(October 2010) — We’ve survived the era of low-fat diets and learned about the health problems they create, but the media still attempts to guide our thinking that fats can make us fat and cholesterol causes heart disease.

The truth is that fats play an important role in our body’s health and some of them can even help us lose weight. Unfortunately, we consume too few of the healthy fats, and too many of the unhealthy, man-made versions.

The roles fats play in our health are extensive. For example, fat provides energy; it’s difficult to eat enough food on a low-fat diet to get the energy we need. Essential fatty acids are brain food — a deficiency can lead to numerous health and psychiatric/social problems. Fats are needed to absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K. Fats give us a feeling of satiety, preventing hunger soon after meals.

Big Fat Misconception

Saturated fats were the preferred choice until the mid-20th century. Then, all of a sudden, we were told to cut saturated fats from our diet if we wanted to maintain healthy weight, have good cholesterol, and prevent heart disease. Marketers of low-fat foods championed the cause and few people questioned why foods eaten for centuries suddenly were causing heart disease.

It’s interesting that at the turn of the last century, saturated fats such as coconut oil were advertised as healthy. Saturated fats even were recommended for treating serious medical conditions, such as tuberculosis and epilepsy.

While medical experts claimed “fats are good” prior to World War II, we heard just the opposite in the years that followed, once the vegetable and seed oil industry stepped up production because tropical oils couldn’t be shipped during World War II.

But drastically reducing fats from the modern diet has not solved our heart health or weight problems. Statistics show that obesity rates are at an all-time high as is heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke.

A study published in 2006 in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” found virtually identical rates of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular disease in women who did or didn’t follow a low-fat diet. Women on the low-fat diet also didn’t lose — or gain — any more weight than women who followed their usual diets. The doctrine of low-fat eating has lost credibility.

What’s Theory, What’s Fact?

The anti-saturated fat theory began in the 1950s with the steep rise in heart disease. While heart disease caused no more than 10 percent of all deaths in the United States prior to the 1920s, by the 1950s it had risen to more than 30 percent. Researchers began looking for the cause of this new health threat and targeted cholesterol as the culprit.

Many researchers, however, have rejected the saturated fat and cholesterol theory as a cause of heart disease because more than 60 percent of all heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels and the majority of people with high cholesterol levels never have heart attacks. A study published in August 2010 in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” found that if saturated fat in the diet is too low, it can lead to an increased risk of death from stroke.

Another fat, however, is being implicated in poor health. A study conducted at the Wynn Institute for Metabolic Research in London examined the composition of human aortic plaques. It found that the artery-clogging fats in those who died from heart disease were composed of 26 percent saturated fat and 74 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The researchers determined no association with saturated fats but rather implicated polyunsaturates, such as those found in vegetable oils, as the primary contributors to aortic plaque formation and suggested that people avoid these oils completely.

The American Heart Association has discovered that people with heart disease all have one thing in common — inflammation. High cholesterol levels are not even on the list.

Researchers currently are focusing on damaged fats (particularly trans fats found in margarine, snack foods and fried foods), the use of oils high in omega-6 fatty acids (polyunsaturates), inflammation, blood clots, high blood pressure, high levels of homocysteine (an amino acid in the blood), and high levels of Lp(a), a protein produced in the liver. When Lp(a) encounters an LDL cholesterol particle (“bad” cholesterol”), it binds to it and confers a much more aggressive behavior to the LDL particle.

It may be surprising that saturated fats now are considered the healthiest fats for cooking precisely because they are saturated. There are no double bonds between the carbon atoms; they’re fully saturated with hydrogen atoms. This structure means that bonds will not break easily when heated and saturated with oxygen.

By contrast, unsaturated fats, such as olive and canola oil (monounsaturated fats) and safflower, sunflower, soy, and corn oil (polyunsaturates) have carbon bonds that are not saturated. Their double bonds can become saturated with oxygen from the environment. When this happens, the oils have oxidized and become rancid and unsuitable for consumption. This happens easily with these oils and can occur even in their processing.

The Healthiest Fats and Oils

• Butter is a saturated fat dominated by short-and medium-chain fatty acids. It’s a healthier choice than margarine or most vegetable spreads, with the exception of coconut oil and olive oil spreads. Butter is a rich source of vitamins A, E, K and D. It also has appreciable amounts of butyric acid, used by the colon as an energy source, and lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid, which is a potent antimicrobial and antifungal substance.Butter from grass-fed cows also contains conjugated linoleic acid, which protects against cancer. (Look for Organic Valley’s Organic Pastured Butter at PCC.) Butter is good for medium-heat cooking with a smoke point of 350° F. Ghee (clarified butter) has a smoke point between 375° F and 485° F and is good for medium-to high-heat cooking.

