Healthy fats that are necessary for health and weight management

Over the last 100 years the western world has started a trend of avoiding fat. There is a misconception that it causes weight gain, cardiovascular disease and other health problems. Nothing could be further from the truth! Fat, carbohydrates and protein are the three MACRO nutrients, meaning you need a lot of them.Dr. Weston A Price travelled the world documenting different traditional diets and the health of each people group. He found that traditional cultures had perfectly straight, white teeth, athletic, slim bodies, and high fertility rates with shockingly low rates of modern disease. Of course these traditional groups had no access to refined carbs and sugars, food additives or fake products, but there were a few underlying factors that each culture maintained. One of which was a high-fat diet. Of all the people groups that Dr. Price visited, he found that the diet lowest in fat was still 30% fat! Many traditional cultures maintained a diet of 50-80% fat!So, no, naturally occurring fat doesn't make you fat or give you heart disease. Let’s look at some of the roles that dietary fat plays in the body:Mental Stability- Fats protect the myelin sheaths of neurotransmitters, and support every cell membrane in the brain.Cell structure- Healthy fats keep a balance of rigidity and fluidity of each well membrane that surrounds each cell of the body. Without a healthy cell membrane, the rest of the cell cannot function optimally. This concept is true for every cell in your entire body.Hormonal production- Fats and proteins are essential for the production of hormones, whether it be metabolic, stress or sex hormones. In fact, cholesterol is often called "the mother of all hormones". If you are on a low-fat diet you can count on having a low sex drive, adrenal fatigue and metabolic issues.Balance blood sugar- Fats satisfy our appetite, keep our blood sugar balanced, while preventing diabetes and weight gain.Vitamin absorption- Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins. This means that in order for them to be absorbed they must be accompanied by fats. In other words, eating your vegetables wont do your body much good if you don't accompany them with fat.There is a lot of confusion out there in regards to what fat we should and should not eat. I’m sure you’ve heard claims like butter causes heart disease, or that vegetable oils are heart healthy. Maybe you have ben advised to avoid all animal fats including cheese and even meat. What to do? It’s all so confusing.Below I’ve listed some of the good fats to consume liberally.These are the health promoting fats that Dr. Price found to be used heavily in traditional cultures. Each are naturally occurring, brain boosting, weight loss supporting fats. They balance blood sugar, stimulate the thyroid, and keep sugar cravings at bay.Butter- Real butter comes from cows, not a factory. It doesn't come in a plastic tub, with a “heart healthy” label and doesn't contain any other ingredients. The best butter is of course organic, and should have a bright-yellow color. Great for cooking.Ghee- Ghee is also known as clarified butter and is popularly used in Indian cooking. Essentially, ghee is butter with all of the milk solids removed. It can be heated to very high temperatures and is great for those who have a dairy allergy.Coconut oil- Great for cooking. Unrefined has a mild coconut taste, refined has no coconut flavor.Olives & Olive oil- Olive oil is a great fat, but is very heat sensitive. Never heat or cook with it. Instead, use it for salad dressings, to dip bread in or to make homemade hummus with! Make sure to buy extra-virgin, and first cold-pressed if possible.Avocados- Great source of monounsaturated fats. Add to salads or sandwiches!Nuts & Seeds- These are a great, high-protein, high-fat snack but are also heat sensitive. Make sure to buy them raw (bonus points for sprouted) and check that there are no added vegetable oils!Cheese- Cheese is another great option for a snack. Make sure to buy full-fat, organic, and raw if possible.Cream- Real cream from cows is much healthier and better for weight loss than any low-fat coffee creamers that you can buy at a store. Always buy organic and raw if possible.Now, you could print this off, and memorize everything on the list, but a helpful hint that will make this easier is always “listen to your body”. It knows what you need more than I do. So when you’re at the store and can’t remember which fats are good or bad, which ones promote healthy hormone function and which ones are great for brain health play a game of “would you rather”.Would you rather have butter or margarine on your sourdough bread? Would you rather have cream or soy milk in your coffee? Would you rather put olive oil or canola oil on your salad. It’s easier than you think to pick the right fats. So listen to your body, it wont let you down.Do you have a high-fat diet? What are some of the benefits you've noticed?