In the “Inspiration” interview above, I discussed what I consider to be some of the most important dietary and lifestyle strategies for protecting your health, starting with avoiding seed oils (also commonly referred to as vegetable oils). Cooking oils to avoid include canola, corn, canola, cottonseed, and soybean oils.
The reason for this recommendation is that these industrial seed oils contain high amounts of a harmful omega-6 fat called linoleic acid (LA). Los Angeles itself is not dangerous. The danger is actually in the dosage. Most people consume 10 times more LA than they need, and excess is what causes the problem.
LA is known as an essential fat, and it’s true. You do need some. But it’s found in nearly all foods — including whole foods, but especially processed foods and condiments — so there’s very little you can do to become deficient.
Chances are, you’re getting far more than your body needs, and in excess, LA can generate free radicals that cause oxidative stress and damage your DNA, cell membranes, and mitochondria. In this way, they contribute to various chronic degenerative diseases and premature aging.
The best way to make sure your LA intake is within safe limits is to use a nutrition calculator such as observatory. Ideally, it’s best to enter your food for the day before actually eating it. The reason for this is simple: it’s impossible to remove food once you’ve eaten it, but if you find something pushes you beyond your ideal limit, you can easily remove it from the menu.
