Cooking with Oil Do’s and Don’ts Winter Warming Ginger Dressing

OILS that are healthy and wise: Extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil, sesame oil - cold pressed and organic

There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing which oil to sautés, bake, and drizzle with. I have read, listened, cooked with researched the healthiest and not so great oils and how to cook with them. Especially which oil I use in my dressing. It’s so confusing but the data is out and the sources are below. You’ll be fascinated by my finds.

As a health and wellness coach and WHOLEistic foodie I tend to share more than people want to hear. “Just tell me what’s good and what I need to stay away from” - those are the things are hear and I get it - easy peezy, just tell me what to eat! I’m totally cool with that but there’s a side of me that wants to share the reasons, research, and why we eat certain foods and why we don’t. I know for me that when I understand the science and background, reasons and answers to my questions it keeps me more mindful, makes sense to me and keeps me wanting to persevere my health goals because I understand the ‘why I do what I do.’

I’ll keep this simple and practical. There are oils that have a high smoking point when cooking and that’s great, although, those oils can also be high polyunsaturated which means that they oxidize and become progressively more rancid and create free radicals in the body. We don’t want that! Oxidation speeds aging and weakens the immune system. No thank you! So, we do not want to cook with these oils UNLESS we use oils that are truly cold-pressed like: flax oil - which is super sensitive to heat and light. Flax oil is a healthy oil but because it’s so sensitive I don’t blend it in my smoothies anymore as I’m avoiding any oxidation, therefore, I add a tbsp of flax oil to my glass after I blend my morning smoothie and stir it in.

When you heat oil it breaks down and creates inflammation in the body which leads to aging and diseases, G-d Forbid. When cooking be super careful and choose appropriate oils - see below. Otherwise, sauté with water or use a scanpam (love my pans) - great alternative to the nonstick pans. Try to cook at a very low temperature - it might take longer but worth the health verses unhealthy risks. Remember, LIGHT, OXYGEN, and HEAT oxidizes oils. Purchase your oils in glass bottles, darker the better especially with flax oil, and enjoy your oils in delicious recipes. Not all oils are created equally…

BEST OILS:
virgin coconut oil
extra virgin olive oil - most stable of all oils and lower levels of trans fats, highest smoke point and less polyunsaturated acids. I have always stayed away from cooking with olive oil but with more research and knowing that it’s smoking point is pretty high - 410 F and low in polyunsaturated fats it can be used to cook with. I’m still careful though and, therefore, use olive oil in my cold recipes a.k.a salads.
avocado oil - Chosen Foods Brand is wonderful
Ghee - clarified butter - great internally and externally - great for brain health, nervous system, calming and used therapeutically for thousands of years in ancient Ayurvedic medicine. Pubmed did extensive studies on ghee.
Ghee has a nutty flavor and long shelf life. You can keep it out of the fridge. I suggest mixing the ghee before you use. Lactose, casein, whey protein and trace minerals are removed for better digestion. It’s still considered a dairy product, although easier to digest. It’s my favorite for my kitchari recipe, toast and buckwheat dishes.

Oils To Stay Away From:
canola - unless organic, expeller pressed, otherwise it’s highly processed and comes from GMO plants you don’t want in your body. If these oils in this list are not organic they are super heated up using a chemical n-hexane with alters fat and causes inflammation in the body. Stay away!
soybean oil
peanut oil
corn oil
sunflower oil
safflower oil

Nut and Seed Oils:
eat your nuts and seeds but don’t use as oils

Toss this mise en place together and your tummy will be glad you did. Digestive, warming and delicious!

Ginger Dressing
2 inches ginger root - peeled and cut into circles and slice thin and chop
1/3 cup evoo - extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sesame oil untoasted
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice - one lemon
2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp or less of salt

- place all ingredients into a small food processor
- blend well untill smooth
- optional - you can warm this delicious ginger dressing a little bit.
- spoon generously over salad, potatoes, steamed veggies ad rice
- this dressing makes a great dip for crudite - cut up veggie sticks

Genia’s Spoon Me Tips:
Always look for oils that are lower in polyunsaturated fats. These are fats with a reduced risk for many health conditions. And, good fats provide nutrients for building and maintaining cells in the body. Dress your salads with good quality fats.

Try not to cook in oil but you can add oils after you’re done cooking as a seasoning with some salt and pepper.

Bake veggies on parchment paper and add seasoning and oils after cooking.

Add squeezed lemon, lime and garlic or rosemary to your salads to add anti-oxidants for less oxidation of oils.

Sources:
PubMed - articles on studies of effect of ghee on serum lipids
Dr. Stephen Cabral - Podcast on oils to cook and not cook with
Sally Fallon - Weston Price Foundation

May your belly know the warmth of balance, comfortable digestion all season long.

Oily and Gingerly Love,
Genia