Why I Stopped Eating Seed Oils (and Started Making Homemade Mayo)

This isn't the most glamorous nutrition tip, but it might be one of the most impactful.

If you made just one change to your diet, I would recommend this:

Start making your own mayonnaise and salad dressings.

It sounds simple, but it's an easy way to eliminate one of the biggest sources of highly processed industrial seed oils from your diet.

What's Wrong with Most Store-Bought Mayo and Dressings?

Take a look at the ingredient label on most mayonnaise and bottled salad dressings. Chances are the first ingredient is one of these oils:

• Soybean oil

• Canola oil

• Corn oil

• Sunflower oil

• Safflower oil

• Cottonseed oil

• Grapeseed oil

• Rice bran oil

• Peanut oil

  
  

Despite being marketed as "vegetable oils," these are actually extracted from seeds using an energy-intensive industrial process that often involves high heat, chemical solvents, bleaching, and deodorizing.

These oils are also particularly high in omega-6 fatty acids, especially linoleic acid. While our bodies do need some omega-6 fats, today's typical Western diet provides them in excess, largely because they're hidden in processed foods and restaurant meals.

For many people, reducing these highly processed oils may help lower overall inflammation and improve metabolic health, especially when they're replaced with whole-food sources of healthy fats.

Why I Avoid Industrial Seed Oils

As someone who has managed an autoimmune condition for years through nutrition and lifestyle, this was one of the first changes I made.

Research has linked excessive intake of highly processed seed oils—and the oxidized compounds they can form during processing and high-heat cooking—to increased oxidative stress and inflammation. Chronic inflammation has been associated with many modern health challenges, including:

• Heart disease

• Obesity

• Type 2 diabetes

• Autoimmune conditions

• Cognitive decline

• Some cancers

  
  

Inflammation isn't the only factor involved in these diseases, but reducing your exposure to heavily processed foods is one practical step toward supporting better health.

Many people also notice improvements in energy, digestion, joint comfort, and body composition when they replace processed fats with more nutrient-dense, whole-food options.

What Should You Use Instead?

Instead of industrial seed oils, stock your kitchen with healthier fats like:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Avocado Oil

• Grass-fed Butter

• Ghee

• Unrefined Coconut Oil

  
  

These fats are generally more stable for cooking and fit well into an anti-inflammatory, whole-food lifestyle.

The Easiest Swap: Homemade Mayo

One of the biggest sources of seed oils is mayonnaise.

The good news?

Homemade mayo takes just a few minutes, tastes so much better than store-bought, and lets you control every ingredient.

If making your own isn't realistic every week, I recommend using avocado oil-based mayonnaise and dressings, such as those from Primal Kitchen.

My Easy Paleo Mayo Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large pasture-raised egg, from FREE RANGE Chickens

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or Apple Cider Vinegar

• 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• ¾ cup avocado oil (100%, unrefined) or Extra Virgin olive oil*

  
  

Directions

1. Add the egg, lemon juice, mustard, and salt to a blender or food processor.

2. Blend until combined.

3. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the oil. This step is important! If you dump all the oil in at once, the mayo won't emulsify properly.

4. Continue blending until thick and creamy.
   

Tip: Olive oil is incredibly healthy and naturally anti-inflammatory, but it can have a stronger flavor. I like using about ¼ olive oil and ¾ avocado oil for a milder taste. I usually make a double batch because it disappears fast!

Small Changes Add Up

You don't have to overhaul your entire diet overnight.

Sometimes the biggest improvements come from replacing one everyday food with a healthier version.

Making your own mayo and dressings is one of those simple habits that can reduce your intake of highly processed ingredients while adding more nourishing fats to your meals.

Your body is built from the foods you eat every day. Give it ingredients that help it thrive.