Guest Spotlight: The Truth About Seed Oils with Sound Bites® Podcast

Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
Seed oils, are they a
health concern, a nutritional essential,
or just another misunderstood food?
This conversation is just as
relevant today as when I
sat down with my colleague
and fellow dietician, Melissa Joy
Dobbins, on her podcast, Sound
Bites.
And today, I'm bringing that

(00:21):
conversation to 1,000 Waking Minutes,
with some timely context on
why seed oils are still
making headlines.
We experience 1,000 Waking Minutes
on average every day.
How are you spending yours?
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, and
you're listening to 1,000 Waking

(00:41):
Minutes.
I can't wait to connect
with you here with practical
ways to eat well, move
daily, and be healthy, to
optimize every waking minute you
live for a happier, healthier
life.
Thank you for sharing some
of your waking minutes with
me today.
Let's get started.

(01:16):
Hello and welcome to 1,000
Waking Minutes.
I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian, your
host, and I'm so glad
that you're here.
Today we're talking about a
topic that's very current, and
it's on the minds of
so many people right now
due to a variety of
reasons, from media headlines, to
politics, to TikTok viral posts,

(01:37):
and more.
And that's the topic of
seed oils.
I've been feeling an increasing
and real desire to attempt
to tackle this topic in
an episode, and we will
most certainly talk more about
it ahead.
But then I had an
idea that sprang to mind.
In October 2023, 17 months

(01:59):
ago, I was invited to
sit down with a colleague
and a friend of mine,
a podcast host, and she
is extraordinary.
Her name is Melissa Joy
Dobbins, and she is the
host of Sound Bites.
She's done hundreds of episodes
on wide ranging topics on
nutrition and health.

(02:19):
She and I discussed this
very topic of seed oils
at that time.
We talked about the science,
we talked about the controversy,
and we even talked about
practical tips around what to
do, figuratively and literally with
understanding this topic, and with
the use of seed oils.

(02:41):
So the idea I had
was to revisit this episode
directly with you and bring
it to you here today.
And she said yes, when
I asked her.
So as you're probably aware,
this topic remains as relevant
now, if not even more
so than when we first
recorded it.

(03:01):
So Melissa Joy Dobbins, let
me just tell you a
little bit about her, if
you don't know her already.
She is known as the
guilt-free RD.
She's a distinguished and award
-winning nutrition expert with a
master's in nutrition education.
She's credentialed as a registered
dietitian nutritionist and a certified

(03:22):
diabetes care and education specialist.
With more than two decades
of experience, she has been
a guiding light in the
nutrition community, both at the
professional level and at the
national and international audience through
her podcasts and other avenues
and channels.
And she offers sound science

(03:44):
-based advice through her podcasts.
She does media appearances and
educational initiatives.
Her podcast is called Sound
Bites, and it has reached
more than a million downloads,
something to aspire to.
She has such a tremendous
history and such great episodes.

(04:04):
And she has provided through
her podcast also thousands of
hours, like 30,000 and
growing hours of continuing education
for health professionals.
This totally reflecting her commitment
personally and professionally to accessible
and credible nutrition information, to

(04:27):
educating and collaborating like we're
doing today.
And I think most importantly,
caring about the nature and
quality of food and nutrition
for us all.
So as a teaser to
our episode today, and her
episode was and is entitled
The Science of Seed Oils
and Practical Tips for Culinary

(04:49):
Oils that I'm excited to
share with you today, just
a little preview.
We explore there the nuances
of seed oils, what they
are, the claims surrounding them,
and what the research truly
indicates.
We discuss the distinctions between
omega-6 and omega-3

(05:10):
fatty acids, both essential.
And we debunked some prevalent
myths that are out there,
as well as talking about
the challenges of misinformation and
what I often call partial
information that's brewing and out
there almost everywhere.
And then we shared some

(05:31):
practical culinary tips, including some
of Melissa's and my favorite
ways to choose consciously and
incorporate some of these oils
like avocado oil and chia
oil, seed oils, into our
everyday cooking.
So fast forward to now,
March 2025, and the discourse

(05:52):
on seed oils continues to
thrive.
Well, thrive may be a
little too kind of a
word by what some of
you who may feel confused
or frustrated or even misled
since the conversation is often
fueled by partial information and
evolving narratives here.

(06:14):
A recent survey just last
month by the International Food
Information Council, IFIC, found that
while 46% of Americans,
nearly half, do actually view
seed oils as healthy, a
quarter of them, 25%, remain
unfamiliar with the term, and
more than one in five

(06:35):
encounter information about them primarily
through social media channels.
There's definitely a very real
disconnect between the public perception
and what the science says.
So that's going to be
an important thing to listen
for in the episode.
But there's also a lot

(06:55):
of nuance in this space,
which highlights the ongoing need
for balanced and evidence-based
discussions to help individuals, you
and me, navigate the almost
literal sea of information and
help us make informed dietary
choices that fit our own
lives and our own health

(07:16):
goals.
Before I hit replay on
this topic here for you
today, I do want to
be sure to mention that
I have consulted for Benexia.
Benexia is a vertically integrated
chia seed company that's headquartered
in Chile.
Very proud to consult for
them for entering into my
fourth year here.

(07:36):
It's a 50% farmer
-owned, regenerative agriculture-based business,
and it's the company behind
a brand called Seeds of
Wellness products, including chia oil.
And it's one of the
VIP members of my own
pantry of culinary oils, but
it is a cold-press
seed oil.

(07:56):
So I wanted to mention
that because as I enter
my fourth year working with
them, I want to be
sure that I always disclose
to you if I'm working
with anyone and the nature
of talking about topics that
may be surrounding it.
This episode, nor Melissa's, neither
of them were sponsored.

(08:16):
And this is purely my
own information, my own episode
today, but it stemmed from
a shared and aligned professional
commitment that Melissa and I
both had when we first
did this to nutritious, sustainable
foods and ingredients.
And so I hope you'll
get to know Benexia with
me and Seeds of Wellness

(08:37):
over time, but it helps
us sort of unravel some
of the information around the
health and science-based ingredients
that may be entering our
marketplace and then our pantries
and then our mouths.
So as you listen to
this episode, I encourage you

(08:58):
to reflect on the insights
shared and consider how they
align with your personal health
goals.
I also invite you and
encourage you to explore Melissa's
extensive body of work.
Her podcast, Sound Bites, covers a
wide array of topics with
credibly interesting, credentialed, evidence-based

(09:21):
experts from various fields.
And they all offer really
interesting, valuable perspectives on nutrition
and wellness, not to mention
continuing education many times, not
every episode, but there's so
much continuing education that if
you're a health professional who
needs this or just a
lifetime or academic at heart,

(09:43):
what could be better than
listening to a podcast, learning
and receiving credit as you
do?
In fact, she's just launched
a 15-unit continuing education
unit package, 15 of them
in a curated bundle through
her podcast and her resources
that she offers.

