A Few Good Oils

Our choice of cooking oil is perhaps one of the most important decisions we make when it comes to the health of our food. Yet, it seems to be one area we've gotten totally wrong.

In New York City we've recently banned trans fats. Still most of the oils used in our restaurants are still far from healthy.

I was reminded of this when dining in Williamsburg yesterday. I ordered one of my favorite dishes - fish tacos. I suppose I imagined them to be grilled or broiled, similar to the ones I make at home. Instead, I looked down at a plate of deep fried fish, cooked in what I'd guess is a combination of genetically modified canola or soy oils.

I assumed full responsibility. I hadn't asked the waiter for more specifics. I ate what was in front of me, but my body wasn't happy. My skin became irritated.

I was experiencing a symptom of inflammation, which is a result of consuming food that is cooked at high temperatures with polyunsaturated oils (e.g. corn, soy, canola oils). Inflammation also manifests itself in the form of heart disease, join pain, asthma. Lots of good stuff.

It's almost impossible to avoid these oils when eating out, especially when eating fast, convenient food. The best way to control the oils that go into your body is to cook at home.

Here are the oils that I always have on hand. Make sure to buy cold or expeller pressed versions from your health foods store. Unrefined too!

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – My primary oil. I use it for everything from sauteeing to salad dressings. Avoid using for high heat cooking as this oil has a low smoke point. Avoid mass produced olive oil brands, and look for those that are cold pressed and unrefined (e.g. Flora and Bionaturae).
  

• Virgin Coconut Oil – A great high heat cooking oil. I use it for stir frys, even baking. It is one of the few plant-based sources of saturated fat - which is a stable fat and something [surprise] we actually need in our diet. Should be solid at room temperature.

• Sesame Oil – Great for flavoring with Asian dishes. I usually add towards the end of a stir fry or in a noodle salad.

• Flax Oil – High in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. Not to be cooked! It is great as a salad dressing (especially in those with fruits). I also add a spoonful to my steel cut oats.
  

If you're interested in learning more about the role of oils in our diet, I suggest attending Sally Fallon's upcoming lecture: The Oiling of America in New York City on February 20 from 7 to 9 pm.

Let me know if you plan to attend. I should be there.

Dairy I do. Dairy I don't.

Why do I love cheese? And yet find my stomach cringing when I indulge in some festive eggnog this holiday season? As my body seems to be telling me, it's all about lactose - the sugar naturally found in milk that some people are able to digest and some are not.

We all have varying degrees of sensitivity to the white stuff. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a medical group that advocates a vegan diet, 95% of Asian Americans, 70% of African Americans, and 53% of Mexican Americans are lactose intolerant. This compares to 15% of Caucasians.

Some dairy products, like milk and eggnog, are higher in lactose than others. While some products contain far lower levels of lactose (e.g. butter, hard cheese, ghee, yogurt). Each individual has a different level of sensitivity.

Why is this? A lot has to do with the way it's been processed. Hard cheese, through its fermentation process loses much of the lactose. Yogurt with live probiotics contains the enzyme lactase which aids in digestion. And ghee, clarified butter used in India, is stripped of lactose (or milk solids) in its processing.

I made the personal choice to add moderate amounts of dairy to my diet, because it is one of the few foods that contain fat. Other than nuts and oils, there aren't many other sources of fat in the plant kingdom. And fat, is an essential nutrient in diet. We often are taught to shun it, because most of us eat too much of it. But there are also others (notably vegetarians and vegans) who often don't get enough. Fat is essential to healthy skin, hair, nails, and a well functioning reproductive system.

It is also said in ancient Ayurvedic wisdom, that 'saatvic' foods like dairy help make us more calm and peaceful.

Think about all the happy people you know who enjoy cheese. There must be something to this! But when it comes to eggnog, I think I'll opt for the Silk Nog.

Why settle for mockolate, when you can have chocolate?

Attention: this is real chocolate. Hershey's, our legendary American chocolate maker, it seems is no longer in the business of selling the real stuff.