• Extra-virgin olive oil is a monounsaturated oil that’s great for salad dressings, cold foods, and low-heat cooking. Spectrum’s smoke point is 325° F. Other monounsaturated oils, such as Spectrum’s avocado (smoke point 450° F) and almond oil (smoke point 495° F) are better suited for higher-heat cooking.

• Coconut and palm oil are saturated fats. Coconut oil is great for low- or medium-heat cooking (smoke point 280° F to 350° F, depending on brand). Palm oil is good for higher-heat cooking (smoke point 450° F).??These oils won’t oxidize (turn rancid) as easily because they’re saturated and have a longer shelf life than most oils. Coconut and palm oil are dominated by medium-chain triglycerides, which use up energy when metabolized. They have a “thermogenic effect,” meaning they raise body temperature, boosting energy and metabolic rate, promoting weight loss. They have no cholesterol and have not been shown to raise LDL levels. Coconut oil tastes great on popcorn, too.

• Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are the “good fats” that everyone needs to maintain optimal health. EFAs are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which include linolenic (omega-3) and linoleic (omega-6).??During the past half century the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s in the Western diet has changed from 2:1 to as much as 25:1. Our diets now include too many oils rich in omega-6s (corn, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed, peanut and soybean oils), and too few omega-3s, which are found primarily in fish, fish oil and seafood; grass-fed meat and dairy; walnuts; and flax, hemp, and chia seeds and in smaller amounts in vegetables, whole grains and beans.

Oils and Fats to Limit/Avoid

• Polyunsaturated oils such as corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oils are hard-seed oils high in omega-6s and should be limited or avoided if possible. (Safflower and sunflower oils labeled high-heat or high oleic are exceptions — they’re primarily monounsaturated.) Polyunsaturates have more than one double bond, which break easily, and makes them more vulnerable to oxidation and degeneration. Oxidized oils can cause widespread free-radical damage, implicated in heart disease and cancer.Vegetable- and seed-based oils have been around for less than 100 years and their rise in popularity in the 1950s paralleled a drastic increase in heart disease. Traditionally bred high-oleic versions of safflower or sunflower oils are one option for high-heat cooking but almond oil, avocado oil and ghee are better choices. Most soy and corn oils also are from genetically modified (GM) crops.

• Canola oil is a monounsaturated fat, like olive oil, which means it contains only one double bond. So, technically, it could be used for salad dressings, cold foods, and low-temperature cooking. Unless it’s organic, assume canola oil is made from GMO canola.

• Trans fats are created in the process of hydrogenating oils and should be avoided completely. The consumption of trans fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Commercially baked goods, such as crackers, cookies, cakes, muffins and many fried foods, such as doughnuts and French fries, may contain trans fats. Mainstream shortenings and margarines can be high in trans fat.

• Margarine and butter replacement spreads. Margarine is made from different oils mixed with emulsifiers, vitamins, coloring, flavoring and other ingredients. The oils often are hydrogenated — a process used to solidify them, making the margarine spreadable.A report by Harvard researchers says trans fat in margarine and other processed foods could be responsible for thousands of the nation’s annual deaths from heart disease. When it comes to natural spreads that are substitutes for butter, read labels; know what oils are used. An olive oil spread would be fine but anything made with polyunsaturates or non-organic canola oil should be avoided.

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Cherie Calbom, M.S., has a master’s degree in nutrition from Bastyr University, where she now serves on the Board of Regents. She is the author of 17 books on nutrition, including “The Coconut Diet” and “The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet.” For more information, see cheriecalbom.com.

References

• Howard BV, Van Horn L, Hsia J, et al. Low-fat dietary pattern and risk of cardiovascular disease: the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial. JAMA. 2006; 295:655-66.

• Yamagishi, K, Iso H,Yatsuya H, et al. Dietary intake of saturated fatty acids and mortality from cardiovascular disease in Japanese: the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010 August 4.

• Felton CV, Crook D, Davies MJ, Oliver MF. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and composition of human aortic plaques. Lancet. 1994 October 29; 344(8931):1195-6.

