Food can be an emotional thing for people. We all have particular foods that bring us comfort or momentary happiness. Some love the sweetness of birthday cake. Others find the salty, fatty flavor combination of french fries to die for. That would be me. Unfortunately, eating those golden fries from the drive-thru regularly could call your bluff on whether you are willing to die for them.
When I first began adopting a real food-based lifestyle, I mourned the loss of my weekly fry fixes. Anytime I was stressed, french fries called my name. I had to find a temporary fix and I found it- old-fashioned fried potatoes in my iron skillet. As always, cooking at home gives you the power to choose not only what you eat, but how you prepare it.
In walks coconut oil. Coconut oil was the oil of choice for many in America until World War II. The islands of the South Pacific were occupied by the Japanese, therefore, eliminating our sources. Americans were forced to find new oils for cooking and didn’t look back until recently. Hindsight is 20/20 they say and maybe if we’d not lost coconut oil for that brief time, poor health wouldn’t be the status quo.
Coconut oil is different from common vegetable oil in many regards. It is 90% saturated fat and that fact alone scares people who can’t shake the low-fat oath. However, it is composed mostly of medium-chain fatty acids. To me and you that simply means it does not cause high cholesterol and fights heart disease and atherosclerosis. In addition, it’s widely known to be anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic. Other than olive oil, vegetable and seed oils do not have any health benefits and recent research seems to suggest it may be detrimental to your health. Vegetable and seed oils are unstable (think free radicals) and do not handle being heated well.
I have lost my major attachment to french fries and no longer see them as the anecdote to stress. Instead, I enjoy them as a tasty, nutritious side anytime I want without the guilt. If you have hesitated to try coconut oil in cooking, rest assured it’s an easy transition that will allow you to make threats you might otherwise miss out on.