(10:05):
And with that come only
one quiz.
So that's pretty nifty as
well.
So I'll put links, contact
information, and she's even offered
me a discount code to
share out with you and
much more in the show
notes today.
Thank you for joining us
on this journey toward understanding
and balance on this important

(10:26):
topic, seed oils, and of
course, others that we cover
on 1,000 Waking Minutes.
Your engagement and curiosity drive
these conversations, and I look
forward to continuing to explore
such pertinent topics as this
in future episodes.
And you can always reach
out to me directly at

(10:47):
1KWM@wendybazilian.com
or find me at my
website, wendybazilian.com.
Now let's dive into the
episode and share a few
of our waking minutes today
together with Melissa Joy Dobbins.
Enjoy.

(11:07):
Welcome to Sound Bites hosted
by registered dietitian nutritionist, Melissa
Joy Dobbins.
Let's delve into the science,
the psychology and the strategies
behind good food and nutrition.

(11:28):
Hello and welcome to the
Sound Bites podcast.
Today's episode is about seed
oils.
What are they?
And why are we hearing
so much about them?
And ultimately, are they healthy
or not?
We are going to discuss
the science on seed oils
and practical tips, including different
kinds of culinary oils and

(11:49):
how to use them in
your own kitchen.
My guest today is Dr.
Wendy Bazilian.
She is a doctorate in
public health and nutrition, a
registered dietician nutritionist, and an
American College of Sports Medicine
certified exercise physiologist.
She is also a writer,
educator, food enthusiast, and award

(12:09):
winning journalist who maintains a
busy private practice in San
Diego with individuals from CEOs,
artists and actors to professional
athletes, parents and children seeking
to improve their nutrition, fitness
and health.
She is the author of
several books and has contributed
to many others.
Welcome to the show, Wendy.

(12:30):
Great to be with you,
Melissa.
Thank you for having me.
I call you Wendy because
I know you.
Would you prefer that I
call you Dr. Bazilian or
Dr. Wendy?
No, I mean, I appreciate
that very much because it
was certainly a hard earned
degree and I'm very proud
of it.
But hopefully that will sort
of manifest through a friendly
conversation today.
But I have credibility for
being here on this topic,

(12:50):
and we can leave it
at that.
Wendy is perfect.
Awesome.
Thank you.
And I want to mention
that this episode is not
sponsored.
However, I did receive a
gift of chia oil from
you.
Thank you so much.
And when you tell us
a little bit more about
your background and disclosures, you
can mention this chia oil
and we're going to talk

(13:10):
about all kinds of oils,
but specifically some interesting things
regarding chia oil.
So I would love for
you to tell us more
about your background.
I know you have vast
experience and I've seen you
in many different capacities and
you're just a pleasure to
watch, present and to listen
to.
And I learned so much

(13:31):
from you.
But I would love our
listeners to get to know
you a little bit better
and maybe how you got
interested in nutrition or whatever
you would like us to
know about the work you
do.
Thank you so much.
You know, probably as with
you, it's sort of my
career and who I am
has evolved over time, even
though my core identity has

(13:51):
stayed the same.
As a human, I am
an avid eater, a spirited
person.
I love to communicate with
others.
And that have been the
sort of universal truths of
who I am.
I live in San Diego,
California for 30 years now.
I'm so jealous, by the
way.
It is a nice place

(14:11):
to be, but hail from
Connecticut originally.
So I grew up on
East.
I had a healthy dose
of cold winters and beautiful
falls.
And we still, you know,
go back and enjoy that
as frequently as we can.
So I got into nutrition
and then I'll give a
few disclosures on like what
I do and who I
work with.
But I like to say

(14:32):
I got into nutrition through
the back door and straight
into the kitchen.
I have always loved food,
as I mentioned, and I've
always loved and showed proficiency
in science.
I didn't know how those
connected for a very long
time, by the way.
For some reason that just
didn't link up and sync
up until later.
My first degree actually is

(14:53):
in Spanish language and literature,
of all things.
I know that's so interesting.
With a minor in Latin
American studies.
And from there, I got
a master's degree in Latin
American studies.
And the path now has
shown to sort of why
and where and how I
am, who I am today.
But at the time, I
wasn't quite sure.
I just really thought that

(15:13):
a great liberal arts degree
that was multidisciplinary would somehow
help me have a perspective
on the world and allow
me to talk with more
people, which was the language
part of it.
And it did.
So when I did my
master's degree in Latin American
studies, I actually did field
research in northeast Brazil.
I picked up a language
there because I thought if
I'm going to study Latin

(15:33):
America, I should learn Portuguese.
And I started doing field
research with a public health
group in a very impoverished
indigent area in northeast Brazil
around maternal health, around infant
mortality, and around breastfeeding in
the very, very interior northeast
Brazil.

(15:54):
It was sort of there
that the intersection of public
health and nutrition and how
you can change.
And also learning that, you
know, where we live doesn't
always have all the ideas
or the right ideas.
Sometimes this was a very
grassroots public health theater group
that was re-promoting breastfeeding

(16:15):
in an area where potable
water was scarce and food
was scarce.
And there was a perception
going around that breast milk
was not adequate somehow for
infants.
It was from that point
that I said, aha, nutrition
is where I want to
be.
And I started backtracking a
lot on the science.
I had to go sort

(16:35):
of back to school on
some of the things I
was taking as hobbies and
pursued a doctoral degree in
public health and nutrition, pursued
the registered dietitian nutritionist credential,
which you well know takes
years of commitment and upkeep.
And also my health and
fitness orientation, I became credentialed
as an exercise physiologist through

(16:56):
the American College of Sports
Medicine.
So those are my creds,
the letters that come after
my name, but really it
all comes back then to
communicating about it.
So I won't go through
all of the where's, you
know, paint my path.
Cause we have a very
important topic to talk about.
That's very trendy and interesting,
but I do consulting today.
I'm in private practice.
I do consulting and presenting

(17:18):
and I do communication strategy
on some of my clients
include one that I'm going
to bring up just topically
more than anything else, which
is a company called Benexia,
which makes chia ingredients and
the chia oil that you
received is from and through
their brand.
And also a few others.

