THURSDAY BASICS: go full fat.

We continue on the topic of the good fats - it really is my most favourite macronutrient. And for so many reasons! So many in fact, that I’ve had to break it up into eight different posts.

See, we’ve talked butter. We’ve explored what is a good fat. We’ve also talked about the benefits of reaching for pastured sources when it comes to animal fats. Last week, we touched on the importance of Omega 3 Fats. We have a few to go yet - so stay tuned. This week, let’s talk…

DITCH THE SKIM. GO FULL FAT.

COLES’ NOTES:
1. We’ll explore who was behind the original ‘no fat!’ craze, and why the studies conducted were not truthful in their telling of their findings.
2. Ditch the zero percent. Fat is where the flavour is; take out the fat, and they have to add something in to make it flavourful. (That stuff ain’t right, kittens.)
3. What to look for, and how to know what you have in your pantry/fridge is up to snuff.

Is it any wonder it’s my favourite macronutrient? Read on for some great tips and ideas on how to incorporate full fats in to your every day and why you might just want to.

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This week's post is meant to help make sense of the info swirling about in regards to fat. Don't be wary, my friend. Go full fat.

I have talked about fat quite a bit in this here blog series, the Monday Health Basics. So today will act part fat-roundup, part explanation on why you need to ditch the zero percent and go full fat.

Why They Went Low Fat

Many a year ago, the food industry took a bit of a left turn, based on evidence from a study led by Ancel Keys. This study, “the lipid hypothesis” (erroneously) found that saturated fat was at the root of heart disease. The trouble is, this study was never able to be replicated in laboratories, not even remotely. In fact, many studies since have refuted Keys' original claims, outlining that in fact saturated fats are protective to not only the heart, but also the liver.

There is an interesting article that recently came out about the role the Sugar Industry played in this whole scenario. NPR did a comprehensive round up of the information; I urge you to read this article.  See, in helping to influence the national debate and persuade their nation's population to eat low fat in order to (again, erroneously) ensure health, the fat that was taken out of foods would have to be replaced by something else. Can you guess what this would be?

SUGAR.

Yes yes, sugar. Consumption of sugar after the 'low fat' craze first exploded went up a third per person than what was consumed prior to these claims surrounding low fat. (It's one of the main reasons I argue we should Just. Eat. Real. Food., in order to reduce additives and hidden sugars.) And too much sugar? It contributes to inflammation in the body.

As you can imagine, in the days following the 'low fat! 0%!' craze, sugar intake went up, fat intake went down. Funny though, average weight per person did not go down; in fact, quite the opposite. The rate of chronic diseases went up, occurrences of diseases with an inflammatory component went up and are still on the rise. (For a more comprehensive and lengthy look at the importance of including fat in your diet, please visit this article I posted previously, “eat good fats”. Further reading: it is no surprise that I am a big believer in butter. Yes please, eat butter. Put that s**t on everything. Need more convincing on the importance of including good fats in your diet? Let's talk anti-inflammation with EFAs.)

The main idea of why fat is important

Why then, do we need fats? The Coles Notes: for the fat-soluble vitamins found within, vitamins A, D, E and K. These vitamins are fat-soluble, which means we need them to be attached to fat in order to get them in to our bodies. (If you are interested in reading up on the importance of including these all important vitamins, head to this article for a comprehensive look.) And it is these important vitamins that we need in order to reduce inflammation in the body, and maintain cell wall integrity in the gut. These nutrients go miles in helping balance hormones, better supplying fuel to our brain and adrenals and ensure an even keel for your body. They are essential.

The fat component of these foods is also critical in again helping balance our blood sugars, which goes miles in keeping inflammation at bay. These fats supply the ingredients we need to make all of our hormones, support brain health, protect our hearts and livers, balance hormones and the list goes on.

The goods

Let's get down to the nitty gritty. Most of the foods we are talking about in today's post are dairy products from the grocery store: think milk, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, cream, kefir, cream cheese, etc.

This rule though also applies to other commonly purchased ingredients: salad dressing, mayonnaise for starters. There are quite a few packaged items that are now coming out with 'low fat!' claims or '0 fat!' claims.

My recommendation to you is to ditch the low fat version and reach for the one on the shelf indicating a higher fat percentage.

Instead of the 1% cottage cheese, find the 5%! If skim or 1% milk is what your family drinks, aim to move up the fat percentage over time. Can you start with 2%, and go up to 3.25% over time? 