• Fat in Margarine Is Tied to Heart Problems. The New York Times. 1994 May 16.

This article was reprinted with permission of the Sound Consumer, a publication of PCC Natural Markets, Seattle.

BEEF RECALL SPARKS TENDERIZATION DEBATE
By Caroline Scott-Thomas, 04-Jan-2010
A multi-state beef recall in the US has led to renewed focus on mechanical tenderization as a possible cause of increased E. coli risk in beef and pork products.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) recalled 248,000 pounds of mechanically tenderized beef products from Oklahoma-based National Steak and Poultry on December 24 after they were linked to 21 illnesses across 16 states.

Mechanical tenderization involves inserting hundreds of tiny needles into tougher beef products to physically break up muscle fibres, and it is also used to inject marinades into pork. It is alleged that the process could transfer any E. coli bacteria that may be on the surface of meat into its core, meaning that consumers would need to heat the product to at least 160°F (71°C) to ensure the bacteria are killed.

The paths made by the needling process are imperceptible after the meat is cut, and currently the USDA does not require that products carry labels specifying that they have been mechanically tenderized.

But the recall has led to calls for labeling, including from Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who said in a statement: “USDA has been aware of the E. coli risks associated with mechanically tenderized steaks as early as 1999, but has refused to act. The USDA should move immediately to require labeling that clearly identifies mechanically tenderized beef and pork products for all processing facilities, retailers and consumers.”

Consumer groups, including the Safe Food Coalition and the Consumer Federation of America, have also called for labelling of mechanically tenderized meat in the wake of the current outbreak.

However, the American Meat Institute (AMI) has defended industry’s use of tenderizing techniques, saying that tenderized meat is “comparable in safety to steaks that have not been mechanically tenderized”.

“All steaks in retail stores – whether blade-tenderized or not – must bear safe handling labels instructing consumers how to cook and handle them to ensure they are safe when served,” it said.

The AMI said that the safety of tenderized meat has been thoroughly tested, including by the FSIS, which said in 2008 that E. coli risk is not significantly increased depending on whether a beef steak is intact or not.

The AMI added: “Because blade-tenderized steaks have been found to be comparable in safety, we don’t believe that special labeling declaring the mechanical tenderization process will provide meaningful or actionable information to consumers.”

The FSIS said affected products bear an "EST. 6010T" establishment label and packaging dates "10/12/2009," "10/13/2009," "10/14/2009," or "10/21/2009."

In a statement posted on its website, National Steak and Poultry said: “We take the safety and wholesomeness of our products very seriously and that’s why we are working with the USDA to conduct this recall. This is the first recall in our company’s nearly 30-year history.”

A full list of the recalled products can be found online here .

SUPER HEALTHY MILK

By Jo Robinson

Most cartons of milk in the supermarket show a picture of cows contentedly grazing on grass. Unfortunately, 85 to 95 percent of the cows in the United States are now being raised in confinement, not on pasture. The only grass they eat comes in the form of hay, and the ground that they stand on is a blend of dirt and manure.

The reason for confining our cows in feedlots and feeding them grain rather than grass is that they produce more milk—especially when injected with bi-weekly hormones. Today's grainfed cows produce three times as much milk as the old family cow of days gone by.

With the current emphasis on quantity, the quality of our milk has suffered. One of the biggest losses has been in its CLA content. CLA or "conjugated linoleic acid" is a type of fat that may prove to be one of our most potent cancer fighters. Milk from a pastured cow can have five times as much CLA as a grainfed animal. To date, most of the proof of the health benefits of CLA has come from test tube or animal studies. But a few recent human studies have produced encouraging results. For example, French researchers compared CLA levels in the breast tissues of 360 women. The women with the most CLA in their tissue (and thus the most CLA in their diets) had a 74 percent lower risk of breast cancer than the women with the least CLA.(Bougnoux et al, Inform, 10:S43, 1999.) If an American woman were to switch from grain fed to grassfed dairy products, she would have levels of CLA similar to those with the lowest risk of cancer. Got CLA milk?