(17:38):
I've worked with fresh avocados
recently with HydroLite, which is,
it's a medicinal food that
is one of those, I
call them hydration helpers.
I'm not actively right now,
but just to, you know,
showcase a few that sort
of cross and intersect with
my philosophical professional passion, lean
into the evidence always in
science when I work with
them.
And then I am a

(17:59):
huge advocate of mentoring and
scholarships.
So I'm on the board
of the California academies foundation.
So I work with the
scholarships and students mentor a
number of individuals as well.
That is not a short
answer for you, Melissa, but
that's who I am at
least sitting here today.
Yeah.
I mean, you have so
much experience and passion in
all these different areas and

(18:19):
I love to see how
it does intersect and come
together.
And I like to see
like with my career, like
hindsight's 2020, all the choices
and turns and twists that
I made in my career
at the time, I was
just making the best decisions
I could at the time.
But looking back, it all
makes perfect sense.
Right?
Yeah.
Thankfully, you know, that you're
sort of like on the

(18:40):
path and it doesn't have
to be and rarely as
straight.
Right.
Absolutely.
Well, thank you.
No, I loved learning more
about you and having our
listeners hear that as well.
So let's dive into the
topic of seed oils.
As you said, it's very
trendy.
I'm curious how you got
interested in the topic to
begin with.
And we're going to get

(19:00):
into the science and what
they are and everything.
But how did it come
across your radar screen?
Yeah, my professional education training
is rooted in science and
research.
And I am, you know,
the person who just loves
the latest papers that come
out and evaluating the quality
of the science and reading
about p-values and all
that when it comes to
nutrition science.

(19:21):
So that's part and parcel
with what I'm scanning as
to you each and every
day.
On the area about seed
oils, I also really try
to keep up on trends,
not just trends that I
see being headlined about, but
trends that start bubbling up.
So the benefit of, you
know, working with individuals and

(19:42):
also working with big groups
and working in health insurance
companies, doing some things is
that you start to see
things pop up that spark
curiosity.
And I always think when
it comes to nutrition, I
haven't seen an exception yet,
but flag one, if you
know one, but when people
start talking about nutrition topics,
it tells me they care.

(20:03):
So even if it's misinformed
or partially informed or a
little off track on what
the science says, maybe I
even don't know all the
science yet.
And I go digging.
It sort of tells me,
well, this topic is interesting
to them.
And so I start, you
know, mapping that.
And my brain, it just
works like that.
It's got a lot of
different spokes sort of throwing

(20:23):
out and putting things together.
And I started seeing this
topic about seed oils being
bad, you know, that's sort
of the topic.
And before anything else going,
instead of like just going
off, that's phooey, that's not
right.
Or, you know, whoever that
person is talking about has
got it all wrong.
I was like, that is
curious that that perception, I

(20:44):
wonder why.
So I started just asking
why, like the best four
year olds out there, I
have one of those.
And I started digging around
and I know a good
amount about fats and the
biochemistry of fats and how
fats work.
I worked with some premier
researchers in that area personally.
And so that's sort of
where it comes in.

(21:04):
And then in my desire
to educate and help, hopefully,
I tried to dig into
the science and help communicate
out, help balance the conversation,
you know, not disparage anyone
or take them down.
But, you know, it's what
I love to do with
part passion, part interest and
part skill set, I guess.
Excellent.
So let's discuss what seed

(21:26):
oils are.
I'll be honest, when I
started hearing about them on
social media, I was like,
what are seed oils?
I don't know this term.
Is this a new term?
Is this just like a
scientific term that just turned
popular?
What are they?
Yeah.
And are we seeing it
in the traditional media too?
Yes, yes, social media and
it is definitely come into

(21:46):
the traditional media.
I'm happy to say that
there has been a recent
sort of balancing act happening,
which hopefully we'll be talking
about today, but it's coming
about.
OK.
It's a prominent conversation.
Seed oils, we already know
them.
You already know them.
You know, they're a collective
term that for sunflower oil
and canola oil and cottonseed

(22:08):
oil and corn oil and
soybean oil.
These are seed, literally oils
that have been somehow processed
to extract their oils.
They are trending in part
because and this will probably
percolate over the course of
our time together, but there's
some misinformation on it because

(22:29):
I think they're in part
a proxy at times for
ultra processed foods.
And since we're talking very
often about ultra processed foods
these days and bad versus
good, evil versus good, I
don't know what these seed
oils do feature some of
them in some of these
ultra processed foods.
They also some of these
seed oils, some call them
the hateful eight.

(22:50):
I'm not going to recite
what the eight are.
I named a few of
them.
I did not name eight
and they weren't exhaustive.
This list is not exhaustive.
And so that's where the
opportunity is to play out.
Well, aren't seeds good?
You know, how did they
get into oil?
You know, why did they
get into oil?
How do we use them?
And really it's the seed
oils that have been really

(23:10):
tagged and targeted are the
ones that are higher in
the omega six fats.
So people are hearing omega
six bad, omega three good,
not that simple, unfortunately.
And so I think it's
a convergence of like the
ultra processed food, the omega
six being bad, general confusion.
And then a few very
loud voices who have come
out and sort of across

(23:31):
the board said, delete these
from your diet.
They are bad with a
little bit, sometimes a lot
of misinformation.
Right.
I'm used to hearing the
term vegetable oil.
Is there a distinction between
vegetable?
Because I think of corn
oil and soybean oil as
vegetable oil.
Is there a distinction?
Yeah.
Well, not a lot of
distinction.
I would say, you know,
if we're getting granular, it's

(23:52):
sort of, it gets down
to the botany, you know,
like botanically, are they coming
from a seed source?
But it really could be
any oil.
A seed is in the
plant kingdom.
And I think that that's
where the sort of nomenclature
becomes a little bit more
flexible on calling the vegetable
oils.
So, you know, a corn
oil or safflower oil, the

(24:12):
fact that they're being pressed
from the seeds, I think
that's just like a level
beyond and people are categorizing
them.
You know, what's not on
the list, which we'll talk
about, you know, and not
heralding it better than in
all cases, but, you know,
chia is not talked about,
chia oil, but it's not
something that we, a lot
of us even know about.
Right.
And I think when we're
looking at what we'll discover

(24:32):
and discuss is that it
all starts with the seed.
So what are the nutrients
in the seed?
Okay.
Next is what is the
processing?
And we will go through
each one of these, but
what is the processing that
happens to the seed?
What's done after that determines
some of the characteristics and
the personality and also some
of their culinary use.

(24:52):
So some of them have
positive attributes like neutral flavor,
and you can cook at
high temperatures, you know, at
the same time, they may
have some, you know, the
risk benefit ratio, so to
speak, that we got to
look at when we're using
it on the plate in
a culinary way.
Okay, great.
That is very helpful.
And I know we're going
to talk a lot about
what the research shows about

(25:13):
seed oils, unsaturated fats, and
I have a related episode,
a couple of related episodes,
but one in particular is
218 omega-6 PUFAs, polyunsaturated
fatty acids, inflammation, and non
-alcoholic fatty liver disease with
Dr. Martha Belury.
I'll link to that in
the show notes.
And I also have done
some episodes on processed foods

(25:35):
and ultra processed foods.
So those links will all
be in the show notes
at soundbitesrd.com.
And we are going to
talk about omega-3s and
omega-6s quite a bit.
But what does the research
show either in general or
any specific studies that you
want to talk about, about
seed oils and unsaturated fats?
And also, there's a double
question here.
What is the average intake

(25:56):
look like for Americans?
Yeah, so these are two
great questions, Melissa.
And I think in order
to get to the research,
which is not unanimous, research
is research.
So we want to see
that not every study shows
unanimity.
We want the methods to
be well organized and planned
and quality.
But I'd like to anchor

(26:17):
us briefly around why the
topic is so important by
looking at the fats in
general.
And what's really interesting is
that we're even talking about
fats as being fascinating.
I think that's really cool
in the first place.
But the idea about the
essential fats, we hear about
this, and I think that
most of your listeners will
know this inherently, or they

(26:38):
know this from their training.
But sometimes we glaze over
the word, we hear essential
fatty acids or essential fats.
And certain fats are essential
because the body does not
make them.
They do not endogenously produce
them.
So we have to get
them from the diet.
So as a quick recap,
I won't go deep into
the weeds here.

