Coming backAs I sit here at my laptop, I think ... "How am I going to do this?" Where do I start? What am I going to talk about? HOW am I going to even begin writing about the journey that I have been on?
Countless times have I started typing and set aside a few words, a paragraph or two, or even a whole page. Though, I never did post. I didn't think I was ready. Thoughts, feelings, insights, etc... entries in my email or journal, in personal texts, on scraps of paper, or swimming in my mind. And I am finally deciding to bring it all together. To share my burdens, my joys, my strengths and weaknesses, my insights, ... my life; this blog is no longer just about food. And if there's an ear out there, I am blessed. And perhaps I can bring truth to your world, as God has brought it to mine. Truth. About our purpose here. Truth. About my struggles. Truth. About my joys. Truth. About health. Truth. About our world. There are so many lies we were born or taught into believing and their manifestations are far beyond UgLy. But when we learn the Truth, we can make the changes we need to be better for our Lord and Savior. The changes that perfect us and make us new. I am becoming new. It is no easy journey and I am certainly not through, but I will no longer let the waiting period dictate the postponement of sharing my story. And so let it begin. This is my story... |
"Food is an infinitely rich subject, and there's always something about it to understand better, something new to discover, a fresh source of interest, ideas, and delight." |
When deciding between different oils, you really have a lot of options to choose from: canola, corn, coconut, sunflower, avocado, olive, macadamia nut, vegetable, ghee… You just want to dress your salad, roast your beets, and sauté your fish! Is there an oil for that? Each oil has its own custom chemical properties and unique flavor profiles. The chemistry and even purity of the oil really makes a difference when you’re looking to buy. I will tell you right now that canola, corn, sunflower and vegetable oils (to name a few) are the cheapest that you can buy because they are just that: cheap and crappy. And just because the word is affiliated with what grows from the ground, does not make it healthy. These oils and very processed and cause a variety of problems. And even if you see “all natural” does not mean that it’s “all healthy”. The problem with the modern American diet is that we are constantly consuming processed foods. Think about it: any bread (pizza, sandwiches, pasta), snacks (chips, cookies, even nuts), drinks (Gatorade, energy drinks, “tea”), and even packaged fruit or fruit chips are processed (or have the potential to be). In effect, our omega 6: omega 3 fatty acid profile has been set off. We used to be at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio, but now settle into (and above) a 6:1 ratio. We also see this in meat… Grains have a large part in this skewed ratio. And if our animals are eating grain, it skews their ratio. And guess who eats this meat? Yep. You, me, and the rest of the world. Cows should eat grass and chickens should eat free range (all the bugs!), but we’ve grown so much corn, we’ve had to figure out what to do with it all. Hence corn syrup, gasoline, and animal feed, to name a few. Our country is highly controlled by large farm corporations whose output of meat can feed a large percentage of the country. To do this, they need to fatten the animals faster, so to “bring them to market”. How do they do that? Corn. The length of time it takes to raise a cow fed grass or a chicken fed bugs and organic produce will not supply our growing population. So, we’ve solved the problem, right? Yes, we have enough food to supply our country. And now we have a health crisis. Again, think about all of the food you eat. Even look at ingredient labels and write down every ingredient that is in your meal and then think. Now, if, you have a very small list (and not because you’re eating just an apple for breakfast), then I applaud you. What we put into our body is, honestly, nature’s medicine. But only when done right. Much more on this later. For now, back to oils. And three specific oils that I like best: Avocado, coconut, and extra virgin olive oil. When looking for these oils, extra virgin or virgin, cold-pressed, unrefined, and organic are the best options. Pay close attention to an oil’s smoke point, because if your cooking temperatures exceed the smoke point, then the oil could become carcinogenic, due to a change in its chemical composition from too high of heat. Avocado oil is great for frying. It has a high smoke point (~500 F), which allows for great versatility in its use. It has a very light, mild flavor. There are a lot of monounsaturated fatty acids in avocado oil. I’ve found that when frying with this oil, my food gets a very nice brown and crispy texture. Coconut oil is also great for frying in. Though, this one is rather interesting. Its smoke point is 350 F and yet it is a saturated fatty acid oil. The reason that this is important is that saturated oils are much more stable than are unsaturated fatty acids. It is for this reason that I believe coconut oil to be a safe oil to fry in. Extra virgin olive oil has a deeper taste than avocado oil and a deeper color as well. It is best used for dipping sauces and salad dressings due to its low smoke point (~325 F). There are also a lot of monounsaturated fatty acids in extra virgin olive oil. It really is simply a finishing oil. Ghee is another fat that is great for frying in (smoke point around 485 F). It is best to purchase from a grass-fed, hormone and antibiotic free dairy farm, since toxins store best in the fat of the animal. Ghee is really just clarified butter, with the milk solids separated and the remaining fat left. Since the milk solids are removed, there are no proteins in the product (ghee). This makes ghee a great allergy-free option. There are many other oils that you can look into, but I find that these are the cheapest, yet high quality oils on the market. I’ve added a list of just a few uses for the aforementioned oils, if you are interested:
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February 2017
"Food is an infinitely rich subject, and there's always something about it to understand better, something new to discover, a fresh source of interest, ideas, and delight."
From Pennsylvania to France to Washington DC to Florida, I've had myself many an adventure. Now it's time to indulge in the life of a Floridian. With great food, great friends, and great experiences, I offer you stories and pictures to take you away, into my world at Disney. Categories |