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India Currents gave me a voice in days I was very lost. Having my articles selected for publishing was very validating – Shailaja Dixit, Executive Director, Narika, Fremont
Two years ago, I could not imagine cooking and eating oil-free food. Cooking good food was synonymous with a liberal splash of cooking oil in everything from simple sabji to biryani.
I loved cooking all my recipes with lots of oil, though I knew it was bad for my health. Every dish began with a bottle of cooking oil right beside me. As a foodie I relished food glazed with oil.
Homemade chakalis were my favorite. As a vegetarian, I assumed that oily snacks were okay, given my healthy vegetarian diet of fruit smoothies, brown rice, sambar, vegetables and beans.
But I often wondered why I was putting on weight despite my plant-based diet. In Atlanta, I met Shobha, and my perspective drastically changed. Shobha is an advocate of plant-based foods, inspiring folks to thrive on plant-based fare with zero oil! That simple conversation with her had a profound impact on me.
I joined Shobha’s WhatsApp group and my plant-based health education began.
I discovered that the persistent ache in my knees was inflammation from the excessive oil in my diet.
I was shocked to find out that all cooking oils, from soybean to canola oil are highly processed. High temperature and chemicals are used to extract oil, a process that make their nutrients go rancid.
When I learned that one tablespoon of oil has 120 calories, I nearly fainted. I felt so guilty! All that processed oil in my everyday food!
The more I discovered, the more I realized how little I knew about how cooking oil affects the body.
Processed oil is responsible for so many health issues – obesity, constipation, inflammation, heart attacks, and more.
And yet, the information you read on websites and news articles is really so confusing and overwhelming.
Are cold pressed sesame oil and coconut oil safe? Is olive oil as healthy as nutritionists claim?. And what about using “just a little oil’. Vloggers and sharers of recipes suggest 4 to 5 tablespoon of oil per pound of vegetables. Doctors and nutritionists urge folks to include oil in their diets, as oil fat is essential in the absorption of some vitamins, and the healthy functioning of cells and tissues.
So what’s the truth?
Our modern diet and lifestyle is driving the upsurge in diabetes, heart disease, and blood pressure. The reality is that oils have extremely low nutritive value. Both the monounsaturated and saturated fat they contain is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost layer of the artery, and that injury is a gateway to vascular disease.
So it doesn’t matter if it’s olive oil, coconut oil, or canola – my takeaway is to avoid all oil. And since diabetes and heart disease run in my family, I made an intentional decision to drastically cut back on oil in my everyday cooking.
At first, it was hard. I automatically reached for the oil when I started cooking. I had to really make a conscious effort to stop myself!
Magically, my WhatsApp group delivered. They shared amazing pictures of oil-free recipes and dishes.
In the span of few months I was cooking up a storm of tasty, zero-oil dishes, from upma to masala vadas, and cookies to cakes. No unhealthy oil!
Now, I’m on a roll. Here’s how.
In delicious cakes and cookies, I substitute applesauce and banana for oil .
I get healthy fats from fresh coconut, guacamole, almonds, walnuts and sesame seeds. My zero-oil channa masala and rotis are delicious. To sauté onions, I just use a tablespoon or two of water instead! Going oil-free has helped me to explore so many interesting food items and cooking techniques . Fortunately, my family loves it too!
I’m simply awed by the tasty and nutritious dishes I can make without a drop of oil!
Growing up, I loved deep-fried peanuts and spicy lentils. Now I simply roast sprouted green gram, channa dal and peanuts in the oven, and while it’s still warm, I mix in chili powder and salt. Yummy! My husband couldn’t believe it had no oil at all!
Studies show that Indian Americans have high rate of heart disease. In fact many vegetarians assume that they are thriving on a healthy diet, even though their food is rich in carbohydrates, fats, cholesterol and sugar. Sugar and all-purpose flour are white poison. I realize that cooking oil is colorless poison.
Once or twice in a week, I use cold-pressed sesame or peanut oil as they offer a healthier option than highly processed vegetable oils. Occasionally, I have a deep fried treat, during festivals and on special occasions, but no longer need to open my chakali box!
My mindful eating habits have produced a happy result – fortunately, I no longer suffer from knee pain and my weight has stabilized. I know my new plant-based diet with zero oil, and thirty minutes of exercise, is playing a pivotal role in my leading a healthy lifestyle.
Kumudha Venkatesan is based in Atlanta and often writes about the vegan lifestyle and spirituality.
Edited by Meera Kymal, Contributing Editor at India Currents
Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash
Photo by Jo Sonn on Unsplash