Milk from pastured cows also contains an ideal ratio of essential fatty acids or EFAs. There are two families of EFAs—omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Studies suggest that if your diet contains roughly equal amounts of these two fats, you will have a lower risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, allergies, obesity, diabetes, dementia, and various other mental disorders.[1]

Take a few moments to study the chart below showing EFA levels in milk from cows fed varying amounts of grass and grain.[2] The green bars represent omega-3 fatty acids in the milk, and the yellow bars represent omega-6 fatty acids. As you can see, when a cow is raised on pasture (represented by the two bars on the far left), her milk has an ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Take away one third of the grass and replace it with grain or other supplements (represented by the two bars in the middle) and the omega-3 fatty acid content of the milk goes down while the omega-6 fatty acid content goes up, upsetting an essential balance. Replace two-thirds of the pasture with a grain-based diet (illustrated by the two bars on the far right) and the milk will have a very top-heavy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, a ratio that has been linked with an increased risk of a wide variety of conditions, including obesity, diabetes, depression, and cancer. Much of the milk you buy in the supermarket has an even more lopsided ratio than the final set of measurements because they get no pasture whatsoever.

100% pasture creates ideal EFA balance

Milk from pastured cows offers additional health benefits. (I'm beginning to sound like a TV infomercial: "But wait! There's more!") Besides giving you five times more CLA and an ideal balance of EFAs, grassfed milk is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E. This vitamin bonus comes, in part, from the fact that fresh pasture has more of these nutrients than grain or hay. (When grass is dried and turned into hay, it loses a significant amount of its vitamin content.) These extra helpings of vitamins are then transferred to the cow's milk.

There's another factor involved as well. A grazing cow produces less milk than a cow fed a grain-based diet. This turns out to be a bane for the farmer but a blessing for the consumer. The less milk a cow produces, the more vitamins in her milk.[3] This is because a cow has a set amount of vitamins to transfer to her milk, and if she's bred, fed, and injected to be a Super Producer, her milk has fewer vitamins per glass. It's a watered down version of the real thing.

Oh, I almost forgot the best part of all. Dairy products from grassfed cows taste delicious, and they have a bright yellow color that is visible proof of their bonus supply of carotenes. Serve cheese or butter from a grass-based dairy, and everyone will notice the difference. Also, your cookies and cakes will have that rich buttery color that hasn't been seen since Grandma's day. (You do bake, don't you?)

So where can you find milk from pastured cows? All of the dairies listed on www.eatwild.com keep their cows outdoors on grass whenever possible. Some farmers supplement the cows with small amounts of grain. If so, their listing will detail the type and amount. To find a local producer, go to our list of grass-fed suppliers (link) and click on your state. We also have a special section devoted to farmers who feed their cows 100 percent forage-based diets.

Can you find grass-fed milk in the supermarkets? Unfortunately, an organic label is no guarantee that the cows are raised outdoors on grass. If the label does not mention pasture-feeding, you can assume that the cows were raised in confinement and fed a high-grain diet supplemented with hay. Two large organic brands make a point of contracting with grass-based dairy farmers—Organic Valley, a national brand, and Natural by Nature, which is sold in select stores around. (Go to their website to find a local distributor. http://www.natural-by-nature.com)

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Jo Robinson is a New York Times bestselling writer. She is the author or coauthor of 11 nationally published books including Pasture Perfect, which is a comprehensive overview of the benefits of choosing products from pasture-raised animals, and The Omega Diet (with Dr. Artemis Simopoulos) that describes an omega-3 enriched Mediterranean diet that may be the healthiest eating program of all. To order her books or learn more about grassfed products, visit http://eatwild.com.

[1] For more information about essential fatty acid balance, read The Omega Diet, a book I co-authored with internationally acclaimed fatty acid expert, Dr. Artemis Simopoulos. The Omega Diet has 24 pages of pertinent scientific references.

[2] The data comes from: Dhiman, T. R., G. R. Anand, et al. (1999). "Conjugated linoleic acid content of milk from cows fed different diets." J Dairy Sci 82(10): 2146-56.

[3] Jensen, S. K., A. K. Johannsen, et al. (1999). "Quantitative secretion and maximal secretion capacity of retinol, beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol into cows' milk." J Dairy Res 66(4): 511-22.

You Are What Your Animals Eat

by Jo Robinson

In my investigation into pasture-based farming, I've stumbled upon an alarming state of affairs: few animal scientists see any link between animal feed and human food. "Feed animals anything you want," say the experts, "and it makes no difference to their meat, milk, or eggs." Because of this mindset, our animals are being fed just about anything that enhances the bottom line, including chicken feathers, sawdust, chicken manure, stale pizza dough, potato chips, and candy bars.

