Healthy happy you.
Often, cooking at home is healthier than dining out. But if you're not careful, cooking with too much oil can lead to a lot of added calories (more than 100 per tablespoon for many oils; read this for our full nutritional breakdown of different types of oils) and fat. While cooking with oils can be beneficial — many contain healthy monounsaturated fats that help lower your cholesterol — if Read more
In an age when grocery shelves are stocked with everything from toasted sesame oil to coconut oil, here's a relative unknown that you may have never heard of: dendê oil. This oil, which has a distinctive orangey-red color and a thick, somewhat opaque consistency, is a recurring ingredient in the cuisines of Southeast Asia, West Africa, and Bahia, a northeastern region in Brazil. There, the very Read more
With so many products that promise to reduce skin's oil production, putting more oil on your face might seem like a crazy idea. But what sounds like lunacy can actually help your skin look and feel better — yes, even if you battle breakouts. This week, I'll share some of my favorite tips for incorporating oils into your skincare routine. "But Bella, I already have oily skin," I hear you Read more
Do You Use Other Cooking Oils? Yes! My pantry is stocked with a variety of oils that I'll explain below. No. The only oil I use is olive oil. I never cook with oil. Read more
Yesterday, Burger King announced that all of its restaurants in the US and Canada have made the switch to cooking with trans fat free oils. The second most popular fast food chain also announced that all of its menu items, including baked goods, will contain zero grams of trans fat by Nov. 1 — earlier than the company anticipated. According to a statement issued by Burger King, customers who Read more
Essential Oils are made from the volatile and highly fragrant part of the plant. They are used in aromatherapy and are often referred to as aromatic oils or ethereal oils. They are believed to each have their own health benefits such as strong healing powers, so they're often used as alternatives to medicinal cures. Essential oils quickly penetrate the body through the skin and the respiratory Read more
'Tis the season for Hiking and trail running. There's a lot of beauty in these woods, but you got to be careful and avoid the poison ivy that lurks at the edges of the forest. Yes, it pays to know your enemy. First off, it is the uroshiol oil on the plant that is the culprit and creates the horrible itchy, blistery skin reactions associated with poison ivy. While some people don't have a Read more
As you know, I have been pretty thrilled about all the bans on trans fat happening worldwide, but of course food makers are finding a way to still make food cheap and unhealthy, without the trans fat. Enter Interesterified Oils. Being confused about it myself, I decided to look to Mr. Seth Braun, natural health expert and author of healthyfastandcheap.com, because he's really done his research on Read more
If you or someone you know is a health nut, you've got to check out Whole Foods Companion, by Dianne Onstad. It's the ultimate resource guide for everything you eat. You can look up any fruit, vegetable, legume, grain, seed, nut, herb, spice or oil and find out tons of information. Each ingredient is listed, including nutritional value (like on the labels you see on all foods), general Read more
Peanut, sunflower, safflower, sesame, and olive oils are all healthy oils. To keep them that way, you don't want to overheat them. If an oil cooks for too long (you'll know because it changes color), it can become damaged, not to mention ruin its taste. To preserve the nutritious properties and the flavor of unrefined oils, try the "wet-sauté" technique: Pour around a 1/4 cup of water in Read more