Get rid of the 0% ice cream; they just rounded out the taste of the ice cream with more sugar. Yes, that's right: flavour, as we experience it, is locked in fat and sugar. Take one of those away, and you have to up the other!

Using 5% cream in your coffee in the mornings? Consider going a higher percentage. Whipping cream! Why not? You'll only need a little bit. I put whipping cream in my morning cuppa. In fact, I have a whole write up on how fat can be of service if you're a regular coffee drinker; find that article here. 

Love that store bought greek yogurt, but now realizing it's 0%? Learn to make your own, using full fat yogurt. Head to this article for the how-to.

I know a few readers will think they're scott free seeing as their houses do not have any dairy in the fridge. I urge you to reconsider any packaged food items with 'low fat' claims; think mayonnaise jars with 'low fat' promises, 'fat free' salad dressings. The reason we add real fats to our salads? The reason we use real olive oil and delicious vinegars to our salads? Those fats ensure we are better able to absorb the minerals found in the vegetables of said salad. Head over to this article to get the lowdown on how to make your own salad dressing – a surefire way to up that nutritional ante and support optimal health.

Want to learn to make your own mayo at home, without the rancid oils found in the jars at the store? I will point you to this easy recipe.

If you are someone who regularly consumes more egg whites and less yolks because of the fat content, I urge you to reconsider. Eat the whole egg, yolk and all. In addition to the good fats found in the yolks, you may be interested to know of the vitamin content of the yolks. Read up on eggs at this article I wrote a few months back.

And so my kitten, repeat after me.

Ditch the skim. Go Full Fat.

Now go play with your food.

THURSDAY BASICS: Eat your EFAs

As we’ve been zeroing in on those good practices to help reduce inflammation all month of May, I wanted to take this talk of EATING THE GOOD FATS one step further.

See, we’ve talked butter. We’ve explored what is a good fat. We’ve also talked about the benefits of reaching for pastured sources when it comes to animal fats. Let’s zero in on another fat category, yes?

EAT YOUR OMEGA 3s. (aka ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS)

COLES’ NOTES:
1. These fats are ESSENTIAL. Means we need to get them from our diet. Careful how you source your foods - choose wild + pastured when it comes to animal sources!
2. Work on balancing those Omega 3s with Omega 6s by boosting your intake of Omega 3s. (6s are everywhere…)
3. This is a key nutrient you want in your diet on the daily if you want to reduce inflammation.

Is it any wonder it’s my favourite macronutrient? Read on for some great tips and ideas on how to incorporate these fats in to your every day and why you might just want to.

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This Monday Health Basics topic is one that I think about every live long day, and it involves choosing foods that will support just about everything going on in your body. Let's talk ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS.

I will work on keeping this one shorter and sweeter, dear reader. Talking FATS is a big ole conversation I have on a regular basis, and one that is tough to navigate. Today though, I just want to tackle ONE GOOD THING YOU CAN DO TODAY.

And that thing, starting this week, is adding some essential fatty acids in the form of Omega 3s to your daily regime! (Skip to the image of the sweet cows if you just want to get WHAT foods you should reach for.)

Now, let's make one thing clear: when we talk EFAs, I mean omega 3s (essential fatty acids). They’re essential because we can’t make them; it is therefore essential we get them from our diet. They are also needed for our bodies to do their thing. And many things, at that. Chief among them, we need omega 3s to reduce inflammation. (My favourite topic. Aside from talking the PHAT FATS.)

There are a few different kinds of Omega 3 fatty acids, and in the interest of keeping it brief, I will say the main ones are ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).

ALA is the one that we cannot make, we need to get it from our diets. The other two, if our bodies are in good working order, we are able to manufacture them out of ALA. But in this day and age, it's tough to do that conversion work because of toxins in our environment, decreased digestion, chronic conditions or chronic inflammatory statuses.

How do I know if I’m getting enough?

There is so much to take into consideration here, and it will depend on the individual. This means the answer can vary from person to person, depending on how well you’re digesting, how assimilation is working, how well you’re able to make the conversions needed, whether you have the cofactors needed for these conversions (assuming they’re not ‘bound’ by your gut flora) and whether or not you’re getting enough via diet in the first place.