Here's a glaring example. A 1996 study explored the desirability of feeding stale chewing gum to cattle.(1) Amazingly, the gum was still in its aluminum foil wrappers. Wonder of wonders, the experts concluded that bubblegum diet was a net benefit---at least for the producers. I quote: "Results of both experiments suggest that [gum and packaging material] may be fed to safely replace up to 30% of corn-alfalfa hay diets for growing steers with advantages in improving dry matter intake and digestibility." In other words, feed a steer a diet that is 30 percent bubblegum and aluminum foil wrappers, and it will be a more efficient eater. With a nod to public safety, the researchers did check to see how much aluminum was deposited in the various organs of the cattle. Not to worry. The aluminum content was "within normal expected ranges." As always, there was no mention of the nutritional content of the resulting meat.

When I first read the bubblegum studies, I assumed that no one would actually feed bubblegum to their animals, despite the "positive outcome" of the research.. Then a professor of animal science drove me by a Beechnut gum factory in upstate New York where dairy farmers bought truckloads of bubble gum to feed to their cows.

The view from the other side of the fence is just as sobering. Most experts in human nutrition are equally blind to the feed/food connection. To them, beef is beef, eggs are eggs, and milk is milk. Thus, when the USDA says "eat less red meat," the edict applies to all red meat, whether it's a fatty steak from a grainfed cow, or a lean steak from a grassfed cow with its invisible bounty of omega-3s, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and CLA.

I've spent the past four years trying to forge the missing link between animal and human nutrition. It's been tough going, especially when it comes pasture-raised animals because virtually all the studies focus on feedlot animals. To fill in the gap, I've searched through yellowing journals published before the advent of factory farming, pieced together small studies financed by farmers, and combed through the research from Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand—parts of the world where animals are still kept home on the range.

Finding the amount of vitamin E in grassfed meat has been one of my biggest challenges. I began tthe search when I learned that grass has 20 times more vitamin E than corn or soy. Given the magnitude of this difference, I reasoned that meat from grassfed animals must have an extra helping of vitamin E.

At long last, I located one American study that broached the subject. The impetus for the study came from disgruntled Japanese buyers who complained that American beef spoiled more quickly than Australian free-range beef. Knowing that vitamin E helped prolong shelf life, the American researchers investigated the amount of vitamin E in the two types of meat. Lo and behold, they discovered that the meat from grassfed cattle had three to four times more vitamin E than feedlot beef, thanks to all that vitamin E-rich grass.

Now, what did the researchers do with this finding? True to form, they began studying how much synthetic vitamin E to add to synthetic feedlot diets. I doubt that it even occurred to them to investigate pasture-based ranching.

Why this lack of interest in the natural model? Much of our animal research is funded by commercial interests—specifically the grain, chemical, pharmaceutical, farm equipment, and meat-packing companies. Together, these vertically integrated behemoths have a multi-billion dollar stake in perpetuating factory farming. The USDA, meanwhile, aids and abets the feedlot industry by focusing virtually all of its efforts—and our tax dollars!—on tweaking the system. For example, the USDA Meat and Animal Research Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, is more willing to spend $100,000 researching how quickly feedlot manure seeps into the water table than to spend a similar amount of money investigating pasture-based ranching, the holistic model that keeps the contamination from happening in the first place.

What will it take to draw more scientific attention to pasture-based ranching? Pressure from an enlightened public. And what will it take to enlighten the public? The national media.

I have a fantasy how this might happen. First, a prominent media source such as "60 minutes" or The New York Times will decide to spotlight pasture-based farming. Building on this ground-breaking work, an award-winning TV producer will create a documentary that deepens the discussion. The program will conclude—as it must—-that raising animals on pasture is better for consumers, the animals, the environment, and small farmers. Before long, dozens of news shows, newspapers, and magazines will follow suit.

As the momentum builds, grassfarming will become the talk of the town. Serving organic meat won't win points in Los Angeles anymore unless it's grassfed as well. Meanwhile, Ted Turner will stop sending all of his bison to feedlots to be fattened like cattle, and by 2005, his "Turner Reserve Grassfed Bison" will be the thing to serve at celebrity gatherings. Propelled by this groundswell of interest, private and government institutions will finally devote more time, money and energy to exploring pasture-based farming.

Will grassfarming ever become the darling of the media? Only time will tell. But even if the media misses the boat, the good news about grassfarming will keep spreading on the grassroots level, one satisfied customer at a time!