Last week, the Today show reported that Hershey's decided to switch the formulation of many of its products. Out is the cocoa butter, arguably what gives chocolate its definitive taste, with lower-cost vegetable oil. The result is a product that many claim is inferior, unless you are one of those people who likes white chocolate.

Instead of joining the chorus of naysayers. I'd like to point out there are still lots of great 'real' chocolate on the market today. And when I say real, I'm talking about the dark stuff, 68% cacao or higher. With these products you should notice "chocolate liquor" "cacao" or "cocoa" as the first ingredient. It should not be sugar.

I'm a big fan of the products made by Equal Exchange and Divine. These companies are purists, and use only organic, fair-trade cacao. You won't find any hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup here.

And what about the saturated fat you might say? Well, according to Dr. Andrew Weil, "Cocoa butter, the fat in chocolate, turns out not to be so bad. Although it is a saturated fat, the body turns it into monounsaturated fat, processing it like olive oil."

So have you forgotten about your Whatchamacallit yet? I recommend Equal Exchange's Dark Chocolate with Pure Cocoa Nibs (pictured).

Nuts: nature's perfect food

Are you nuts about nuts? I am.

And fortunately, as a health counselor, I can disclose my consumption of these guilt-free. [You should see the messages from my advisers after yesterday's ice cream disclosure.]

Nuts are nature's perfect food: a healthy balance of fat, carbohydrate and protein. Which makes sense if you consider that a nut is basically a seed and contains everything necessary for a plant to create life.

Nuts are extremely compact and durable, which make them very convenient for modern life. It is no wonder they are so prevalent in trail mixes and energy bars.

Fellow nut lovers can rejoice when they visit the Tierra Farm booth at the Park Slope Farmers Market (Sunday @ 5th Avenue and 4th Street). Tierra Farm is a small, privately-owned producer of organic nuts based in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. My current favorite is the Organic Dry Roasted Sea Salt & Onion Cashews. Very addictive! Other favorites include Garam Masala Cashews, Roasted Pistachios, and Tamari Roasted Almonds.

Nuts are one of the few sources of healthy, plant-based fats. They are high in desired monounsaturated fats and essential fatty acids. All of which are important for healthy skin, hair and nails. As well as memory and cognitive function.

However, like all foods, nuts should be eaten in moderation. The foods are rather calorie dense. I recommend just a few at a time. You'll find yourself satiated surprisingly faster than most snack foods.

We all scream for Blue Marble ice cream

Ice cream, it seems, has once again become in vogue for health counselors.

The shift in our universe is largely thanks to Blue Marble Ice Cream in Brooklyn. Here ice cream is handmade from local organic milk. Chocolate is fair trade organic. And the bowls and spoons are all compostable.

I was tipped off to the place by my friend and fellow health counselor, Angela, who has been visiting the store a little more frequently than she would like. Both of us, it seems, have been craving ice cream lately. So I recently decided to visit the store with my sister, Nina, who was visiting.

This conversion didn't come easy though. It had been almost a year since I've indulged in the stuff. Part of my attempt to reduce the amount of sugar in my diet. Blue Marble's commitment to quality sourcing did ease my guilt a bit. However, I would be lying if part of me, didn't still think what I was doing was 'bad.'

So I put on my health counselor hat. Why might I be causing my craving for ice cream? Or rather what was my body trying to tell me? Perhaps I need to cool down. Or be less strict with my diet. Or maybe I just need more fat.

I realized there was some truth in all of this. My success in eliminating most processed foods from my diet over the last year had brought with it significant weight loss. More so than perhaps my body was ready for! Ice cream, while not the only source of fat, was actually beneficial in helping me return to balance.

The whole episode reminded me that it important to have a flexible attitude towards food. And there are no universally good or bad foods. Yet, don't get my wrong, most of us eat too much ice cream and sugar. But if you want to indulge, why not choose the best?

I recommend the Mocha Chip. :)