(26:58):
But a fat is one
of our macronutrients, of course.
It is not a vitamin
or mineral.
It's found in a lot
of different foods.
And its primary action, aside
from some nerve and other
hormones and other areas where
it plays in the body,
but it's for energy.
It's for energy.
It's the calories.
It's for insulation of our

(27:19):
body as well.
In the essential fats, two
major classes that are essential
are the omega-3 and
the omega-6.
And we just have a
tendency to make one better
than the other or start
looking at that.
But it's important to sort
of anchor us in the
omega-3s and the omega
-6s getting toward the essential
fats because that's really where

(27:41):
the seed oil controversy and
claims come.
And I can talk about
some of those claims that
people are saying about them
if you'd like to hear
in a minute.
But the essential fat is
ALA or alpha linolenic acid.
That's the omega-3 that
comes from plants.
It's like the parent.
And from that, EPA and

(28:02):
DHA are sort of the
siblings or the cousins that
can be converted from ALA.
But it's also abundant.
And we hear a lot
about this in marine sources,
like salmon and other sources.
So the only essential one,
though, is the plant one
because that one you literally
can't make.
The other ones you can
make.
And there's questions about conversion

(28:23):
and ratios.
I don't know how thick
we'll get into that.
But the idea is that
we have that omega-3
and we're not getting enough.
So the question is, you
know, how much do we
need to get?
And I'll get to that
in a second.
The other one is the
omega-6s.
Omega-6s also play an
important and complementary and balancing
act to the omega-3s.
And they're also essential.
So just to throw them

(28:43):
under the bus arbitrarily, that
anything with N-6s, they're
also called in science omega
-6s, are bad, is right
out the gate mischaracterizing this
fat.
And the omega-6s do
tend to be pro-inflammatory.
But the bigger issue in
the human diet is that
we're getting too much of
them.
So this is sort of
queuing up on, you know,

(29:03):
where's our intake?
Our intake levels are adequate
Intake.
So a reminder, this is
not a one-size-fits
-all approach, but for most
people, the adequate intake is
about reached for the omega
-3s, believe it or not.
Some people say we're way
deficient.
But compelling research is starting

(29:24):
to suggest that the adequate
intake that's set is too
low and that maybe it
should be two to four
times higher than what the
adequate intake of 1.1
grams a day should be
for the ALA omega-3.
Too many numbers, I know.
No, that's helpful.
But just keep in mind,
we're sort of meeting it,
but the compelling research for

(29:45):
health benefit and health support
and health promotion is suggesting
we might need two to
four times as much.
And this is not me
saying it.
This is what the science
and leading scientists in this
area are saying.
At the same time, on
the omega-6, we are
getting too much.
We're getting too much of
that.
So the idea of reducing
consumption or finding places where

(30:06):
it exists in the diet
that you might either shift
toward omega-3s or simply
reduce some of these omega
-6s may be warranted.
So we are getting in
excess of our needs on
the omega-6s.
That's the simple answer.
I don't think we should
go deeper into that.
Yeah, no, that makes sense.
Thank you.
And then on the research,
you know, you asked about

(30:27):
that.
There is a large and
growing body of research on
unsaturated fats in general.
So that would include these
polyunsaturated fats, the omega-3
and the omega-6.
I think that that's where
even among registered dietitians that
I've spoken to about this,
we sort of get in,
not to group think, but
we sort of forget sometimes.
You know, we know some
of the functions that are

(30:48):
not health promoting of omega
-6s, and maybe we're just
not up to speed on
some of the research on
the omega-6s.
But there is a good
body of evidence, and the
American Heart Association came out
with sort of a lead
paper back in 2009 saying
omega-6s actually are protective
for heart health.
They're helpful for heart health,

(31:08):
you know, in a number
of ways.
And there's many, many studies
that have come beyond that.
And so the research on
cardiovascular health probably being the
strongest sort of health-related
association with the unsaturated fats
for both omega-3s and
omega-6s, anti-inflammatory benefits,
and then the host of,
you know, chronic diseases associated

(31:29):
with diet that also may
be linked to chronic inflammation.
That's very helpful.
I appreciate how you're explaining
this, and we could take
a deep dive on the
science.
I will say in episode
218 with Martha, there were
times when I was like,
okay, wait, I'm trying to
understand.
It's very sciency, but it's
very, very interesting.
Yes.
And I appreciate one of
the main takeaways is it's

(31:51):
not that omega-3s are
good and omega-6s are
bad.
That's way oversimplified.
And even this ratio that
we sort of just kind
of clung to, the ratios
of omega-3s to omega
-6s in the diet, and
just the awareness that there
are some benefits, health benefits
to the polyunsaturated fats with

(32:11):
regard to the omega-6s.
Because we know, everybody knows
the omega-3s are good.
So it's kind of trying
to tease out some of
those benefits that we may
not be aware of.
So let's talk, and maybe
I'm jumping ahead here, but
you kind of gave a
little bit of an overview
of oils and fats in
general.
But I know one of
the things that we wanted
to talk specifically about is

(32:32):
these different culinary oils.
And it goes beyond smoke
point.
That's one of the things
I've learned from you.
What do we need to
know or consider when we're
choosing different oils?
You've got a good resource
that I'm going to put
in the show notes as
well.
Because some of this, it's
a little bit, it helps
to have a resource, a
handout, or something to go
to.
Because there's a lot of
different oils and there's a

(32:53):
lot of different factors to
consider from my understanding.
So where should we start
with that whole category, that
whole topic?
Yeah, where do we start?
Right.
So imagine the supermarket aisle.
You know, I wish I,
I'm going to paint this
the best I can to
your ears.
But the next time you're
in a major supermarket, walk
down the aisle where the

(33:14):
oils, the liquid oils are.
Not whip through it and
grab the one you're looking
for or whiz by.
Go look and take it
in.
It is a huge section.
It's a huge aisle sometimes.
It's tremendous.
And there's every shape of
bottle.
There's every color of bottle.
There's every material made of
bottle.

(33:34):
It is top to bottom.
There's every price point of
these bottles.
I mean, there's no surprise
that it feels daunting and
confusing and that we can
stir some controversy around that,
certainly.
With each of the oils,
there could be 10 different
options within that oil, olive
oil, you know, which one,
which press, which brand.