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Jo Robinson is a New York Times bestselling writer. She is the author or coauthor of 11 nationally published books including Pasture Perfect, which is a comprehensive overview of the benefits of choosing products from pasture-raised animals, and The Omega Diet (with Dr. Artemis Simopoulos) that describes an omega-3 enriched Mediterranean diet that may be the healthiest eating program of all. To order her books or learn more about grassfed products, visit http://eatwild.com.

1) Wolf, B. W., L. L. Berger, et al. (1996). "Effects of feeding a return chewing gum/packaging material mixture on performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot cattle." J Anim Sci 74(11): 2559-65.

With all good intentions, sometimes our attempts to a make a recipe 'healthy' produces a poor product.  And that's frustrating when we don't have groceries to waste or have time to whip up another batch.  Now, this is not a complete list, but it's a good start in the right direction.  If you have a tried and tested tip or method to making cooking or baking healthy without sacrificing flavors and textures, PLEASE LET US KNOW ABOUT IT.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

REDUCE SUGAR

• You can usually reduce sugar in a recipe by 1/4 to 1/3 in cookies, pies, and quick breads.  Although, it may not work well in cakes.
• Up to 1/2 cup of sugar may be substituted with a sugar substitute.
• Adding vanilla extract in baking goods gives the essence of sweetness that makes up for the reduced sugar.

REDUCE FAT

• You can usually reduce fat in a recipe by 1/4 to 1/3 in cookies, pies, and quick breads without affecting the product.
• Replace half of the fat in a recipe with unsweetened applesauce, low-fat yogurt, or prune puree.
• Use lower-fat versions of the ingredients called for in a recipe, such as 1% or skim milk rather than whole, use low-fat cheeses, etc.
• When buying meats, select the leanest cuts.  Cough up for the leanest ground meats with a meat/fat ratio of 90/10 or better.  The meat may seem expensive, but it's cheaper than by-pass surgery on your heart or monthly prescriptions of cholesterol medications.

REDUCE CHOLESTEROL

• Use two egg whites in the place of one whole egg.
• Use healthy egg substitutes, such as Better N'eggs.

REDUCE SALT

• Use half the amount of salt called for in a recipe.  In some dishes, you can totally omit salt.  For example, cooking rice or pasta.  However, DO NOT eliminate salt from yeast bread or rolls; it is essential for yeast action.
• Rather than using salt for seasoning, try spices, herbs, vinegar, flavoring extracts, fruit peal, or your own blend of seasonings.

So there's a very good start.  You don't have to use all these tips all at the same time.  In fact, if you work back gradually reducing the ingredient, of your choice, in your recipes, eventually you & your family won't even notice that it's missing.

Like I mentioned earlier, if you have a tried and tested tip or method to making cooking or baking healthy without sacrificing flavors and textures, PLEASE LET US KNOW ABOUT IT.  The more we know, the better choices we can make for ourselves and our family.

According to the American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association, and the National Institute of Health, here's a good guide to the healthiest cooking oils.

1. Walnut Oil: Good source of omegas 3s; suitable for baking, sauteing at low to medium-high heat, or drizzled on a salad.
   (400ºF smoke point)(polyunsaturated)
2. Flaxseed Oil: Good source of omegas 3s; should NOT be used for cooking over heat; stir into dishes after heating, or use in salad dressings.
   (225ºF smoke point)(polyunsaturated)
3. Canola Oil: Use in baking, sauteing, stir-fry, and in salad dressings.
   (425ºF smoke point)(monounsaturated)
4. Olive Oil: Good for light sauteing, sauces, and dressings.
   (325ºF smoke point) (monounsaturated)
5. Peanut Oil: Good for light sauteing, sauces, and dressings.
   (350ºF smoke point)(monounsaturated)
6. Almond Oil: Good for HIGH heat cooking, sauteing, or frying.  Flavor also works well in desserts.
   (495ºF smoke point)(monounsaturated)
7. Avocado Oil: Good for high heat cooking, sauteing, or frying, and in salads.
   (510ºF smoke point) (monounsaturated)

8. Safflower Oil: Good all-purpose oil; high heat cooking, sauteing, or frying.
   (450ºF smoke point) (polyunsaturated)
9. Sunflower Oil: Good for high heat cooking, sauteing, or frying.
   (460ºF smoke point)(polyunsaturated)
10. Corn Oil: Good for light sauteing and sauces.
    (320ºF smoke point)(polyunsaturated)