Guess what... EATING FAT WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT!
I know what you're thinking... "This isn't what I've been told most of my life." Well unfortunately we have been mis-informed and experts are finally coming around to the fact that your body requires all natural forms of fat - saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated - for optimal health. Fat is an essential building block of the body and can also improve your mood, skin, hair, and nails, while protecting you against Type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer, and much more.
So for Step #2 of your New Year Nutrition overhaul I want you to Make Fat Your Friend by incorporating a variety of quality fats & oils into your diet.
Keep reading to learn what I mean by "quality fats & oils".
YOUR BODY NEEDS FAT FOR:
Hunger regulation
Energy production
Hormone production
Absorption of Vitamins A, D, E & K
Cellular health
Brain health
Skin health
Tissue & cell repair
& it makes food taste delicious!
As you can see from the list above, fat is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to feeling your best. But let me emphasize here that I am specifically talking about quality fats. Fats that have been processed and refined, like vegetable oils (I'm talking about you canola) and the ones found in processed and fried foods have gone rancid and will cause severe cellular damage + promote inflammation.
Take a look at the lists below for quality fat sources and best ways to incorporate them into your diet.
What do I mean by "Quality Fats"?
Grass-fed & finished + wild caught meat & game
Pasture raised poultry and eggs
Wild caught seafood
Grass-fed, full fat & raw dairy
Grass-fed butter & ghee
Avocados & avocado oil
Olives & extra virgin olive oil
Raw or lightly toasted nuts and seeds
Nut & seed butters
Cacoa butter
Coconuts & coconut oil
What should you cook with?
Baking, broiling, frying, grilling and roasting:
Lard & Tallow, grass-fed/pastured
Ghee, grass-fed
Coconut oil, organic virgin
Red Palm oil, organic virgin
Quick stir-frying, light sautéing and slow/low simmering:
Butter, grass-fed
Olive oil
Avocado Oil
Sesame Oil
Drizzle over salads & veggies or use in smoothies & dips:
Olive oil
Walnut oil
Flax oil
Chia oil
Hemp oil
* AVOID IN ALL FORMS:
Canola oil
Soybean oil
Cottonseed oil
Hydrogenated / partially hydrogenated oil
Margarine & shortening
Read the Label
When choosing animal fats and oils always opt for organically raised, grass-fed, pastured animals. Vegetable fats should always be organic, cold-pressed and unrefined in nature.
These key words will help to ensure that you are getting the safest, most nutrient dense fats and oils.
F O R T H E L O V E O F B U T T E R
Grass-fed butter is a nutritious way to add delicious flavor
to even the simplest dishes. Infuse with fresh garlic and herbs
to make a perfect sauce for veggies and proteins.
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