I searched the entire seasoning world, but I couldn't find a healthy oil? I didn't want to believe this fact...
- 本植小編
- May 28
- 7 min read
Once upon a time, olive oil was a high-end ingredient in my kitchen, advertised as cold-pressed and packaged in glass bottles. The higher the price, the more I felt, "Well, I am really healthy." But after being exposed to the Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB) diet , I began to doubt all of this - do we really need these "good oils"? Or do we just "want to believe" that it is healthy?
I have also been impressed by the marketing of "good oils" before. I have bought almost all of them, such as olive oil, flax seed oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc., and I carefully chose the "cold-pressed, extra virgin, organic and non-GMO" ones. At first, I also thought that "olive oil" was a good thing. To be honest, I was a little skeptical about the saying that "WFPB diet" does not recommend the use of oil. I thought to myself: What about olive oil? Isn't it often said that it can protect the cardiovascular system and is the core of the Mediterranean diet? Are those articles, nutrition columns, and chefs' recommendations misleading us? I decided to look up more information to see if there is any real scientific evidence behind it.
🩺 What do the doctors who are masters of nutrition say? After listening to the sharing of these four people, my concept was completely changed:
Dr. John McDougall
Let’s start with this heavyweight but deceased figure! Dr. John McDougall, a very famous American doctor, writer, and speaker, pointed out directly: “There are two kinds of food poisons, one is animal foods, the other is plant oils.”
We never actually need cooking oil, this is a misconception instilled in us by the industry.
👉 In his video, Dr. McDougall clearly points out that oil is the fattest and least nutritious part of the human diet, which can cause arterial endothelial damage, weight gain, and a surge in the risk of chronic diseases. He emphasized: What we really need is fat from whole plants, not isolated refined oils.
Many people may be confused about the difference between "Fat" and "Oil" like I was before. It doesn't matter. This article is to help you clarify this concept and let you better understand why the WFPB diet emphasizes "low-fat" and even "oil-free cooking" .
I have also struggled in the face of delicious food. But now I have learned the correct order of eating: first plant-based, then low-fat! In today's article, what I want to emphasize most is "Why should we cook without oil as much as possible, besides low-fat plant-based food? "
Oil is actually 100% fat
I used to think that oil was just a "little source of fat", but after a quick search I found out that oil is 100% fat! It is extracted from plants, with the fiber, water, and most nutrients removed. To put it bluntly, it is a highly concentrated processed product, a highly processed junk food, full of calories and lacking in nutrition.
Give you a comparison picture
Dr. Michael Klaper
Dr. Klaper said something in his speech that shocked me:
"When you eat this spoonful of oil, are you trying to make your body healthy, or do you just want it to be slippery?"
In that speech, he used a very practical way to make me understand that oil, especially oil cooked at high temperatures, can damage endothelial cells - the layer that protects our blood vessel walls and maintains elasticity.
He is not saying that we should not eat fat, but reminding us: **The key is to eat fat that comes from whole foods. **The fat embedded in walnuts, flax seeds, and chia seeds is what our body really likes.
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn
Dr. Esselstyn was the key to my transformation. He is the world's most authoritative cardiac surgeon. He said, " You can't eat fatty foods and expect your blood vessels to be healthy. " I thought it was a bit exaggerated at first, but after listening to his speech, I changed my mind. He said:
All fats damage the endothelial cells in your blood vessels. No matter how natural you think they are, they will damage the endothelial cells in your blood vessels.
He also said that it is the first line of defense for blood vessels. Once damaged, it is more likely to produce plaques and blockages. This is the beginning of making blood vessels rough and easily blocked by cholesterol. He cited much evidence and vivid images in his speech, which made it easy for me to understand. He even shared some patient cases. Some people were originally preparing for bypass surgery, but they reversed their condition by eating a plant-based, oil-free diet.
His conclusion was tough, but convincing: "Even if it's olive oil, don't touch it."
Dr. Michael Greger said: After eating oil, blood vessel function immediately decreases
Dr. Greger's logic is so clear that every time I watch his videos, it's like taking an introductory course in nutrition. He said, "We often think that olive oil is healthy because it's in the Mediterranean diet. But it's the vegetables, beans, and whole grains that make that diet healthy, not the oil."
