Cooking Healthy

What’s a fat and what’s an oil?
Oil is fat in liquid form at room temperature, and “fat” is not a dirty word. We need fats in our diets but not all fats are healthy and the amount of fats in our diet can make a difference to our health. It’s always about balance - the right kind of fat in the right amount will contribute greatly to your good health. The American Dietetic Association states that “Fats supply the body with energy, provide the building blocks for cell membranes, and help key systems in the body function properly.” They go on to say that fats also help the body absorb certain nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fats help stabilize our blood sugar too and strengthen our immune systems.

We all have different needs for fat. The amount we need depends a great deal on our lifestyle and where we live - how active we are, the climate we live in, our body size and shape, our metabolism, and so on. If you work all day at a computer, for instance, you probably won’t need as much fat as, say, a construction worker who expends energy all day long. If you did eat the same amount as some one who expends more energy than you, chances are you'll begin to develop serious health problems..

The Facts about Fats
There are four categories of fats in our diets - from healthy to least healthy they are:

• monounsaturated
• polyunsaturated
• saturated
• hydrogenated, otherwise known as trans-fat, and partially-hydrogenated fat

There are two types of saturated fats – those that come from animals such as butter, and those that come from plants such as oils like avocado, palm, and coconut.  It is the animal-based fats that have been found to be the least healthy. The healthiest fats are those derived from fish, nuts and plants. Our Loriva^® Gourmet Culinary Oils are all plant-derived.

The worst fats, in terms of health, and those that you should stay away from, if you can, are known as hydrogenated or trans-fats and partially-hydrogenated fats. While there are some trans-fats found naturally in some foods, the ones we are concerned with are the man-made ones, in that they are formed by a chemical process known as hydrogenation. This industrial process adds hydrogen atoms to oil molecules which renders the oils more stable and extends their shelf life. It basically changes the form of a fat from liquid to solid. Hydrogenation was developed to produce a food ingredient that, according to the ADA, “functioned like saturated fat.”

The animal-derived saturated fats, such as butter, are more solid in form and “easier” to work with while the healthier unsaturated fats are more liquid, making them less easy to work with in some situations. Hydrogenation makes the unsaturated fats more solid. It wasn’t until many years after the development of this process, however, that research began to show the harmful effects. Hydrogenated fats, or trans-fats, were found to cause health problems by raising LDL (bad) cholesterol.

There are no trans-fats of any kind in any of our Loriva Culinary Oils. All are all rich in monounsaturated fats and free of cholesterol.

The Oils in Your Kitchen
Cooking with oil is pure joy – pouring, smelling, savoring...And Loriva offers so many choices for all your different culinary situations. Our variety of flavors, fragrances, densities, and smoke points make for a full line of essential cooking oils. Just one can’t do it all. Not only is flavor and aroma a factor but so is the smoke point of our oils.

Heat can damage fatty acids. When fats get hotter than they can withstand, they start to smoke and breakdown, rendering them less healthy. Some oils can withstand higher heat without succumbing to damage – these have a high smoke point. Other oils are better suited to low temperature cooking, baking or for use at room temperature - these have a lower smoke point.

Oils with a high smoke point such as Peanut, Grape Seed, Sesame, and Canola are all beautifully suited to sautéing and frying at high temperatures.

Oils with lower smoke points such as Walnut or Safflower are terrific for use in baking at a low heat, pressure cooking, light sautéing, or in sauces and salads. They also add significant flavor to your foods.

Gluten
Gluten sensitivity and allergies are a growing health concern. There is increased awareness of digestive and health problems associated with protein gluten and diseases such as Celiac, which have received a lot of media attention. Loriva Oils are gluten free, which provides a level of comfort for those gourmet chefs who suffer from these problems.

Kosher
Loriva Oils are also certified Kosher (except Grape Seed Oil, Walnut Oil, Avocado Oil, and Fresh Basil Flavored Oil). For those observing Kashrut ,this certification designates that Loriva Oils are not derived from animals and can therefore be used freely in Kosher cooking without concern.