Sussanna Ngodoo Jacob
Selecting food for the purpose of healthy nourishment entails practical knowledge of what the healthy variant of the food should look like, taste like, smell like, and so on, not leaving out the importance of paying careful attention to labels in order to ensure the food is not expired.
Unhealthy and expired foods may interact negatively to the body system, thus the need to be savvy with purchasing foods, especially culinary oils.
The general rule of healthy food selection is that all foods are more beneficial in their organic forms. Organic produce is the safest type of food around. Consuming organic produce ensures that you avoid insecticides, chemicals, herbicides, growth hormones, and medications/antibiotics given to livestock. With organic foods, you are eating food grown in the way nature intended.
Organic farmers use compost or manure to help growth. Although organic foods are usually more expensive than conventional produce, nonetheless, if you can afford the organic variety, they are definitely a much healthier option for you.
Oils are some of the foods we must carefully select, because oils play a crucial role in the body. When oils are contaminated, they fail to offer the needed benefits.
Some of the crucial roles’ oils play in the body include:
Oils Support the overall health of each cell within the body, Oils assist in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Oils serve in the body as an efficient source of energy. One gram of fat provides nine calories of energy, which is more than double the four calories of energy found within carbohydrates; it is essential for all of the body’s major functions like assisting the communication within brain cell membranes and the fibres surrounding the nerves, acts as the insulation within the skin to regulate body temperature.
It balances the hormones which impacts so many functions within the body as they are the structural components of many of the hormones and hormone-like substances within the body, It offers a protective barrier to your heart, kidneys, and other organs, supplies essential fatty acids to the body among other benefits.
However, only healthy oils can help one achieve these amazing benefits!
Below are some helpful tips to consider when selecting oils:
All plant oils have different nutrient profiles, including the ratio of a particular type of fatty acids they contain. The plant oil that best fits into your diet depends largely on the type of fatty acid that is missing from the rest of your diet as a whole, and that is best matched to your dietary needs.
It is also important to note that, your body needs 2 fatty acids on a daily basis, so you want to select oils that contain both fatty acids (Omega-6 and Omega-3fatty acids), in a higher Omega-3 fatty acids ratio, since they are considered to be healthier. And even better if it contains Omega-9 as well
All healthy oils have a signature smell. If it smells off, it means the oil has turned rancid; this means the oil is expired because the nutrients have been destroyed and it is no longer fit for human consumption. However, you can use it to clean jewellery and other house hold items.
Avoid oils packed in see through bottles, because sun rays may compromise the integrity of such oil. Hence, it is wiser to buy oils that are packed in opaque bottles, and have been kept in a dark corner of the store.
Avoid oils packed in plastic containers, unless you are certain it has not been touched by sun rays, which is almost impossible to ascertain. When sunrays make strong plastics melt, this melting may not be visible to the eyes, but our cells feel it after consumption and the results are highly unbeneficial.
If and when possible, always buy and use organic, unrefined, cold-processed vegetable oils. They definitely contain more nutrients and are generally healthier and void of chemical solvents.
And finally ensure to buy oil from a store with good traffic in order to avoid buying stale oils.
There are other helpful tips that may not be included here, but bear in mind that all healthy food selection tips are very useful so please use such tips regularly.
While scientists help to improve the knowledge, we have about foods and the various ways we can utilize these foods better, day-to-day food choices are made by the consumers, and consumers must endeavour to purchase healthier foods using savvy selection tips.
These tips are your ally to healthy culinary and dieting so incorporate them generously in your daily diet routine!
