There is so much talk about fat these days, particularly with the keto diet making a popular presence in conventional weight loss regimens. How does eating fat actually help manage weight? Nutritional research is well past that question these days, but it's one that still causes a great deal of head-scratching. At the most basic level, getting our bodies into ketosis causes us to burn fat, rather than glucose, as our main energy source. This helps us use the fat stored in our muscles and liver, thereby losing weight and lowering our risk of developing diabetes.
Fat is an important nutrient for many reasons, but one of primary importance is that it's required to absorb important, fat-soluble vitamins, specifically Vitamin A, D, E, and Vitamin K2 (also known as Activator X). Fat, especially saturated fat, helps insulate our nerve fibers with myelin, which helps prevent anxiety and lack of concentration. Low-fat diets may cause digestive issues, neurological and neurodegenerative issues, and fungal conditions.
We've hit on fat before in a previous blog. Actually, we devoted a whole month to dietary fat and nutrition, in which we explored the different types of fats, healthy sources of fat, and we even touched on the keto diet. Here's a quick recap:
Dietary Fat Types
There are three main categories of dietary fats: monounsaturated fats (avocados, olives, and olive oil), polyunsaturated fats (hemp seeds, walnuts, chia, flax seeds, eggs, nuts, seeds, meats, grains, and legumes), and saturated fats (eggs, butter/ghee, coconut oil, and cacao butter).
Ever wonder what the foundation of all food sources in the world is? The ocean! (This is somewhat frightening given the current state of our oceans). Omega 3, a polyunsaturated fat, supports all functions of our nervous system and cognition, as well as our circulatory system, and it comes from the phytoplankton in the deepest parts of the ocean. The production line works like this: fish eat the krill that eat the plankton, and omega oils become concentrated in fish liver. Every animal that contains omega oils gets it from a plant-based source. Without these oils, our brains would not have developed into the finely-tuned instruments they are, and that has everything to do with what thrives or doesn't thrive at the oceans' greatest depths.
Saturated fat, long touted as a "bad" fat is now finding its place, in moderation, within healthy diets. It helps our bodies store cholesterol--a precursor for the hormones responsible for our growth and longevity, such as testosterone, progesterone, human growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and Vitamin D.
Fat Is Where It's At
Ever wonder what the best sources of fat are? No, not ice cream, though that might be the best tasting one! By best, we mean most nutritious. You may be surprised to discover that the four best fat sources in the world are the ones that were mistakenly tsk-tsked until recent times.
Here's a sneak peak: Olives--bring them on! Smother that salad in olive oil and lemon juice too. Coconut milk curries--yum! A mountain of mashed potatoes swimming in ghee (the better butter). And yes, the right kind of eggs are a breakfast, lunch, or dinner friend.
Let's take a look at each one separately...
Olive Oil
Throw an extra olive in that martini while you're at it! (But keep that gin and vermouth a single).
A secret of the Mediterranean diet that is actually not so secret. All it takes is a quick glance at any Mediterranean recipe book to realize olive oil--and olives--make an appearance on nearly every page. Olives are one of history's favorite and most useful foods, next to cacao. Raw, black, sun-ripened olives are one of the most mineral-rich fruits in the world, containing an abundance of calcium, magnesium, Vitamin E, and a bitter compound and antioxidant called oleuropein. All these nutrients show up with medicinal and therapeutic benefit in whole black olives, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, and olive leaf extract.
But what about the fat in olive oil? It's considered one of the healthiest fats on the earth. One tablespoon of olive oil contains 2.2 grams of saturated fat, 1.8 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and a whopping 10 grams of monounsaturated fat, primarily oleic acid. Oleic acid is a non-essential omega-9 fatty acid (nonessential because our bodies produce it) that maintains the integrity of cells' membranes. This is vital for reducing our risk of disease, fighting illness, managing hormones, and transporting minerals. Oleic acid also energizes our cells and helps produce and synthesize essential metabolites (1).
