By Cassidyy Atkins · A personal kitchen story
In 2019, I started taking a closer look at what was actually in my food. Not just the obvious ingredients—the everyday things hiding in plain sight.
Cooking oil became one of the first things I changed. Once I started reading labels, I noticed the same oils in chips, crackers, dressings, mayonnaise, sauces, restaurant meals, and products marketed as healthy.
Why inflammation is part of my decision
Inflammation is one of the reasons I pay close attention to the fats I eat. The research and perspectives I’ve read have raised concerns for me about how heavily processed oils—especially when repeatedly heated—might contribute to inflammation in the body. That concern is part of why I personally choose to avoid seed oils and cook with ingredients and fats I feel comfortable using.
This is my personal interpretation, not a claim that all seed oils are proven to cause inflammation. Human trials have not consistently shown that eating linoleic acid increases inflammatory markers. I share the different types of evidence on the Research Shelf so you can read them for yourself.
What I brought back into my kitchen
I stopped buying those oils and started reaching for butter, beef tallow, duck fat, olive oil, and avocado oil instead. Food tasted better to me. Cooking became more interesting. More meals started with actual ingredients, and processed food became a much smaller part of our kitchen.
What I noticed
Over time, I noticed less puffiness, what felt like less inflammation, and more comfortable digestion. I also felt that I sunburned less easily. These were personal observations made while my overall food habits were changing—not a controlled test of one ingredient.
That sunburn observation is not evidence that avoiding seed oils protects skin from UV damage, and it is not a reason to skip sun protection.
Why I have kept going
For me, this choice became part of a bigger return to real food: knowing what goes into a meal, using ingredients I enjoy, and making things at home. I do not need every meal to be perfect to know how I want my everyday kitchen to work.
I share the sources that have made me curious, including Dr. Cate’s writing, alongside human studies and clearly labeled animal research. My story is personal. The research deserves to be read on its own terms.
Cassidyy