Coconut oil was not widely available when Erica White wrote her Beat Candida Cookbook, but this can very easily be used in the recipes. Using butter in cooking is stable and acceptable if it is used in small amounts and there is no dairy intolerance If using olive oil for frying, remember to use a low heat, with the addition of a little water to keep the temperature from getting too high and causing the oil to oxidise. Likewise, if using olive oil in baking, use a low oven temperature.
Following are some helpful comments from Dr Mercola on using Coconut oil for cooking. Even as a saturated fat it has health benefits.
Prior to World War II, coconut oil was very popular for cooking and used as a delicious ingredient in numerous foods.
But the War interrupted the production of coconut oil with the Japanese occupation of many of the production areas in the South Pacific. Enter good old American know-how and coconut oil was replaced with polyunsaturated vegetable oils.
By the end of the 1950s, public opinion had turned totally against saturated fats like butter (and coconut oil). Saturated fats were falsely accused of raising cholesterol… and cholesterol was now viewed as the evil enemy…
Butter, eggs, and coconut oil were out… the new vegetable oils were in…
Coconut oil continued to be demonized by the vegetable oil industry throughout the ensuing decades. Adding insult to injury, the soybean industry began to condemn the use of tropical oils… particularly coconut oil.
Unfortunately, the tropical oil industry, centered in poorer nations like the Philippines and Indonesia, could not afford to keep up with the competition and counter the negative propaganda spread by rich American industrial conglomerates… conglomerates now making millions and millions of dollars.
Now that you have heard the history behind coconut oil’s unfortunate fall from grace, you should also know today’s good news… coconut oil is finally beginning to get the respect it deserves as a smart alternative to other oils.
The many benefits of coconut oil are finally reaching the mainstream simply because this extraordinary oil…
I must confess… if you take a look inside my pantry, you would find only two oils that I use in food preparation.
The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a superior monounsaturated fat. It works great as a salad dressing. However, due to its chemical structure and susceptibility to oxidative damage, it’s not the best oil to cook with.
Neither is it good to cook with polyunsaturated fats (common vegetable oils like corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, and canola)…
Why all the fuss and why should you get rid of vegetable oils? Here are my three top reasons…
The second oil you’ll find in my pantry is the only oil that is stable enough to resist heat-induced damage. And that’s coconut oil. As I already outlined above, this extraordinary oil can… help promote your heart health… support cholesterol levels already in the normal range… and aid you in keeping off the pounds.
So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes.
Even though I don’t fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil… it’s your smart choice.
More on coconut oil to come…
