Dietary fats are an essential macronutrient to give your body the energy it needs to power through a day and support cell growth. They also protect our organs from damage and provide warmth in the cool months, hence getting fat for Winter. Fats are necessary to help your body absorb nutrients and are needed to help produce important hormones that regulate our body. Everything from sex hormones, to metabolism and sleep.
You always hear, but aren’t fats bad for me? Won’t they make me gain weight? People are always reluctant to include fats into their diets but by incorporating healthy fats, you will actually feel more satiated for longer and thus will snack less and will shed more pounds. Fats are also essential for your brain function, especially when you consider the omega fatty acids from flax, chia, hemp, walnuts and avocados. So as you can see we need fat to thrive and feel good. Eating good fat, does not make you fat. In fact eating sugar, refined carbs, processed or hydrogenated oils – now those make you fat and more importantly, unhealthy.
Get you good fats from from:
- Oils: coconut oil, flaxseed oil, grapeseed oil, olive oil, pumpkin seed oil (just to name a few!)/
- Nuts and Seeds (bazil nuts, cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds)
- Raw Dark Chocolate & Cacao Butter (believe it or not!)
- Coconut Oil, Coconut Meat, Olives
- EFA Oil based from Algaes
Eat Good Fats in:
- Smoothies (throw in a dollop of almond butter or tahini)
- Soups – add in cashews to the base for a thick and creamy puree or some full fat coconut milk
- Hot beverages like Elixirs – add a tbsp of coconut oil or a handful of nuts
- Salads and Sandwiches – add a half or a full avocado to any meal include soups, salads and sandwiches
- Pizza – make a homemade cashew cream and drizzle it on your next pizza pie
So the next time a friend or family member offers you some avocado with your salad or a few pieces of raw, organic dark chocolate, don’t be afraid! Take that leap of faith into the world of healthy fats, we promise you won’t regret it.
Now you’ve got to go ahead and try making this amazing fat filled #vegan cheese! Load it onto pizza, toast, use it as a dip or a spread or drizzle onto pasta.
Cashew Chevre
1 cup cashews, soaked for 1-4 hours
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp of Herb of choice, parsley, thyme, oregano, basil
Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Get some amazing winter warming food ideas from the Ultimate Health Podcast.
MY BIG FAT UPDATE
So if you have been following me on periscope over the past month or so, you will know that I mentioned I am experimenting with more fat in my diet. Trying to up it during the day from different sources. I have been looking to the plant based sources like coconut oil, almond butter, more nuts and seeds, avocado, and not being shy with good quality cold pressed oils in my salads and hot meals. So far, it’s been working. I have been feeling great and feeling nourished on a deep level. Not only are fats satiating but they are very grounding. I can honestly say that I can feel my skin transform and it’s starting to glow more than ever. Any wrinkles there were starting to develop have smoothed out, my forehead and cheeks feel more plump. I am loving fat in all it’s glory and I won’t be cutting down any time soon!
To get some more nourishing ideas on fat and other seasonal foods for the winter months, listen to this amazing episode on The Ultimate Health Podcast!
