Day 3: Goodbye, Vegetable Oils – Hello, Healthy Fats!

Confession: Until seven years ago, I had no idea how much damage everyday cooking oils could do until I read The FatBurn Fix. Dr. Cate explains that industrial vegetable oils (think soybean, canola, corn oil, etc.) can build up in our body fat and actually mess with how our cells produce energy. They can even drive food cravings and make it harder to control weight (The Fatburn Fix - Dr. Cate)! For someone like me (struggling with PCOS and cravings), this was a huge eye-opener.

Apparently, these so-called “seed oils” are everywhere – in chips, cookies, salad dressings, you name it. One article I found nicknamed them “Frankenstein oils” and a “slow-motion global nutrition disaster” (The FatBurn Fix By Catherine Shanahan, MD | Riordan Clinic).

Yikes! The problem is that they’re chemically unstable and prone to oxidation (basically, they go rancid easily). When we eat them, they can cause inflammation and fatigue. No wonder I often felt drained even without doing much – my body wasn’t getting the clean fuel it needed.

So, I officially broke up with vegetable oils since 2019. Never again bought a bottle of canola oil or vegetable oil. I’m also scanning ingredient labels now – you’d be surprised how often soybean or sunflower oil lurk even in “healthy” snacks. Since 2019, I cook with natural, stable fats. My BFFs are extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and good old butter (in moderation). These better-for-you fats can withstand heat and actually nourish the body. I’m hoping this one change will help reduce my random inflammation flare-ups and maybe even calm some PCOS symptoms.

It feels empowering to swap out the “bad” stuff for wholesome alternatives.

Hello, healthy fats!