegetable oil because it has a lower fat content than vegetable.
About
Sugar
Sugar has been used for thousands of years. Originally,
people would chew the sugarcane in an effort to extract it’s
sweetness. When planting, harvesting, & extracting the
sweet juice from the sugarcane, plant became so labor intensive, that
many plantation owners actually turned to slavery to make a profit.
Wow seriously people! Do you really need sugar THAT much?
To
make sugar crystals one would have to grind the plant to extract the
juice, boil down the juice to concentrate it, and then dry it in the
sun to create crystalized sugar. Around the 16th century, beets
were discovered to contain sucrose as well, and thus began the
harvesting of beets for their sugar. It was found that beets
were easier to grow because they could grow in a wider range of
climates. Also, the refining process was simple and so many
people began to jump on the beet wagon.
Genetically
Modified Sugar Beets_ Genetically Modified sugar beets were first
introduced by the company Monsanto in 2008. Read here on
why genetically modified foods are devastating your health. After
a long, long court debate, in July 2012 the FDA finally threw
up their hands and allowed GMO sugar beets to be planted without
regulation. NO REGULATION = CROSS POLLINATION. It won’t
be too long before GMO sugar beets cross pollinate with ORGANIC sugar
beets. Pretty soon GMO sugar beets will be the only ones that
exist. Talk about taking our choices away!
Luckily,
cane sugar HASN’T been genetically modified yet. Although,
it’s not because they haven’t tried. Actually scientists
have been working on making cane sugar GMO for YEARS, but have failed
due to the difficult genetic structure of cane sugar.
The
Brown Sugar Truth
Odds
are, when you purchase regular ol’ brown sugar from the store, you
are really purchasing GMO beet sugar, or a mix of GMO beet sugar &
cane sugar. On top of that, since beet molasses is not fit for
human consumption, they must first strip the beet sugar all the way
down to it’s white, refined state AND THEN add edible molasses to
the final product. Talk about some refined, processed food! Geez, can
it even be called food?
Currently,
there is no law that requires labeling of whether the manufacturer
used beet sugar or cane sugar. It is estimated that about HALF
of all sugar sold in the US is from sugar beets.
Because
there is no law that requires sugar manufacturers to label whether
their sugar is BEET sugar or CANE sugar, you really don’t know what
you’re getting. It could be the non-GMO and
therefore healthier cane sugar OR it couldbe the GMO beet sugar
OR it could be a mixture of both…problem is, there’s no
real way of knowing.
And
White Sugar-Although white sugar seems to be a common ingredient in
MANY recipes, it’s a highly processed item. If you want to
lose weight, heal your body, regulate your hormones, improve behavior
in your children then I wouldn’t suggest purchasing or baking with
ANY kind of white sugar. You don’t have to COMPLETELY avoid
it. I believe that a huge reason for real food failure is
trying to be perfect. I know it’s not the best therefore I don't
buy it or use it at restraunts.If I attend a function and bring a
dish I still opt for raw sugar. But I also don’t make our lives too
incredibly strict.If I'm out and food is available the sugar used is
not as important to me as if there were dairy in it.
Does
Healthy Sugar Exist-If you look at your local health food store,
you’ll probably find some weird sugars in the baking isle. You
may see sugars called Turbinado or Sugar in the Raw, for example.
The sugar that I see recommended, that is truly the LEAST
processed is called Sucanat. Sucanat stands for “Sugar Cane
Natural”. Sucanat is simply dehydrated, freshly squeezed
sugar cane juice. It is also a good source of iron, calcium,
potassium, B vitamins and chromium.I haven't tried it but I will look
to try it. Hopefully there is an organic option because then I know
for sure it is NOT genetically modified.
I
have many family memebers and friends who use margarine instead of
butter. The main argument is because its cheaper. I continue to
explain the diference in how it affects their bodyies.
Butter
vs Margarine-Why Butter is Better
- Minerals ...Butter is rich in important trace minerals, including manganese, chromium, zinc, copper and selenium (a powerful antioxidant). Butter provides more selenium per gram than wheat germ or herring. Butter is also an excellent source of iodine.
According
to one of my favorite people; Dr. Mercola, butter is a rich source
of easily absorbed vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions,
from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top
shape.
Butter
also contains all the other fat-soluble vitamins (D, E and K2),
which are often lacking in the modern industrial diet.
Fatty Acids ...Butter provides appreciable amounts of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which support immune function, boost metabolism and have anti-microbial properties; that is, they fight against pathogenic microorganisms in the intestinal tract.Butter also provides the perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Arachidonic acid in butter is important for brain function, skin health and prostaglandin balance.- Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) ...When butter comes from cows eating green grass, it contains high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound that gives excellent protection against cancer and also helps your body build muscle rather than store fat.
- Glycospingolipids ...These are a special category of fatty acids that protect against gastrointestinal infections, especially in the very young and the elderly. Children given reduced-fat milks have higher rates of diarrhea than those who drink whole milk.
- Cholesterol ...Despite all of the misinformation you may have heard, cholesterol is needed to maintain intestinal health and for brain and nervous system development in the young.
- Wulzen Factor ...A hormone-like substance that prevents arthritis and joint stiffness, ensuring that calcium in your body is put into your bones rather than your joints and other tissues. The Wulzen factor is present only in raw butter and cream; it is destroyed by pasteurization.
How
to Purchase Butter-If you must consume butter then The BEST
butter is raw butter from grass-fed cows, preferably organic. Next is
pasteurized butter from grass-fed cows, followed by regular
pasteurized butter from supermarkets. Even though the latter two are
still a much healthier choice than margarine or spreads I would say
avoid it all.
Hopefully this information will help you decide to do somethings differently for the sake of your health. Small changes make a big difference in the long run.
Thanks for reading
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