If you have been attempting to eat healthy for very long I am sure that fat is one of the biggest things you have avoided in your diet. We have been told for the past 20 years that fat is bad. That fat makes you fat. Yet when you look to see all the people who have switched to a low fat diet do you see healthy people? I dare say you have not. In the last couple of years new diets have come on the scene such as Atkins and South Beach that have lead to a new approach to eating which includes healthy fats. The trouble with fat is not all encompassing. It is the type of fat which is the problem. Bad fats inhibit your body’s ability to function properly, can cause cancer and can make you fat. Good fats will satiate your hunger, provide resources for your body to run properly, and help you absorb important vitamins and minerals from your foods.
So what are the healthy fats and which are the ones to avoid?
Healthy fats are:
Virgin Coconut Oil
Butter (preferably organic from grass fed cows)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cold Pressed Flax Seed Oil
Tallow
Lard
Palm Oil (Spectrum makes a great shortening with palm oil)
Marine Oils (i.e. cod liver oil).
Fats to avoid are:
any hydrogenated oils
Soy, corn and safflower oils
Cottonseed oil
Canola oil
All fats heated to very high temperatures in processing and frying
Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) is a wonderful fat that has antimicrobial, anticancer properties. Its health benefits have been recognized for centuries by many other cultures. It is easy to digest and contains lauric acid which is found in breast milk. When it is 76 degrees or warmer this oil is perfectly clear when the temperature falls lower than 76 it becomes a pure white solid. Although it is a saturated fat, it is only a medium chain fatty acid which is what makes it so easy to digest. For more specific information about the chemical structure of VCO and other fats please see the books listed below.
Instead of relying on carbohydrates to fill your hunger use proteins and good fats which will keep you satiated longer and give your body more of what it needs to be healthy. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables do have an important place in your diet but without the proteins and fats you will not be able to absorb the vitamins from those foods and you will still be hungry. (This usually translates into eating too much!)
VCO is easy to incorporate into your diet. You can use VCO to replace butter in most recipes with great results. Add a tablespoon to your smoothies or in a cup of tea. We love to make popcorn on the stove using VCO as the oil and then top with melted butter and sea salt. Delicious!
Here are some recipes to get you started.
Recipes:
Coconut Chicken Strips
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips 1 cup dry bread crumbs, fine ¼ cup shredded coconut (non-sweetened) 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons raw honey ¼ cup virgin coconut oil Heat VCO in a skillet. Mix the bread crumbs & coconut together. Set aside. Mix the Dijon mustard & honey together. Set aside. Dip the chicken strips into the honey mustard mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture. Fry in the coconut oil until golden brown. About 2 minutes per side.Chocolate Drop Cookies
½ cup Virgin Coconut Oil 1 cup Honey ½ cup milk ½ cup Cocoa ½ teaspoon Vanilla 3 cups Oatmeal ½ cup Coconut Mix VCO, Honey, Milk and Cocoa in a saucepan and heat to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla, oatmeal and coconut. Drop tablespoons of mixture onto parchment paper. Cool and refrigerate.RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:
Sources for Coconut Oil:
This company provides several great coconut products. They sell some of the best organic virgin coconut oil from the Philippines and it comes in glass jars instead of plastic containers. I highly recommend this company!
Books:
This book has 3 different meal plans including for changing the way you eat: One for losing weight, one for good health and one for healing. It is a very practical way to introduce the Nourishing Traditions methods into your daily habits.
By Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enig, Ph.D.
The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats
This amazing cookbook/encyclopedia has been a wonderful addition to our library. It is filled with information about the kinds of foods that sustained generations before us. This book has over 700 recipes and an education on what to eat and how to prepare it. I highly recommend this book if you want to be challenged in your quest to feed your family healthy foods that will sustain them and generations to come. There is a huge chapter on fats in it as well.
The Coconut Oil Miracle by Bruce Fife
This informative book expounds on the health of the peoples who regularly consume coconut oil. It also discusses the battle that has taken place in our country over what are considered healthy fats. This is a must read!
