Butter is Back!
The other night we were watching Handmaid’s Tale and the ‘Martha’ (the cook) said that the Handmaid, who is pregnant, needed protein and fat. I turned to my husband and said, “well I guess there’s some hope for the future if people are finally understanding that we need to eat fat!”
It’s true, we NEED fat. As author and health-expert Naomi Whittel says, “fat first and fat most”. It is imperative, however, that you understand not all fat is created equal. For example, we would never say all plants are bad for us just because things like poison ivy or hemlock can hurt us, that’s crazy! So we need to break down a bit about what fats we need to avoid and what fats we need to include in our diet.
Unfortunately, saturated fat has gotten a bad wrap since the 1950s and 60s. This has all been from some pretty sketchy science that has since been disproved many times over. Saturated fat is NOT what is making us fat and sick, in fact, research shows it does just the opposite!
Really, the only kinds of fats you need to stay away from like they are the plague are high omega-6 polyunsaturated vegetable oils. These include oils like ‘vegetable’ oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, corn oil, and more. Essentially, any oil you see on your typical processed food package.
Once you get in the habit of avoiding these (literally deadly) vegetable oils, the next step is to start adding in lots and lots of good fats. Fat is the number one preferred source of energy for our brains and our bodies. It is also very satiating, so we crave less food after eating good fats. But what exactly are good fats?
Coconut Oil: for good reason, coconut oil has gained much popularity lately. It is a great source of anti-inflammatory fats. Just make sure you are getting unrefined and cold pressed.
Butter (or ghee): Yes, butter is back! Don’t be afraid to cook with butter, just make sure it is at least organic and preferably from pastured, grass-fed cows. Most toxins are fat soluble, so when you are eating the fat from an unhealthy cow, all the toxins are concentrated in it, not hank you! Ghee is clarified butter (most of the protein has been taken out so just the fat remains). This is an even better choice since many people are sensitive to dairy proteins.
Avocado Oil: Whether from the whole avocado or if it’s cold pressed and unrefined in a bottle, avocado oil is another super healthy choice of fat. It also has a high smoke point so it is perfect for higher temperature cooking.
Olive Oil: This one is no surprise, right? We’ve known the benefits of olive oil for quite some time now. Make sure you are getting high quality extra virgin olive oil and don’t heat it past about 375 deg F.
Animal fats: In addition to butter, other animal fats *from healthy animals* are a great source of energy. No more extra lean steaks or boneless, skinless chicken breast. Eat the skin and eat the fat! Again, just make sure these are from, at a minimum, organically raised animals, and ideally pasture raised.
So, have I convinced you to eat your (good) fat?
If you have questions about incorporating more healthy fats into you and your kids’ diet, feel free to reach out to me!