Eat healthy, Stay healthy!! Well, most of us follow this tag line by eating oil free food or following a healthy diet schedule. But, apart from this, you need to give special consideration to the cooking oil you use to make your wide variety of food. With a wide range of cooking oils available in the market, choosing the right ones gets extremely difficult. After all, the oil you use for cooking can change the taste of your food as well as alter the cholesterol levels in the body. Hence, it is extremely important that you choose only the best cooking oil for your food.

Understanding Fats and oils

Every type of oil has a different make-up. As a result, some are good for high heat cooking while others are not, and release harmful radicals in their smoke which is injurious to our health. Thus, it gets very important to understand the cooking oils that are available in the market. Here are a few healthy fats and oils which can be easily infused in our diet.

Clarified Butter Or Grass-fed Ghee

Traditionally used by Indians, Ghee is made by boiling the butter extracted from milk. The water in the butter is boiled leaving behind only casein free rich butterfat. Ghee is used widely for cooking Indian meals, especially for its health benefits. This grass-fed ghee is a rich source of fat soluble vitamins such as A, D and also K2. It also has CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) which plays a vital role in curing certain cancers by reducing tumors. Ghee also has a very high smoke point which makes it the ideal oil for deep-frying, sauteing and searing.

Coconut oil

The coconut oil is one of the most versatile cooking oils. It fuses well with both, savory and sweet dishes; also boasting the health benefits. It is made from medium-chain fatty acids and is good for people who are trying to lose weight. The body uses the healthy fat in the oil for energy. Majority of the fatty acids in coconut oil are made from lauric acid which has antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiviral benefit. This helps fight viruses and hence, boost your immune system.

Virgin coconut oil can be used for the purpose of low-temperature cooking and baking. Refined coconut oil has comparatively less benefits than the unrefined cooking oil. So, if you are using coconut oil, look for the one that is not hydrogenated or is not treated with hexane.

Sesame Oil

Rich with antibacterial properties, sesame oil helps protect us against abnormal bacterial growth. Based on a research conducted by the National Institutes of Health, daily consumption of sesame oil helps lower your blood pressure and also reduce hypertension.

Lignin, the soluble fat present in sesame oil, also known as sesamin helps stop the proliferation of several types of cancer cells such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung and colon cancer. Light sesame oil a considerable high smoke point and is god for deep frying. On the contrary, dark sesame oil extracted from roasted sesame seeds has a low spoke point and is good for making sauces and stir frying.

Walnut oil

Walnut is perhaps the healthiest nut you can find. It produces oil which is a rich source of selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron. Walnut oil helps stabilize your body hormones and provides certain cardio-protective benefits due to the high-amount of omega-3 fatty acids.

The walnut is also a rich source of anti-oxidants which helps fight the effects of free radicals that lead to accelerated aging and also cell damage. The low smoke point of walnut oil makes it best for raw use, particularly dressings in salads and sauces.

Remember, different oils add different flavors to the food you make. Rotating the type of oil you use, can help you change the taste of your food automatically and still stay healthy.