Each oil is a blend of different types of fats. Each of these fats have different stabilities. Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are very unstable and oxidize easily. A third of rice bran oil consists of PUFAs, so it oxidizes easily. When cooking I would recommend an oil or fat, that is low in PUFAs. Saturated fats are most stable and great for cooking. Try coconut oil, ghee or other animal fats. If you want to use an oil, try avocado oil or macadamia nut oil (only 10-12% PUFA). They are both mild in flavor.Olive oil can also be low in PUFAs, but it depends on the oil… there is a wide range and sometimes oo is 21% PUFAs. Plus, like I said in the post, the polyphenols start degrading too, and you might want to use oo in cold foods, so you can benefit. BTW sesame seed oil is very high in PUFAs (~42%) so also definitely not recommended for cooking. The higher the heat in the cooking the more I tend to use saturated fats.

Hope that helped!

You probably get bloated from eating raw veggies because you have a hard time digesting them properly. They reamin in your intestine too long and the undigested fibers (cellulose etc.) are the perfect food for many intestinal bacteria, which then cause gas as a product of their metabolism. Feeding these litte guys has some benefits, but bloating is uncomfortable and poorly breaking down food means getting less of their nutrients out. This leads me to your question of whether it is best to eat veggies raw. The short answer is, no. Sure, cooking decreases the amount of some nutrients, but cooking also helps “predigest” the veggie if you will so that more nutrients can get absorbed. Many cooked vegetables have far more antioxidants than raw ones, due to this. So it is a slight trade off. If you want to maximize nutrients from a veggie, try to hit the “sweet spot” when you cook. Cook it just enough to unlock the goodness and make it digestible, but not too much so that a lot of nutrients get lost. Cooking method obviously makes a difference as well. Steaming is great. If you have issues with your bowels (IBS etc.) cooking them and chewing well can help prevent some symptoms. Furthermore, cooking only decreases vitamins gradually and some more than others. If you have a nutritious diet, you should get enough of all vitamins from cooked food.

Some studies show that microwaving causes a higher loss of some nutrients than other cooking methods (mainly Vitamin C), but it is controversial. If you have the time, try steaming them or pan fry them instead.

I was just wondering whether it was best to eat things like carrot, tomatoes, celery raw- e.g. for a snack? I find I get less bloated when they have been cooked- carrots in particular (e.g. microwaved for a minute or so), but am I losing a lot of nutrients by doing this?

Thankyou!

Thank you for your comment!

I always nag at my hubby about his produce washing habits … he just doesn’t get it!