Fat in itself is not inherently ‘bad’. In fact, we need to include fat in our diet to maintain good hormone & neurotransmitter function, as well as cellular integrity.
The issue is when oil/butter is heated up, it’s chemical structure starts to change. It goes from being a beneficial part of our diet to a carcinogen.
The same thing happens to the food we’re cooking the fat in. The molecular structure changes. The process responsible for this change is called ‘glycation’.
The sugar content of the meal now increases. So now, you have a fatty and sugary meal – diabetes and heart disease, anyone?
When we cook foods at high temperatures and in fat, we also increase the inflammatory load on our bodies, which can open the door to any kind of disease because high and consistent inflammation has a negative effect on our immune system.
Cooking at high temperatures and in fat also decreases the nutrient content of the meal.
The optimal health methods for cooking involve stewing, currying, slow roasting, steaming and light pan frying – in a liquid based medium.
That means using broth, plant based milk, tomato sauce, water, and whatever else you can think of which doesn’t involve oil of water.
Glycation is very undesirable for our health – it is a major contributor to cancer development and excess oestrogen (bad PMS, painful periods, man boobs, inability to lose weight, water retention).
If I can’t tempt you by disease prevention, glycation also breaks down collagen in the skin and contributes towards early ageing and wrinkling (ew).
That doesn’t mean you should go throw your oils and ghee away, it just means you should avoid cooking with them whenever possible, and reduce the amount used if necessary.
Why not drizzle your cooked food with oil or butter AFTERWARDS, if you really feel for it? At least the molecular structure won’t change.
I don’t use fat to cook my meats anymore. I’ll tell you why and how I get around this tomorrow.