Sounds like a win-win, doesn't it? Whip up a delicious salad dressing with extra virgin olive oil, fat-rich tahini, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice for an easy and delicious, clean-fat salad dressing.
Coconut
In some parts of the world where palm trees grow, local people live on coconut, both nutritionally and spiritually. No part of the coconut is left out, from the husk to the pulp to the water contained within to the oil extracted from its meat.
With the range of nutrients contained in this nut from the Tree of Life, the coconut is revered for its life-enhancing properties and sacred symbolism. When it comes to sustainability, the coconut wins, hands down. The delicious, sweet water contained within closely resembles our human blood plasma, and the oils extracted from its meat contain some of the most unique anti-bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral-fighting compounds. And it doesn't stop there.
Fat-wise, coconut oil contains both medium chain fats (also known as MCT oil, hugely popular for its use in Bulletproof coffee). MCTs help our bodies produce energy and have hepatoprotective properties too, that is, they support optimal liver health.
The beautiful thing about coconut is that there are so many delicious ways to eat it. In buttered coffee for one, as a brain-boosting nootropic. Desiccated meat on desserts and smoothie bowls. The milk makes a rich, luscious curry soup for vegetables and meat. Of course the husk can be used to create incredible works of art and staple kitchen instruments, but those aren't edible! Adding a tablespoon of coconut oil to your daily smoothie is an easy way to boost your oleic acid and all-over healthy fat requirements.
Ghee
How do we love ghee? Let us count thy ways. Ghee is at the heart of Ayurvedic medicine, the 5000 year-old ancient healing system of India. In a land where cows are spiritually revered, ghee represents the sacred partnership between the human and animal kingdoms.
If you're not familiar with ghee, it's essentially butter with the milk solids and water removed through a process of heating, making it pure butterfat (let's keep in mind though that the Indians traditionally procure their butter from pasture-raised cows). Without the water, it lasts longer than butter, and without the milk solids, it's lactose free making it suitable for those who have lactose intolerance. Ghee also has a higher smoke point, so its beneficial nutrients are retained during cooking.
Vegetarians love ghee because it's an important fat source rich in fat-soluble nutrients such as Vitamin E, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K2. These vital nutrients support healthy bones, nerve transmission, brain and heart function, and skin health. One tablespoon of ghee contains about 9 grams of saturated fat, and you can use it anywhere butter normally lives. (Get the full dish on ghee).
Eggs
For six months, one of our team adopted a vegan diet. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, no animal foods whatsoever were in her diet. Ethically, one may feel inclined to support a more sustainable diet by eliminating animal sources of food altogether, but this approach has health consequences for many people. There is a large body of research surrounding the ability of different genetic profiles to handle a vegan diet. Some people prosper; others show cognitive decline (among other systems). We know well enough that one diet does not fit all, so before we let our ideas and concepts make all the decisions, we need to listen closely to what our bodies want. That requires a bit of experimentation and patience. After six months on a vegan diet and experiencing a decline in concentration and overall stamina and vitality, our team member decided to begin introducing eggs and fish into her diet again. The result was incredible.
Outside of marine sources of nutrients, the concentration of nutrients in eggs are incomparable with any other foods. They contain long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and choline, an important neurotransmitter for brain energy, whose deficiency can result in neurological decline. Eggs are the number one source of choline, feeding our nervous system, brain, cardiovascular system, and the precursors to certain hormones.
Eggs may come in identical shapes and similar sizes, but they are not made equal. If eggs are a staple part of your diet, ensure you're choosing the highest-quality eggs possible. Organic pasture-raised eggs, when broken open, should reveal a dark orange yolk that signals a higher concentration of minerals and omega-3 fatty acids.
Do Your Brain A Favor
Get better sources of fat into your diet. Bump up the omega-3s and lower the omega-6s (an optimal ratio of these two fat types is 2:1). Choose wild fish over farmed, organic, pasture-raised eggs over the dubious ones, extra-virgin olive oil over hydrogenated commercial oils.
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From our kitchen to yours, we wish you all the good fats for a healthier body and sharper mental acuity!
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