Real Food Boot Camp - Fats and Oils

In my opinion, understanding the importance of fats in the diet is of the upmost importance when you want to eat a healthy, non-inﬂammatory diet.

Remember! Fats are Not the Enemy! We need good healthy fats to help sustain the body, strengthen immune system and reduce inﬂammation.

Here are dozens of peer-reviewed studies showing how saturated fats are healthy for the body. http://coconutoil.com/peer_reviewed/

The low-fat message began in the 1950’s with a theory called the “Lipid Hypothesis”. This hypothesis proposes a direct relationship between the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet and the incidence of coronary heart disease. Ancel Keys, the researcher behind the Lipid Hypothesis received a lot of publicity especially from the vegetable oil and food processing industries. Many experts preach the validity of a diet low in fat and cholesterol for decreasing the risk of heart disease. I was shocked to learn there is very little scientiﬁc evidence to support this claim.

Here are Some More Articles and Studies to Help You Understand the Importance of Saturated Fats: The Skinny on Fats Evaluating the Association of Saturated Fats with Cardiovascular Disease The Oiling of America (this is one of my favorites!) Everyone Was Wrong: Saturated Fat is Good For You

Copyright2015 Deliciously Organic, LLC http://deliciouslyorganic.net/ Disclaimer Fats and Oils I Use the Most Often: Organic, Pastured Butter Organic, pastured butter comes from cows that were raised under organic standards and were allowed to graze on the pasture. Grass-fed butter contains higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids than its conventional counterparts. And what about the idea that “fat makes you fat?” Well, butter is a short-chain fatty acid that’s used quickly for energy and is rarely stored as fat. The fatty acids found in butter have antimicrobial properties that can help protect the body from viruses and other pathogenic bacteria.

Here are Some of My Favorite Brands: Kerrygold Organic Valley Cultured Butter Organic Valley Pasture Butter I also purchase raw butter from a local farm. To ﬁnd a local dairy farm in your area check this website. If you’d like to make your own, here is a great recipe from Healthy Green Kitchen.

Ghee, or Clarified Butter Ghee, or clarified butter, has become one of my favorite cooking oils. It can withstand high temperatures without oxidizing or smoking and lends a nice buttery, nutty flavor. Many who are lactose intolerant can handle ghee because it's pure butter oil with the milk solids removed. Also, if you make it with organic, pastured butter, it contains many nutrients (higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid). It’s very easy to make; simply melt butter and then skim off the milk solids (see below). I usually make a batch over the weekend, store it in a mason jar, and then use the ghee throughout the week. It's great for sautéing at high heats, roasting, and pan-frying.

Here are Some of My Favorite Brands: Pure Indian Foods Organic Cultured Ghee (this is the one that is free of all dairy, lactose and whey) Purity Farms

Virgin Coconut Oil Virgin coconut oil is a medium-chain fatty acid that is great for low- to medium- temperature cooking. It’s a rich, saturated fat that has antimicrobial as well as antiviral properties. I prefer to use this oil in baked goods, desserts, and Asian cooking.

Here are Some of My Favorite Brands: Nutiva Wilderness Family Naturals

Copyright2015 Deliciously Organic, LLC http://deliciouslyorganic.net/ Disclaimer Olive Oil Olive oil is most beneﬁcial when used in its raw form or processed at medium to low heat. Olive oil has a medium smoke point (visually starts to smoke), and so it's best to cook with it at a medium heat or lower to prevent oxidation, which breaks down the nutrients.

Two Things to Look for When Buying Olive Oil: 1. A dark green bottle - When olive oil is exposed to light it begins to oxidize and create free radicals. Free radicals damage the cells of the body. 2. An unﬁltered oil - look at the bottom of jar; if it’s cloudy, it’s most likely unﬁltered.

Here are Some of My Favorite Brands: Bariani Bionaturae Olive Oil Equal Exchange Olive Oil

Lard and Tallow Lard and tallow are rendered fat from cows and pigs. They have really gotten a bad rap the last few decades. Lard and tallow used to be the first choice of housewives until Crisco and vegetable oil came along. Grass-fed lard and tallow are rich in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), a strong anti-inflammatory, and contain omega 6:3 ratios similar to many fatty fish. It’s a great fat to use for the occasional frying recipe. When shopping for lard and tallow, look for one that hasn’t been bleached, deodorized, hydrogenated or altered in any way.

Here are My Favorite Brands: Tendergrass Farms US Wellness Meats Fatworks Pure Tallow

Duck Fat Duck fat is highly prized in Europe and quite a treat to use. As with other animals, the nutrients in the fat will depend on the diet of the duck, so it’s best to ﬁnd duck fat from a duck that was raised outdoors on a natural diet.

Copyright2015 Deliciously Organic, LLC http://deliciouslyorganic.net/ Disclaimer Oils and Fats to Avoid Many of the oils used in the modern American diet are hazardous to our health. They are processed, cleaned with chemicals, and most of them come from genetically modified corn or soy. Most oils found in the grocery store aisles are heated to very high temperatures during processing; this heat oxidizes the oils. Oxidation creates free radicals that can damage the cells of our bodies. The processing increases the shelf life of the oils and removes most of the natural flavoring, making them more attractive for the food industry but less healthy for the consumer. Vegetable oils, such as canola and corn oil, are usually made with genetically modified corn, canola, and soy. So, I suggest you limit the use of such oils and stick with unrefined oils and fats.

Omega-3 Benefits: Omega-3s benefit heart health, reduce inflammation, regulate cholesterol and help nourish the brain. Here’s a great article written by Dr. Mercola that explains the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet.

It’s recommended that we get twice as many omega-3s than omega-6 in our diets.

What foods contain omega3? Pastured butter Pastured, grass-fed meats Pastured, organic eggs Wild ﬁsh Cod Liver Oil Pastured, unprocessed Dairy Grass-fed animal fats such as lard, tallow and duck fat

Here’s a great article that explains why we should reduce our consumption of omega-6 fatty acids from oils such as: canola, corn, vegetable, soy and sunﬂower oils.

Remember it’s a good idea to eat saturated fats with your vegetables to ensure your body can properly assimilate all of the nutrients. Here’s a great article on this topic.

1 pound unsalted butter

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Let cook for about 30-40 minutes until butter has separated (you will see a white, thick ﬁlm on top) and milk solids have sunk to the bottom are light brown. (While butter is cooking, it will bubble a bit). Place a cheesecloth in a sieve over a medium-size bowl. Pour melted butter through cheesecloth. Pour ghee in a glass jar and keep in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Sautéed Kale with Raisin and Pecans This recipe comes from my cookbook - The Grain-Free Family Table Serves 4 Cooking Time: 25 minutes

1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup raisins 2 tablespoons ghee 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 bunch kale, thick stems removed, chopped 1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup walnuts

Place the orange juice and raisins in a small saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

Melt the ghee in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the kale and sauté until just wilted and bright green, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper and sprinkle with the walnuts and raisins. Serve immediately.

Paleo/Dairy-Free Adaptation: Use coconut oil in place of ghee.