Dr. Lauren Keller, Chiropractor

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Cooking with Fats

We know that we know we need good fats and what they are, let’s talk about ways to get those good fats into our diets. Unrefined Coconut Oil

  • Benefits:
    • High in saturated fat
    • High in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs)
      • Does not require bile for digestion so it is easily absorbed in small intestine
      • Absorbed directly into blood stream and not stored as body fat
      • Great for instant energy boosts and alternative to carbohydrates for glucose
    • Rich in lauric acid
      • An anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral fatty acid
  • How to cook with it:

Ghee/Clarified Butter

  • Benefits
    • Low in lactose (many lactose intolerant people are able to consume without side effects)
    • High in saturated fat
    • Rich in Vitamins A, D and E
    • Does not need to be refrigerated
    • Rich in medium and short-chain fatty acids
    • Contains butyrate
  • How to cook with it:
    • High smoke point - can heat without concern of denaturing the proteins so this is great for cooking and baking at higher temperatures
    • Roasting vegetables
    • Brown meat
    • Sautee garlic and onions
    • Eggs
    • Salmon patties

Grass-fed Butter

  • Benefits
    • High in conjugated linoleic acid
    • Rich in fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins
  • How to cook with it:
    • Top fish or meat in the oven
    • Cook in stews at lower temperature
    • Great for baking at low temperatures
    • Morning coffee - let’s be realistic, we are all going to drink it so we might as well make it a bit healthier

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Benefits:
    • High in monounsaturated fats
    • Rich in vitamin E (one tablespoon contains 10% of daily value)
    • Rich in healthy fatty acids
    • High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components
  • How to cook with it:
    • Do not cook with it
    • Brushetta and caprese salad toppings
    • Drizzled over soups and stews or even raw vegetables
    • Best used for dressings- the good fat in EVOO actually helps you absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K, CoQ10) better
      • One of the reasons people eat salads is because they are rich in Vitamin K but eating a salad with “low fat salad dressing” can actually decrease the absorption of Vitamin K

References:

1. https://chriskresser.com/5-fats-you-should-be-cooking-with-but-may-not-be/

2.http://balancedbites.com/PDFs/BOOK_EXTRAS/PracticalPaleo_GuidetoCookingFats.pdf

3. https://paleoleap.com/paleo-fats/

4. https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/fats-oils.html

5. https://draxe.com/coconut-oil-benefits/ & https://draxe.com/olive-oil-benefits/