Why you should be using coconut oil...

If you're like most Americans you are probably cooking with some sort of vegetable or seed oil (olive, canola, soy, corn, sunflower, etc.) as opposed to a saturated fat.  Of the popular cooking oils used today, all but olive oil are high omega-6 polyunsaturated oils, and due to their double bond make up are very unstable causing changes at the molecular level especially when used for frying.  And studies show that there are far more dangerous toxic chemicals produced when frying with these oils then the often more news worthy trans fats that frying creates.  Even the 'heart healthy' leader of the pack, Olive Oil, is not ideal for cooking (especially frying) due to oxidation that occurs.

So what oils should we cook with then?

The only safe oil for cooking is one that is a solid at room temperature (a saturated fat), despite the bad publicity they have gotten over the years.  It turns out that coconut oil contains the most heart healthy saturated fats of any of the edible oils.  And yes in case you haven't figured it out by now, saturated fats not unsaturated fats are the healthiest most beneficial fats for the body to consume.

"Coconut oil is comprised of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) and surprisingly enough is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs.  While by contrast most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs."  Benefits of Coconut Oil 

I personally buy my coconut oil by the gallon and use it for everything from cooking (frying, baking, etc.), to putting in smoothies, to using it as a soothing topical lotion.

Check your pantry and if you're using harmful vegetable or seed oils for cooking, then I urge you to try coconut oil.  When buying coconut oil as with any food product, you should look for something that is 100% Certified Organic, non-GMO, Unrefined, and free of any additives.