While on the path to cultivating a healthier, more vibrant life, it gets daunting to sort through the countless miracle cures and health trends. How to know which to choose from?  Finding a focus can seem near to impossible, so we are dialing-in on a few can’t miss, no-fail health tips that are beyond simple.

One of the key tenets to improving your health is to cook your meals at home. By making your own food, you have complete control over ingredients, portion size and methods of preparation. Not always true when eating out. But there is one hidden aspect of cooking at home that may be hindering all of your hard work: the oil you are cooking with.

Choosing the oil you cook with is actually far more important than just altering the flavor profile of your favorite dish. Oils are composed of a delicate structure that can easily be damaged by light, heat and oxygen exposure, causing them to become oxidized. When oils become oxidized, they become “rancid,” and in turn not only loose nutritional value can also be harmful to your body. By choosing the wrong oil to cook with, you could be turning a once healthy food choice into a detrimental one.

What do you mean by “rancid?” When oils become rancid, they create free radicals in the body, attacking our very cells down to the DNA. While antioxidants from foods such as pomegranates and cacao can offset this process, most often we do not consume enough of them to fully prevent this from occurring. As a result, free radical damage ensues, which is believed to be a major contributing factor in a host of diseases and conditions ranging from heart disease, high cholesterol, cancer and of course, expedited aging. We know, it’s hard to believe that the simple choice of an oil can lead to so many health concerns!

So what can we do? We can choose the right oil when preparing food, making sure not to damage its delicate structure. Choose your oil based on its flavor profile, but also on the type of cooking method that you’re employing: use an oil or fat with the appropriate smoke point. A smoke point is the temperature at which an oil or fat begins to break down and starts to become rancid, and guess what? Each oil is different! Learn about a few of your favorite oils and your efforts will most certainly be worth the benefits.

One last thought: Now you’re cognizant of what oils to use for cooking, but also pay attention to how they are bottled and stored. Remember, oils can be damaged by light, so always purchase ones packaged in dark bottles (except for coconut oil – this is a more stable oil) and store them in a cool dark place.

How To Cook with the Right Oils