also increase fat burning, diminish hunger and reduce fat storage,” he notes. Whole30, a 30-day diet revolving


around clean eating, also emphasizes healthy fats. Devised in 2009 by Dallas Hartwig, a functional medicine practi- tioner and certified sports nutritionist, and Melissa Hartwig, a certified sports nutritionist, the program aims to reduce inflammation, detoxify the body and reset metabolism. The Salt Lake City, Utah, authors of the New York Times bestselling The Whole30 recommend healthy fats to keep us full and rev up metabolism. Recommended healthy fats include coconut milk and oil, avocados, olive oil, organic ghee (clarified butter) and raw nuts. Josh Axe, a natural medicine


practitioner and clinical nutritionist in Nashville, Tennessee, recommends the healthy fats contained in avocados, organic butter and ghee from grass-fed cows and goats, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, and other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, sardines, walnuts, chia seeds and flax seeds. “Butter’s experiencing a comeback


as a healthy fat as its benefits become more widely known,” says Axe. “The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in butter help the brain function properly and improve skin health.” Ghee, an ancient Indian version of butter, is lactose- and casein-free, while being loaded with fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E, says Axe. These vitamins are best absorbed by the body when they’re in a fat substance and then stored in the gastrointestinal tract, keeping metabolism and digestion on track, he notes. Ghee’s high level of vitamin K2, best known as a natural blood coagulator, “also helps strengthen bones, while the fatty acids found in it improve digestion and reduce inflammation.”


Healthy Levels of Fat “If you’re active, about 40 percent of your calories should come from car- bohydrates, another 30 percent from protein and the other 30 percent from


Functional medicine physician Mark Hyman suggests that we include four to five servings of fat in our diets every day. “In the last five years, the scientific evidence has been mount- ing that high-fat diets outperform low-fat diets for weight loss and for revising every single indication of heart disease risk, including abnor- mal cholesterol, diabetes, hyperten- sion and inflammation,” he says.


Each amount listed indicates a serving size.


Nuts (a handful of walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts or cashews)


Seeds (a handful of pumpkin, sunflower of flaxseed)


Most plant-based liquid oils (one tablespoon of olive, safflower, sesame, avocado, macadamia, grape


fat in general,” says Axe, adding that this has the added benefit of helping prevent arteriosclerosis. “Some people may consume a greater percentage of healthy fats if the goal is to become a fat burner.” “There is no one-size-fits-all


approach to weight loss and health,”


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natural awakenings March 2017 45


PRIME SOURCES OF HEALTHY FATS seed or walnut oil)


Fatty fish (4 ounces of salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, tuna or trout)


Avocado (one-half to one avocado)


Extra virgin coconut oil (one tablespoon)


Organic coconut milk (one-quarter cup) Olives (one-quarter cup)


Grass-fed animal butter, clarified butter or ghee (one tablespoon)


Aim to eat fats that remain liquid (not solid) at room temperature; it’s a sure sign of heart-healthy, unsatu- rated fats.


Source: Adapted from Eat Fat, Get Thin, by Mark Hyman, M.D.


Hyman reminds us. “Low-carb, higher-fat diets work for most people, but for some, they may not be optimal in the long term.”


Judith Fertig writes food health articles and cookbooks from Overland Park, KS (JudithFertig.com).


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