(33:56):
So it can certainly be
confusing.
When we consider using them
for cooking and actually, a
colleague of ours, a registered
dietitian colleague of ours just
told me yesterday about a
conversation she had over the
weekend with a friend who's
asked her, our colleague, you
know, why do you have
five oils on your counter?
You know, I only cook

(34:17):
with one.
And she said, oh my
gosh, it opened up this
great conversation.
A lot of people still
believe, you know, we just
need one, you know, just
choose one, use the one
that can be, you know,
multipurpose.
And I would argue that
there are different oils for
different uses.
And hopefully I'll leave, you
know, you and your listeners
with, you know, not the

(34:39):
long list, unless you're really
enthusiastic about your oils and
you like to have lots
and lots of different ones,
but maybe the reason that
you might have four or
five different oils in your
pantry.
We want to be driven
by flavor.
I didn't say nutrition first.
by flavor.
by the functionality of it.
How does it fit into

(35:00):
the food that we want
to make?
And can we use it
cooking?
So smoke point comes to
play as well as some
other factors.
You know, does it have
nutrients we're interested in?
You know, can we afford
it?
And so those are all
factors that come in.
Sometimes you want a neutral
oil that can hit a
high smoke point.
And guess what?
That may be a pretty
refined seed oil.
And is that problematic?

(35:20):
Well, in a balanced diet,
we're not only eating one
ingredient.
No, it's not a problem.
You might use that to
sear and you might use
other oils along the way
for other culinary purposes.
So that's a start on
that.
But cooking technique, flavor, function,
and I hope, you know,
a little bit of nutrition,
if you can get that
in there as well.
That's a great overview.
And I should back up
and say, because you had
mentioned, you could touch on

(35:42):
some of the seed oil
claims.
Maybe we should go through
some of that because if
somebody is not familiar with
seed oils or the controversy,
they might be wondering more.
Yeah.
What's the deal?
Why are we talking about
this or who's talking about
this?
So to make a proof
point, I'm going to read
this one media outlet.
And I have this note
in front of me.

(36:02):
One media outlet reported, while
doctors and scientists peruse PubMed
for evidence, lay people report
to places like TikTok where
the war against seed oil
rages on.
Videos tagged with hashtag seed
oils have been viewed over
31 million times on TikTok.
So why are we talking
about this and what are

(36:22):
those claims?
It's created all kinds of
buzz.
One of them is inflammation.
So I mentioned that before.
When we learn about a
nutrient, like we hear about
omega-6, usually we hear
about the prominent one or
it gets flagged for some
reason in some headline and
we just stick to it.
Like that's what it does.
End of story.
Some seed oils, not all,

(36:44):
contain some pro-inflammatory omega
-6s.
So there's always a seed
of truth to any claim,
I imagine.
I love it.
Also, some people say it's
all about that ratio.
We've got the ratio all
wrong.
You mentioned that before and
it's brought up.
I'd like us to start
using the word balance.
So the ratio being how
many omega-3s to omega
-6s are in the diet.

(37:05):
There's no question that we're
over-consuming the omega-6s,
under-consuming the omega-3s,
but it's not a strict
ratio that we need to
bring in.
That's sort of the old
school thought.
It is more complicated than
that.
And there are other functions.
Another claim is that seed
oils are toxic.
So it's a word that's
controversial.
In the first place, they
have chemicals that may mean

(37:27):
they're processed with different solvents
or how they come to
become the oil, different processing
and that processing means harm.
So anything that we hear
these days, you know, to
make cheese, you've got to
process dairy, right?
But you know, that one
gets a pass, but the
seed oils don't because process
equals harm.
The concept of refined versus

(37:49):
unrefined.
And there's some merit to
this on the one hand,
but refined, another word that
just triggers us.
And stable versus unstable.
So actually, some people feel
that the refined oils are
more stable and that hasn't
worn out actually in every
way, but that some oils
are more stable or less
stable.
And like I mentioned before,

(38:10):
that seed oils are a
proxy or they represent ultra
-processed foods.
So many times you'll see
people out on TikTok or
the social media sort of
showing a food product, you
know, or the label and
say, look at these seed
oils on the label.
And so they'll be painting
a picture of, you know,
badness by association, you know,
the group it's playing with

(38:30):
in the ingredient lists of
that food.
And then I think that
everyone just loves a conspiracy
theory every once in a
while.
So, you know, we want
to bash science or it'd
be anti-establishment or, you
know, that kind of thing.
I shouldn't laugh at that,
but that definitely exists.
If we don't laugh, we'll
cry, right?
Yeah, exactly.
That's very helpful.
Some of that I had
heard, but some of that

(38:50):
it was news to me.
And I love that there's
a seed of truth to
that.
I was kind of thinking
that earlier, not necessarily in
those terms, but I always
love a play on words.
So let's talk about chia
oil specifically.
I had not heard of
it before.
So I think a lot
of people haven't heard of
it.
Tell us about it and

(39:11):
maybe a little bit of
the consulting work.
And again, this isn't sponsored,
but this is an area
that you've done a lot
of work in.
And also I can tell
you how I used it
in my own kitchen.
I can't wait to hear
about that, Melissa.
I'm really excited.
I love sharing ideas about,
you know, how we use
information and how we use
ingredients.
So my introduction to chia

(39:33):
goes back a while.
I mean, I knew as
probably you did, you know,
the chia seed, which dates
back 3,500 years.
I don't date back that
far, but I like studying,
you know, part of my
background and fascination and it's
native to Latin America and
prominent there is about food
culture and indigenous foods to
areas and that kind of

(39:53):
thing.
So most of us learned
about or experimented with chia
pudding or chia.
So I knew that they
were a source of omega
-3.
So I already thought they
were cool.
I even knew how to
use them in some ways.
I still have in my
garage two terracotta chia pet
starters, you know, so that's
funny.
If you'd like to see
those brought to life, I

(40:13):
can do that for you
too.
I love it.
Send you pictures.
But I did a media
segment.
I was looking this up
before we spoke because I
was like, gosh, I even
put in a media segment
long before this back to
2010.
I had done something about
chia.
So I knew about the
science of fats.
I knew two of my
dissertation advisors on my committee
research fats and omega-3s

(40:35):
and that area.
And I had done quite
a bit with the nut
studies and was well aware
of some of the omega
-3 containing nut, walnut in
particular, and the deep body
of research there.
So sort of that area
was known to me.
What I didn't know, and,
you know, as life has
its paths, I was introduced

(40:55):
to Benexia, which is a
company that does exclusively chia
ingredients in Santiago, Chile as
their headquarters, but distribution all
over is I didn't know
about the ingredients that come
from it and processing and
the journey on how it's
grown exactly and how does
it become oil?
Those are things that I
learned over time.

