If you think all vegetable oil is created equal, think again.

In fact, if you’re using the wrong oils in your cooking, you could be aging faster than you should, developing serious hormonal problems, “gumming” up your pipes, and even encouraging cancer.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to one of the healthiest oils you can eat – avocado oil.

Here are four good reasons to stock up on this age-defying ingredient:

• Trim your tummy. Avocado oil is one of the richest sources of monounsaturated fats on the planet. These healthy fats help lower insulin (aka, the fat storage hormone) and help reduce belly fat.

• Saute safely. Thanks to having a flashpoint of 500 degrees F, this full-flavored oil is excellent for cooking at high temperatures.

• Up your antioxidants. Avocado oil enables your body to absorb 17 times more carotenoids – the powerful antioxidants that give your salad its vibrant green, yellow, and red colors and guard your cells from free radical damage.

• Guard your vision. Avocado oil has twice as much lutein as olive oil. Lutein is a nutrient that provides strong protection against macular degeneration – the leading cause of blindness.

With so many delicious uses – and so many reasons to use it – you need to make this “miracle” oil a mainstay in your healing kitchen. Look for the Olivado brand at Target.

[Ed Note: Most so-called "healthy" oils are loaded with free radicals, just waiting to be drizzled on your salad so they can attack your DNA. But if you're a savvy shopper, you can spot them from a Texas mile. Kelley Herring's new book, Your Plate, Your Fate, will show you how.]