Do All Vancouver Vegan Restaurants Cook with Healthy Oils?

Do All Vancouver Vegan Restaurants Cook with Healthy Oils?

If you are curious about nutrition, then you already are familiar that there can be good oils and dangerous ‘cooked’ oils which are connected to Free-Radical-Damage. In this blog we will talk about free radicals and the power of antioxidants to protect us from harmful and processed oils which lead to premature aging. Just because you are dining at Vancouver vegan restaurants it is not guaranteed that you are eating clean and healthy.

Oils are consumed on daily basis. With every meal we can digest health-giving oils or harmful oils, because cooked oil is the largest cause of free-radical-damage in the human body. Free-radicals is known to be the primary cause of aging as per the free-radical theory introduced by Dr. Denham Harman in 1956.

Free radicals are produced with factors other than cooked oil, including pesticides, cigarette smoke, air pollution, excessive sun exposure, and the natural breakdown of tissues. Free radicals are oxygen molecules that have lost an electron and are thus unstable and reactive.

These radical oxygen molecules bounce around cells and tissues, stealing electrons from healthy molecules and causing damage; creating even more free radicals in the process.

Collagen, a protein molecule that gives skin a youthful, supple look, is especially susceptible to free-radical-damage, which manifests in the formation of wrinkles, causing scars to linger and slow or improper healing.

Monounsaturated oils such as olive oil and polyunsaturated oils such as corn oil, most vegetable oils, flax oils and hemp oil are all very open to oxidation from exposure to light and air and especially heat! Oxyden, heat and light turn normal fats into trans-fatty acids, cause degenerative conditions creating free radicals which are linked to cancer and aging, and cause rancidity.

This is why oils must be packed in dark containers, sealed airtight, kept unheated, and consumed in a timely manner. The best oils to consume raw for beauty and health, are olives and olive oil, hemp seeds, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, pecans, cacao (raw chocolate) and cacao butter

Not all vegan restaurants have high standards with what oils they use to cook with! Raw, vegan restaurants are usually more aware of these nuances when it comes to selection of in-house oils and salad dressings.

The good news is that nutrients or “antioxidants” prevent and even reverse free-radical damage.  Raw chocolate for example is one of nature’s richest source of antioxidants, more than wild blueberries or Acai berries. Theobromine in cacao is one of the greatest anti-aging foods. Experience the power of real chocolate in our signature ganache dessert served with berries and our own compote of antioxidant-rich berries.

Antioxidants may be in the form of fatty acids (raw fats and/ or cold-pressed oils) minerals (manganese, selenium), vitamins ( A, C, E), and complex biological compounds. Antioxidants prevent and reverse damage by simply giving free radicals electrons they need to become stable. In this way, antioxidants reverse skin inflammation such as sun burn and help heal scar tissue. Ultimately antioxidants are truly anti-aging foods, and most vegan restaurants usually feature dishes with antioxidants.

At Indigo Age Cafe, we have an intention to serve as many antioxidants as possible with our creative healthful menu, knowing how the North American diet is packed with cooked and processed foods. You can find incredible dishes such as our Acai Sunrise Bowl which can be enjoyed as a yummy breakfast or refreshing dessert anytime in the day. We also call it as our in-house vegan ice cream because it is an Acai banana sorbet served with fresh fruit and topped with raw sprouted granola.

Our vegan dessert menu is actually all raw plant-based desserts, full of healthy fats and antioxidants – we get amazing compliments on our vibrant and healthy desserts! We encourage you to have these conversations with your favourite Vancouver vegan restaurants and always inquire what oils they cook with and add into dressing.