(41:16):
So I work with companies
sometimes that bring me in
that I align with professionally
and philosophically that I actually
use and enjoy and that
respect and want to lean
in on evidence science.
And then I think my
skill will fit their needs.
So that's sort of how
we came together.
But what I didn't know
was that chia seed in

(41:37):
this day and age where
sustainability sort of go part
and parcel with nutrition priorities,
I think for global health,
that chia is grown with
regenerative agriculture.
Okay.
In the company that I'm
working with, the 50%
of the owners of the
company are the farmers.
Wow.
You know, we could dive
into every one of these
aspects that zero water input,

(41:59):
except from mother nature goes
into growing chia and that
the purity, you're only as
good as your seed, that
the purity is tested to
ensure that the nutrients that
come out of the seed
before anything is done to
them is near a hundred
percent, 99.98% or
something.
These are things I've learned.
So the chia oil is
cold pressed, no food waste.

(42:20):
The rest goes into chia
fiber and chia protein.
And, you know, it's just
sort of, wow.
Then I got to taste
it and then I got
to experiment with it and
start using it, which really
was for me, what really
sealed the deal on, wow,
this is something that can
very simply, one teaspoon has
your entire daily need of
our essential fatty acid, ALA,

(42:41):
one teaspoon.
Wow.
But you know, I use
it because it tastes good
and you can cook with
it.
And these, wow, other things
that I came to learn
along the way.
You know, the versatility.
So I used it.
I got some tips from
you and how to use
it.
I used it in roasted
broccoli and I sauteed some
zucchini with it.
And I made a vinaigrette

(43:01):
dressing because one of the
things that you told me,
typically I'll use an olive
oil, but as people know,
if they've made their own
vinaigrette with olive oil, you
put it in the fridge
and it solidifies a little
bit.
So then you have to
let it set out at
room temperature before you use
it.
And that's not very convenient,
I guess.
And so you suggested I
use it in a vinaigrette.

(43:23):
And so I can make
that, put it in the
fridge, get it out and
use it right away because
it stays liquid.
So that, that's my favorite
thing about it.
It's great.
And you also gave me
a sorbet recipe.
I did not make it,
but I would love for
you to talk about that
a little bit because I
know you worked with a
friend of yours, an amazing
chef.
And I will put this

(43:43):
recipe in the show notes
at soundbitesrd.com so people
can make this sorbet.
So tell us about this
recipe.
For sure.
Oh my gosh.
So this is going to
be hopefully a surprise, unexpected,
and then we can back
up and you know, all
the other delicious ways to
use chia oil.
So I tapped a longtime
colleague and friend of mine,
Chef Dean Rucker.
I hope he's listening.

(44:03):
I do too.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm sure he will.
He's this longtime colleague of
mine who is so innovative.
And I worked with for
over a decade at a
destination spa and resort up
here in San Diego.
We worked in tandem day
in, day out, you know,
sourcing from the garden, talking
about food and ingredients, talking

(44:23):
about how to bring health
into delicious spa cuisine, three
meals a day, two snacks,
and add to support a
modest calorie and five mile
hikes and all kinds of
all day long.
So we really had a
tall order.
What he pointed out is
a couple of things I'd
like to share about oils
in general, culinary oils, which

(44:45):
make, I think this topic
so exciting that we can
bring it to the seed
oil aspect of it is
you can use different oils
for different functions, as we
know, different flavors, and you
can layer them.
So, you know, you may
not use just one single
oil.
So we can look at
your salad dressing and other

(45:05):
recipes in a second on
that.
But when it came to
sorbet, think about a sorbet.
So we think of sorbet
as sort of light and
fruity, not typically with a
cream or milk base.
It's usually basically fruit and
sugar.
What happens, and this is
the chemistry that's so cool
when you go into the
freezer with fruit and sugar

(45:27):
is it crystallizes.
And so the result is
high flavor.
And if you're making it
sort of spa and you're
bumping up the nutrition, you're
not putting as much sugar
in it's high flavor, but
it sort of gets crystallized
a little bit.
It's not quite as creamy.
There's a few fruits that
can make things creamy like
bananas, but you know, every
smoothie and every sorbet doesn't

(45:49):
need to have a banana
in it.
What happens when you want
a nectarine or pineapple mango
that we're doing here, sorbet,
how do you get the
mouthfeel back?
Or let's say you don't
consume dairy either because you're
plant-based by choice and
preference, or you don't tolerate
it for whatever reason.
The plant-based milks that

(46:10):
may substitute in for nice
creams, so to speak, they
lose some of that creamy
mouthfeel.
What does fat do?
It gives the mouthfeel, you
know, it does that.
And people are like, whoa,
that's sort of mind-blowing.
What the chia oil does
just a little bit is
bonus nutrition, but it gives
the mouthfeel.
And so this is as

(46:32):
much about creating a delicious
experience as a really cool
recipe.
It's pineapple mango chia oil
sorbet.
And I encourage, you know,
people who are making mostly
fruit sorbets in general, and
there's a bunch of different,
you'll have the recipe up
here.
We always talk about substitutions.
Could you do this?
Could you use frozen fruit?
Could you use fresh?
What if you don't have
this?

(46:53):
Absolutely.
But think about that when
you're bringing sorbet.
So what I loved about
working with Chef Dean on
this is he always brings
it one level further with
me.
It's like, not just substitutions,
but like, why are we
doing this?
What's the purpose of this?
And that's really what this
is all about.
Excellent.
Now I'm even more interested

(47:14):
in trying it.
As soon as you started
explaining the function, I love
that different functions, different flavors.
And I have to say
the ways that I use
the chia oil, I loved
it.
My family loved it.
So the flavor was really
good there too.
Do you want to talk
about some good ways or
fun ways or tasty ways
to use other specific oils?

(47:34):
And if you have any
other recipes that you want
to mention, I don't know
if that you have any
on your website or just
favorite go-tos that you
have.
Yeah.
Well, I think that like
laying the groundwork of the
fact that different oils do
different things, I think we
can talk about how we
might choose based on the
flavor and the function.

