Rat's Nest Week 45

Hey Rats!!

Didn’t catch last week’s Rat’s Nest? That’s fair- I accidentally sent it at 10 p.m. on a Sunday _{cue crash out.} It had good news (rare), Sephora picks, and a killer audiobook rec. Catch up here.

• Even if I wasn’t gluten-free, I’d still buy these. After inhaling a very gluten-full cupcake at work (mistake), I needed a redemption arc. Enter these: soft, chocolatey, labeled as a muffin but definitely cake.

• Jam of the week- Miley dropped a new single called End of the World and I love it. It’s dreamy, a little apocalyptic, and sounds like something you'd find on a burned CD in your old car. Album drops May 30.

• 🏀 Paige Bueckers is expected to go No. 1 in the WNBA Draft tonight- She played on UConn’s championship team this year and is projected to be the top pick. This is your sign to stop watching Bachelor castoffs peddle collagen powder and start watching these girls BALL. Draft details + how to watch here.

• Crypto scams are apparently kind of ok now- The Trump DOJ announced it’ll no longer prosecute cryptocurrency fraud, which is great news for scammers. Completely unrelated, but I’m thrilled to announce the launch of RatCoin™, the official Rat’s Nest memecoin. Backed by vibes, printer paper, and the ghost of Sam Bankman-Fried. _{(I kid, I kid. But really this is bad news.)}

• 🎬 Netflix is turning Monopoly into a reality show-  If they really want it to be a hit, they should cast me and my mom, who have not been allowed to play Monopoly together since 2009 because she’s a cheater.

If you've been online lately, you might think you'd be better off ripping a cigarette than eating something with canola oil in it. Let's take a breath.

What are seed oils? Seed oils = the basics: canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower. They're everywhere- used in most restaurants, bottled up at the grocery store, and all over your favorite snacks (Miss Vickie’s chips, I still love you).

What’s up with the sudden panic? The seed oil meltdown seems to come from the same internet corner that once convinced us carbs were evil (hi, Atkins). Now, the “ancestral health” crowd is calling seed oils toxic and inflammatory, blaming them for everything from bloating to chronic illness to the downfall of society.

Conveniently, these revelations tend to show up right before someone drops a new book or launches their own caveman-approved oil blend.

But according to the Cleveland Clinic and Harvard School of Public Health, moderate amounts of polyunsaturated fats (aka seed oils) are... fine. As registered dietitian Julia Zumpano puts it:

“It’s less about the seed oils themselves and more about the fact that they’re so often found in ultra-processed foods.”

So the problem isn’t necessarily your sunflower oil- it’s the fact that it’s hanging out in Doritos, frozen pizza, and whatever other fluorescent snack you panic buy at Target that’s hyper-palatable (super delicious) and calorie-dense.

What’s the actual deal? Like most nutrition trends, the truth is boringly moderate. Cooking seed oils at super high temps can affect their quality, and yeah- ultra-processed food isn’t doing us any favors. Personally, I use more olive and avocado oil at home (they tend to have more beneficial fats), but I’m not spiraling over canola.

TLDR: I’m just a girl standing in front of a bag of Miss Vickie’s jalapeño chips, choosing not to spiral. I’ve tried to control everything I ate. It didn’t help my Hashimoto’s, sleep, or mood. It just made me annoying at dinner.

If avoiding seed oils brings you peace of mind, live your truth. Just try to remember: moderation is unfortunately the key to, like, everything. Some hills aren’t worth dying on.

(Also: I’m not a doctor. Just sharing what actual experts say. If you’re worried, talk to a pro.)

Signing off with my final chocolate muffin in hand,

Kate

P.S. If you liked this, send it to someone who deserves better taste. If you didn’t, send it to whoever invented MLMs!!!