He also cited research that olive oil temporarily inhibits blood vessel function after entering the body. And it's not just animal fat, vegetable oils also reduce blood vessel elasticity.
One of my favorite quotes from him is: " You wouldn't drink concentrated syrup for your vitamin C, so why drink pure oil for the fat? "
If I don't eat oil, will I be deficient in nutrients? What foods should I eat to make up for the nutrients I lose by not eating refined oils?
I used to worry about this issue. When I first started learning about the whole food plant-based diet, the first thing that came to my mind was: "What about Omega-3? Aren't EPA and DHA only found in fish oil?"
Later, I gradually understood that it is not necessary for us to eat fish or fish oil. Because fish is not a source of EPA and DHA, they get these fatty acids by eating algae. So we can skip the fish and eat natural algae directly, or even let the body convert them by itself.
This can be done like this:
🔹 How to take Omega-3, EPA and DHA?
Add two tablespoons of ground flax seeds to your oatmeal for breakfast, sometimes alternating with chia or basil seeds, which are super sources of plant-based ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), the precursor to EPA and DHA in the body.
In addition, I also eat some natural seaweed from time to time, such as nori, wakame, and stonecrop. Sometimes I drink them in soup, and sometimes I add them to miso soup or stir-fry. These seaweeds contain a small amount of EPA and DHA. Although the amount is not much, it is not bad as a supplement.
Research has also pointed out that as long as the diet is healthy and nutritionally balanced, the body can actually convert ALA into enough EPA and DHA for daily needs. There is no need to supplement any bottled oil or eat extra fish.
💡The sources of plant-based fats I often eat :
Flax seeds (ground, 1-2 tablespoons per day)
Chia seeds, basil seeds
Fig seeds, walnuts
Dark green vegetables (e.g. kale, collard greens, spinach)
Seaweed such as laver, kelp, wakame, and kelp
📌 Reminder: The ALA contained in these seeds is heat-sensitive, so remember not to fry them at high temperatures. I always mix them with salads or cooked food to retain the most nutrients.
Many nutritionists point out that if we don’t start to reduce the amount of oil we use, it doesn’t really make sense to say “ low-fat diet ”! Because if we don’t reduce the amount of oil we use, even if we eat more “ low-fat ” ingredients, it’s just superficial.
How did I start to change myself?
I didn’t quit smoking oil all at once, but I started making conscious choices. For example:
Cooking with water can actually bring out the original flavor of the food
Salads are seasoned with lemon juice, vinegar or miso, which is refreshing and appetizing.
Use mashed bananas or mashed sweet potatoes for baking, the texture is just as moist!
(I will compile articles and videos on oil-free cooking methods in the future)
In summary, I later discovered that from getting used to adding oil, to understanding the nature of oil, and then to actually changing my diet, I found that real change does not come from knowledge, but from belief.
I used to think that "not adding oil" was a kind of deprivation, but later I realized that it was actually a return to the most primitive, simplest, and most body-friendly way of eating. From the doctor's explanation to my own experiments in the kitchen, I found that my skin did not become dry, and my physical strength did not decrease. On the contrary, I felt more energetic and my body felt "lighter". I am increasingly convinced that what nourishes our bodies is not those bottled "good oils", but the complete nutrition from the original food.
In fact, we are not short of oil or nutrition. What we lack is a little courage to question old habits and a little curiosity to try different ways of eating.
The real key is this: Eat whole plant foods, not extracts .
When we eat whole seeds, nuts, and vegetables, we get not only fatty acids, but also rich fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, which are the real sources of health benefits.
When we start to be willing to return to whole foods and stop relying on bottled oils, our bodies will slowly respond to us, perhaps with a lighter feeling, more stable energy, and clearer thinking. Oil is not a bad thing, but it is not the "key to health" we think it is.
If we can get fat from whole foods, why rely on concentrated forms? Think about it this way: instead of asking, "Which oil is healthier?", ask, " Do I really need this spoonful of oil? "
📌 If you find this helpful, please share it with your friends who are pursuing a healthy lifestyle! You can also leave a message to tell me: What kind of oil do you use most often? Would you be willing to try an oil-free lifestyle?
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