(47:55):
So before we were talking
a little bit about Smokepoint
and one of the things
that I was inspired to
do when I started doing
this consulting work on chia
oil was actually to serve
the entire culinary oil population
because I felt what was
lacking was a really solid
sort of document.
So one of the great

(48:17):
links out that you'll have
for your show notes, Melissa,
for your listeners is this,
what I call the Smokepoint
document.
And really what it does
is it sort of spells
out what you might use
for finishing and drizzling or
dressings, what you might be
able to use for that,
but also use at low
saute or bring up to

(48:38):
a medium high heat and
what you really might want
to use in terms of
oils if you're really wanting
a high heat sear and
safety.
It also talks about how
Smokepoint itself is not the
only thing that determines the
quality of the oils you
choose.
So there are things like
antioxidants that exist in some
of these plant oils, which

(48:58):
is incredible.
Antioxidants actually make chia oil
more stable.
Impurities in some other oils
make the oil less stable.
So not everything boils down
to whether it's refined or
unrefined or whether it's cold
pressed.
So this document is really
a good guide for sort

(49:18):
of getting the basics on
what could I use where
and why does it matter?
And then there's sort of
the flavor angle.
Like what are you making
with this food?
I'd like to think down
the path, both in terms
of what meal are we
talking here, but also what
method am I thinking of
cooking?
So if you're going from
room temperature, that would be
like salad dressings and drizzles.
I really like to use

(49:39):
olive oil, but to your
point, put it in the
refrigerator, it starts to solidify.
Why not make a blend?
That's where I think chia
oil and olive oil or
chia, avocado and olive oil
together make a really incredible
emulsifying agent in your vinaigrette
that will stay liquid in
the refrigerator, offer some of
those polyunsaturated fats, be a

(50:01):
good conveyor of flavor and
so forth.
What other things?
Oh, pestos, another great place.
Another one that's known for
olive oil.
I like to change it
up a little bit.
Sometimes you want a little
more kick of flavor, you
know, whether it's olive oil,
an extra virgin olive oil
that has a little more
of that bite.
I've just gotten a little
bit of an education.
I'm sure you've done olive
oil tastings before where they

(50:22):
say, is it a one
cough or a three cough
olive oil?
You know, like what level
of antioxidants are coming through
there, which is pretty neat
to think about.
Sometimes you want a little
bit more or a different
kind of earthy note to
your flavor.
And sometimes you want neutral.
Like if you're searing fish
that you want the flavor
of the fish to really
shine and the quality of

(50:43):
the fish to shine, you
might want to one of
the high smoke point quality
grapeseed oils or an avocado
oil that does have a
higher smoke point.
And the list sort of
goes on, right, to cold
applications like sorbets, smoothies and
that kind of thing.
Interesting.
Yes.
I'm looking at this handout
or this document while you're
talking, and it reminds me
that we tend to forget

(51:04):
also that all oils are
a combination of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated,
even saturated.
And we tend to think,
oh, olive oil is monounsaturated.
And that's not the case.
They're all sort of a
combination.
Yes.
And they have different levels.
And so I'm looking at
this and I printed it

(51:24):
out in black and white,
but I can still see
the different bars.
So we think of like
flaxseed oil is having a
lot of omega threes, but
the chia oil is even
higher when I'm comparing on
this chart.
So yes, that's interesting.
And again, you know, not
one better than the other
per se.

(51:45):
Sometimes it's like we need
a little more information, right?
But we can see you
wouldn't use a flaxseed oil
for cooking.
It does have a relatively
low smoke point.
Right.
It's at the bottom of
the list as far as
the temperatures.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Nice to point that out
on this way.
So when you see it
and it will make sense
and it will give you
maybe more confidence, at least

(52:05):
with that level, because when
I started working on this
and I'm so glad that
you like called attention to
there's not only one kind
of oil.
See, that's another oversimplification.
It's not wrong, you know,
that we speak in the
priority one, but it's a
great sort of example on
how a little seed of
truth can kind of get
blown out of proportion if
someone, you know, that doesn't

(52:27):
know the science or have
a more balanced perspective on
it starts speaking about it,
maybe with good intentions.
I really believe in good
intentions.
If there are humans out
there.
Yes, that's a great point.
Yeah.
So I think that this
document, this handout will provide
a lot more depth to
what we've been talking about
and be a good resource

(52:48):
for people to use in
their own kitchens.
Is there anything that you
wanted to share with us?
Kind of top line, like
I'm in my kitchen.
What are some sort of
basic go tos as far
as use this type of
oil for this, use this
type of oil for that?
Yeah.
So one of the most
common questions I get as
a dietician when I'm working

(53:09):
with individuals or when we're
talking about this topic is
like, then how many should
I have in my pantry
and which ones?
I want to just give
some guidance and some ideas
real briefly.
One, now you should know
to be selective with choosing
your oil.
It's not an afterthought.
It's not, oh, I have
oil.
I'm going to use it.
So quality matters as well

(53:29):
as some of these other
factors.
Number two, different oils have
different flavors and uses.
So that goes to, you
know, getting to know the
flavor profile of them and
what use are you thinking
about?
Have just a top few
everyday oils, unless you're a
big foodie enthusiast and you
want to expand your repertoire.

(53:49):
Maybe four, have an extra
virgin olive oil that you
would not cook with.
You know, it's really is
that special oil for dressings
and blends and toppings and
drizzles.
Maybe an avocado oil.
We know the great monounsaturated
fats and healthy profile of
that oil.
And it's good for cooking,
high smoke point, neutral flavor,
pretty neutral flavor.

(54:11):
Coconut oil, maybe one.
And again, these are all,
you know, up to the
individual, but coconut oil, you
can bake with it really
nice.
You can use it in
place of butter sometimes.
It does on purpose, you
know, it's the chemistry, stay
semi-solid.
It's good for popcorn.
It's fun that way, if
you like the coconut flavor.
And then I would say
chia oil because you can
cook with it.

(54:31):
You can blend with it.
You can put it in
all these different places and
one teaspoon brings you an
excellent source of that plant,
omega-3.
But the last thing, the
last consideration I would say
in your pantry oils is
don't forget about blends and
layering.
You know, you can use
a couple of different oils
in tandem.
You can experiment with that.

(54:52):
You can add an oil
at the start of a
recipe and an oil to
finish at the end.
And I guess that aren't
all bad.
You know, we know that
they're important, essential for our
health.
Absolutely.
Okay.
So I have to show
my culinary, I don't want
to say limitations, but my
basic culinary knowledge here.
So I have olive oil

(55:13):
that I cook with frequently.
I think, I don't know
if it's extra virgin or
not.
So I tend to use
that to saute or to
roast vegetables and everything.
Is that, well, you said
don't use extra virgin olive
oil.
That's more for like drizzling
and that sort of thing.
But just like regular olive
oil, is that okay for
cooking?
Is that what I do?
Yes.
This is a great question.

(55:34):
And I do not want
the olive oil folks who
I also love coming after
me for this one.
You can cook with your
extra virgin olive oil.
What I mean is sometimes
if you apply high, high
heat, you know, so regular
sautés and they've been using
it like that and the
Mediterranean and we in the
United States and in Spain
and all over the world
for a long time cooking
with it.
But it starts to change

(55:54):
the characteristic when you apply
heat to it.
So, you know, a smoke
point is actually a burning
point.
It's when you see smoke
come off of the pan.
So if you actually see
a bluish hue come, probably
too high of a smoke
point, is it going to
be harmful?
If you did that regularly,
it might become harmful, but
not on a one-off.
It just might make your
food not taste very good.
So what I mean to

(56:15):
revise my statement before, so
thank you because a lot
of people have this.
If you're spending a lot
of money on a very
special extra virgin olive oil
with lots of, you know,
labels and distinctions, I would
suggest that one.
Maybe you don't cook with
that one because you want
it to come across like
you want the flavor to
hit your tongue.
You want that.
Right.
That's what you dip the

(56:36):
nice bread in and drizzle
on.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
The one you dip in
bread that you want to
drizzle over the top that
each, you know, bite on
the fork, you get a
little hit of that peppery
bite.
That's fantastic.
Okay.
Thank you for clarifying that.
I appreciate that.
Of course.
Is there anything else that
you wanted to touch on
or address regarding research?

