We know that we know we need good fats and what they are, let’s talk about ways to get those good fats into our diets. Unrefined Coconut Oil

• Benefits:
  • High in saturated fat
  • High in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs)
    • Does not require bile for digestion so it is easily absorbed in small intestine
    • Absorbed directly into blood stream and not stored as body fat
    • Great for instant energy boosts and alternative to carbohydrates for glucose
  • Rich in lauric acid
    • An anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral fatty acid
• How to cook with it:
  • Make roasted vegetables
  • Popcorn - popcorn has a decent glycemic index, but when made with coconut oil is actually better at stabilizing blood glucose levels following a meal
  • Morning smoothie or coffee
  • Anything from the Coconut Mama
  • Not actually coconut oil related, but strawberry coconut milk ice cream is another delicious treat

Ghee/Clarified Butter

• Benefits
  • Low in lactose (many lactose intolerant people are able to consume without side effects)
  • High in saturated fat
  • Rich in Vitamins A, D and E
  • Does not need to be refrigerated
  • Rich in medium and short-chain fatty acids
  • Contains butyrate
• How to cook with it:
  • High smoke point - can heat without concern of denaturing the proteins so this is great for cooking and baking at higher temperatures
  • Roasting vegetables
  • Brown meat
  • Sautee garlic and onions
  • Eggs
  • Salmon patties

Grass-fed Butter

• Benefits
  • High in conjugated linoleic acid
  • Rich in fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins
• How to cook with it:
  • Top fish or meat in the oven
  • Cook in stews at lower temperature
  • Great for baking at low temperatures
  • Morning coffee - let’s be realistic, we are all going to drink it so we might as well make it a bit healthier

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Benefits:
  • High in monounsaturated fats
  • Rich in vitamin E (one tablespoon contains 10% of daily value)
  • Rich in healthy fatty acids
  • High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components
• How to cook with it:
  • Do not cook with it
  • Brushetta and caprese salad toppings
  • Drizzled over soups and stews or even raw vegetables
  • Best used for dressings- the good fat in EVOO actually helps you absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K, CoQ10) better
    • One of the reasons people eat salads is because they are rich in Vitamin K but eating a salad with “low fat salad dressing” can actually decrease the absorption of Vitamin K

References:

1. https://chriskresser.com/5-fats-you-should-be-cooking-with-but-may-not-be/

2.http://balancedbites.com/PDFs/BOOK_EXTRAS/PracticalPaleo_GuidetoCookingFats.pdf

3. https://paleoleap.com/paleo-fats/

4. https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/fats-oils.html

5. https://draxe.com/coconut-oil-benefits/ & https://draxe.com/olive-oil-benefits/