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HEALTHY FATS

Fat is essential for the function and

maintenance of the nervous system and

brain. We also need fats in order to absorb and

synthesize crucial nutrients. Many people are

lacking in the critical omega-3 fats and have

an excess of omega-6 fats. This skewed ratio

causes inflammation, which can eventually

lead to chronic disease. Infla-what? You’re

probably familiar with the inflammation

you see when you cut your finger—the skin

around the cut gets red and inflamed. This

acute inflammation is a good thing; it’s a

natural response to cellular damage and a

signal that your body is trying to heal itself.

However, inflammation can occur inside our

bodies because of refined carbohydrate intake

(aka white sugar and bread), polyunsaturated

vegetable oils, antibiotics, pesticides,

genetically modified organisms (GMOs),

factory-farmed animal products, and more.

Over time, consumption of these foods can

cause chronic inflammation around your

organs, which has been shown to contribute

to the risk of cancer, autoimmune diseases,

obesity, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.*

Certain fats, particularly omega-3 from fish,

are anti-inflammatory soldiers, helping to

cool that silent fire that rages in many of us.

As my publisher once suggested, what if

we referred to fat as “energy,” instead of,

well, fat? Dietary fat, the fat found naturally

in food, has become synonymous with the

fat on our bodies—the soft, buoyant flesh on

our middle-sections and behind-sections. But

here’s the thing: they’re not one and the same.

Eating high-quality, real-food sources of fat,

such as avocado, coconut, or wild salmon,

does not alone make you fat. These fats are

a crucial element in a healthy diet. Not only

can they promote and regulate brain health,

reduce inflammation, and protect organs

from trauma and injury, they are the most

concentrated form of natural energy. Fats

have twice the amount of calories found in

proteins and carbohydrates—and this isn’t

a scary thing, it’s a good thing! This means

that a moderate amount of quality fat will give

you sustained energy, and it won’t leave you

crashing and craving the way carbs alone can.

Fats are the most satisfying macronutrient

for your taste buds, making a dish taste rich

and complex. Most low-fat packaged foods

are higher in sugar than their whole-fat

counterparts, because the sugar is required

to make up for a lack of flavor.

Even more importantly, fats trigger the

appropriate hormones for feeling content

and satisfied, telling our bodies that it’s time

to stop eating. Because of this, you don’t

need to fear overeating healthy fats. Staying

trim and losing body fat is so much more than

the outdated concept of “calories in, calories

out.” All calories are not created equal,

because they have varying impacts on our

hormonal system. Our hormones are the

real superstars behind our ability to burn fat,

and depriving ourselves of healthy fat can

wreak hormonal havoc.

This is not a low-calorie cookbook or a

low-fat cookbook, and I wouldn’t want it to be.

I use whole sources of the highest quality fats,

*To read more about the effects of diet on inflammation, see the following studies:

Kiecolt-Glaser, Janice K., “Stress, Food, and Inflammation: Psychoneuroimmunology and Nutrition at the Cutting Edge.” Psychosomatic

Medicine May 2010; 72(4): 365–369. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2868080

Patterson, E., R. Wall, G. F. Fitzgerald, R. P. Ross, and C. Stanton, “Health Implications of High Dietary Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.”

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism volume 2012 (2012), article ID 539426. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/539426