(56:56):
Yeah, there's three categories that
please be my guest to
select from, you know, that
I have some notes on.
One, if you'd like me
to very briefly point to
some of the health research
and studies.
Yes.
There's been a lot of
very recent health research in
the area that is coming
about looking specifically at the
omega-3, the plant omega

(57:17):
-3 ALA, including a 2022
meta-analysis and review about
the alpha linolenic, the plant
-based omega-3.
This is a great paper.
We can provide the link
out and it talks about
the mechanism action and what
we don't know and some
newer mechanisms of action to
start understand a little bit
further.

(57:37):
I'm very research based.
So if there's any other
research, we have a lot
of research.
There's a lot that's still
not known, but there's a
lot of research on this
area.
Okay.
So as we're wrapping up,
we've talked about the science,
the kitchen, all kinds of
things, but is there sort
of any bottom line takeaways
that you'd like to just
summarize for us?

(57:58):
Yes.
So when we're talking about
something that can be so
controversial, like the seed oil
story, hopefully we've made a
balancing act of it to
show sort of where it
nuts out.
And what I'd like to
is a reminder really of
some things.
Number one, we know that
a healthy diet is not
comprised of one food ingredient
or nutrient.

(58:18):
We need variety.
We need high quality and
nutrient dense foods and that
we eat meals and patterns
of meals over time.
Number two, I hope your
listeners can feel confident cooking
with and enjoying the plant
-based oils, either again or
a new or new ones.
The types of fats found
in oils, the unsaturated, the

(58:39):
essential fats that we talked
about, those omega sixes and
omega threes are beneficial for
health, especially when they're eaten
in place of some of
the saturated fats in our
diet.
Third, I would say diversify
the oils in your pantry
a little bit.
We talked about that for
both nutrition and cooking capabilities.
So hopefully people will go
away with function and flavor

(59:00):
and nutrition as three key
attributes to think about and
have a small assortment of
culinary oils in your kitchen.
And finally, we can look
for lots of easy ways
to incorporate more omega threes
in our diet.
Those ones that we are
seeking more of, and in
particular the central one in
the plant-based form.

(59:21):
I think that the marine
sources are delicious and wonderful
and we get a lot
of attention on that salmon
and sardines, but think of
things like chia and chia
oil and walnuts and flax,
as well as the marine
sources.
Plant-based omega-3s have
some overlapping and also some

(59:41):
unique benefits that the research
is showing for human health.
So that's sort of my
wrap-up to synthesize all
of this great information that
you've queued up for our
conversation today.
Oh, thank you so much.
That was very helpful.
I love it.
Those are some excellent takeaways
and just organizes sort of
everything that we've touched on.
I really appreciate it.
You're welcome.

(01:00:01):
So where can people find
out more about this topic,
the research, just connect with
you, if you could share
your website, social media, any
of that information would be
great.
Sure.
I love connecting.
I mean, that's what I
love to do.
So my best connection on
social media would be on
Instagram at @bazilians.
It's my last name spelled

(01:00:22):
like Brazilian without the R,
but you put the S
@bazilians.
My website is wendybazilian.com.
And you can email me
straight from there and I
will be in touch on
that.
You know, one of the
things that I love about
talking about plants in general
and how they fit our
nutrition, including the fats, including
controversial seed oils, is that

(01:00:44):
I love when, and this
I exclaimed at a presentation,
but I have to say
it now, I did not,
it was came out of
my mouth and now I
use it as something to
how I feel inherently.
I love when modern science
shows what mother nature knows.
Very often there are the
seeds of like good health
in our histories and traditions
and cultures, things we used

(01:01:06):
to do in the traditional
table for good health or
showed up for health.
And then over centuries, sometimes
or millennia, as the case
may be, scientists start discovering
why, how, you know, what
is the nuance, what are
the specifics, what's the smoke
point, all those details.
I love when that can

(01:01:26):
happen.
So if you want to
talk flavor, culture, food, and
of course nutrition, I loved
connecting with others.
Awesome.
Thank you.
And I will, in addition
to the links we've already
talked about, you did a
food and culinary professionals webinar.
So I'll have the link
to that as well on
this topic.
And there's also an article

(01:01:46):
on linolenic acid.
I think it's available through
a link.
If not, I should be
able to put the PDF
linked in there and yeah,
just have everything that we've
touched on at soundbitesrd.com
and the related episodes as
well.
Are you working on anything
else right now that you
wanted to share with us
before we say goodbye?
Oh, thanks.

(01:02:07):
I am working on finishing
a book that's been a
labor of passion for a
long time and getting near
the finish line on that.
It's almost ready.
I'm working here in Southern
California with a number of
interesting topics, most notably recently,
a lot about sustainability and
nutrition.
And that's a really exciting
area.
I think to tap on

(01:02:28):
things like regenerative agriculture and
upcycling nutrition.
So that's a strong sustainability
story is something I'm very
passionate about.
And I may be actually
working on a little podcast
of my own.
So I might follow in
your lauded footsteps in that
direction.
Wonderful.
What's the book about?
The book is about our

(01:02:49):
and by our, I mean,
my husband, who works with
me as a partner for
many years here in San
Diego in our health clinic,
about our central mantra and
tenet, which is eat well,
move daily, be healthy.
Those three key areas and
their simple practices, 52 of
them, simple practices that are

(01:03:11):
science-based that you can
do in a self-care
approach to help promote good
health.
It sounds like week by
week if it's 52.
You got it.
There you go.
Well, awesome.
That sounds so exciting.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
And thank you so much
for coming on the show
and sharing this information.
I look forward to applying
it in my own kitchen,

(01:03:31):
and I hope the listeners
will as well.
Thank you so much for
having me on, Melissa, today
with you.
Thank you.
And for everybody listening, as
always, enjoy your food with
health in mind.
Till next time.
For more information, visit soundbitesrd
.com.
This podcast does not provide
medical advice.

(01:03:52):
It is for informational purposes
only.
Please see a registered dietitian
for individualized advice.
Music by Dave Burke.
Produced by JAG and Detroit
Podcasts.
Copyright Sound Bites, Inc.
All rights reserved.

(01:04:15):
Thank you for tuning in
to 1,000 Waking Minutes.
A huge thank you to
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To the ultra talented Beza
for my theme music.
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To Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen,

(01:04:35):
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And everyone working tirelessly behind
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(01:04:57):
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(01:05:43):
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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Guest Spotlight: The Truth About Seed Oils with Sound Bites® Podcast