Somewhere in between the pickles and salad dressing on every grocery store shelf is a vast wall of oils, usually chock-full of jumbo containers of Mazola® and Crisco®. But little do many of us know that the secret to having great skin, a healthy heart and maintaining an ideal weight are in the most neglected oils on these very shelves. With the exception of the all-famous extra virgin olive oil, a few of the best foods we can put in or on our bodies are considered the “underdogs of oils.” Unfortunately, our fat-fearing society has put multiple generations in jeopardy of a myriad of health concerns, ranging from premature aging to cardiovascular disease.

Oils, which fall into the “fat” macronutrient group, are all but an afterthought in the diet of millions of Americans. However, every one of us needs at least 15 percent of our daily calories to be from sources of healthy fats … and many of us need even more than this to stay healthy. It is important to note that “healthy” fats differ greatly from the residual fat found in most processed foods. In fact, the best way to get healthy fats is to add it to our diets.

Let’s take a look at a few fats that do more than benefit our insides, but outsides as well!

Fish Oil

“Yummy” is probably not the first word to roll of your tongue when you think of consuming fish oil as a supplement, but this omega-3-loaded oil helps to aid in weight loss by improving the effects of weight loss; heart disease by lowering levels of LDL’s (the bad cholesterol); arthritis by minimizing the effects of enzymatic deterioration of cartilage; and acne by reducing the amount of pimple-promoting sebum under the skin.

How to use it: All you need is one teaspoon a day. Unlike some multivitamins or minerals that can make you a little queasy, fish oil is easy on the stomach. For those who hate the thought of drinking this oil, capsule forms are available. Be sure to store the oil in a cool, dark place – such as a refrigerator. You’ll find fish oil in the supplement section of most grocery or health food stores.

Grapeseed Oil

When was the last time you cooked with grapeseed oil? Used for centuries in European kitchens, this oil is highly stable and an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin E. Cooks love working with this oil as it can be heated up to 485 degrees without breaking down … much higher than its vegetable oil counterparts! The greatest touted benefit of this oil, however, is its anti-aging property. Whether ingested or used topically around the eyes, grapeseed oil has remarkable effects on keeping the skin fresh and supple. This is most likely because of its high vitamin E and linoleic acid level – something many of us lack.

How to use it: Cook with it, bake with it or dab it around your eyes! Grapeseed oil really is multi-purpose oil! If you use vegetable oil to cook or bake with, remember it’s usually only recommended to heat at very low temperatures without becoming bitter or rancid. Grapeseed oil, on the other hand, can withstand much higher temperatures. You’ll find grapeseed oil near the vegetable oils in most grocery stores.

Coconut Oil

If coconut oil were produced in the USA to make money the way our corn and soy industries do, the whole country would be eating foods cooked in coconut oil – and we’d be a lot healthier for it! For over two decades, we’ve been told coconut oil, a mostly saturated tropical oil, is nothing but bad for us. Saturated? Yes. Bad for you? No. This oil contains zip, zero, zilch cholesterol, is incredibly stable to cook with (meaning it won’t break down and release all sorts of free radicals that attack our body) and aids in a myriad of problems, including immune support by increasing the body’s antimicrobial defense; hypothyroidism, by regulating hormone secretion levels; and premature aging due to its antioxidant properties.

How to use it: While most people cook and bake with coconut oil, it can be used on the skin as a great alternative to a thick nighttime moisturizer. Coconut oil has a very low melting point of 76 degrees, so don’t be surprised if the coconut oil in your kitchen goes from solid to liquid with very little temperature change. Coconut oil has a great taste and can be used in nearly anything. The best coconut oil to get is extra virgin. Remember, cocoa butter or other oils that claim to possess small quantities of coconut are nowhere near the same thing, so be discriminating.

The next time you’re at the store, take a pass on the garden-variety vegetable oils and try something different. It’s hard to ruin a recipe cooking with coconut and grapeseed oils, and it’s nearly impossible to beat the benefits of fish oil! Most importantly, remember that these fats are inherently rich in acids, minerals and nutrients that are lacking in nearly all other vegetable oils. Start cooking for your health!