Things to think about: exposure to toxic chemicals, if you smoke or are surrounded by second hand smoke; someone who is battling a health condition that is utilizing the precious Omega 3s.

If someone's digestion is compromised, they may not be able to get the nutrients they need in order to get the Omega 3s where they need them to be and for the chemical reactions to take place in order to get them working in the body.

This compromised digestion may also play a role in preventing a person from getting the micronutrients needed for those chemical reactions to take place, things like magnesium, zinc, vitamins E, C and B6.

There are studies out there that point to a correlation between a deficiency in EFAs with a diet where there was an abundance of foods containing trans-fatty acids. (Say no to soybean oil! ALWAYS! Ditch the canola, and cook with saturated fats!)

Of course, seeing as it is an essential that needs to be there in the diet, it goes without saying that a deficiency can also be as a result that the person in question just isn't consuming enough.

It's About Balance

One of the things you need to know here is how the Omega 3s play with other fats, or rather, how other fats play with Omega 3s. There are other EFAs out there, Omega 6s being one of them. Omega 6s and Omega 3s work in tandem in our body to do lots of things, but especially working at keeping our overall inflammation in check.

In order for this process to work properly, we need a ratio of 2:1 of Omega 6: Omega 3s. This means that for every 2 Omega 6 molecules, our body needs 1 Omega 3 molecule. The problem here is that with the way we eat in North America, our diet tips us more in the direction of 20:1 to 30:1 for Omega 6: Omega 3.

With this big of an imbalance, the anti-inflammatory work just can't happen. Not only that, but an over-abundance of Omega 6 fats can contribute to an increase in inflammation, kind of like adding insult to injury there. So yes, I will talk food sources for the Omega 3s, but know that by reaching for real food and reducing the processed foods, you will be working already on improving the ratio. 

Know this as well: our ability to convert from a plant source to an animal source takes a lot of work. Sourcing animal versions of these omega 3s can be one of those ways you take one step off of your body’s to-do list, and increase how much you can assimilate from the foods you eat. (Better bioavailability from animal versions - this means you can get more of it in to your body if it’s from an animal than relying on plant sources solely.)

The foods that best serve as excellent sources of these essential Omega 3s:

• caviar

• sardines (only wild caught!)

• salmon and other cold water fish like anchovies, mackerel, herring (buy only wild fish, as farmed fish will not contain any Omega 3s!)

• pastured or grass-fed beef (not conventionally raised beef)

• pastured or grass-fed bison (not conventionally raised bison)

• wild game (deer, moose, venison)

• shrimp

• fish broth (homemade from scratch!)

• walnuts

• pumpkin seeds

• chia seeds

• avocado

• olives and olive oil

• flax seeds and flax seed oil (be sure to keep it in the fridge, and buy in small quantities; if it smells or tastes rancid, toss it)

• Brussels sprouts

• cauliflower

• broccoli

• sea plants and seaweeds like Irish moss, spirulina, chlorella

• eggs (only from pastured sources)

• any dairy products produced from cattle fed on grass (butter, ghee, cheese)

It's as easy as adding walnuts and cheese

If your body is compromised in any way, or if digestion isn't your strong suit, you may be having a hard time converting that plant form of Omega 3 fats to an animal form. (You are an animal. You aren't a plant.) In the case of someone like this, I would recommend reaching for the animal versions of Omega 3 fatty acids, in order to give your body that which it cannot make, taking some of the pressure off.  

Taking a fish oil supplement may be of benefit to you. Why not make it do double duty, and pick up some cod liver oil instead? This contains those important EPA and DHA forms of the omega 3s we need, but it also contains other beneficial fat-soluble vitamins like one of my all-time favourites Vitamin A (retinol), necessary for all skin including mucosal linings like your intestinal lining; it's also a good source of Vitamin D, needed for strong bones, robust immunity, hormone manufacturing, mood balancing, thyroid work, and the list goes on.

The Why

Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to let you know that you need to reach for these foods every day, indeed ensure they're at the table for every meal.

Here is why:

• these EFAs are critical components in our immune system function

• they lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and hardening of the arteries

• they are essential to skin and are of benefit to people with psoriasis, eczema, acne and other skin eruptions

• they are critical for someone who is suffering from arthritis

• necessary to cushion joints and ligaments

• important to lubricate the colon and improve our ability to move the poop on down the chute

• they reduce blood cholesterol

• they help to prevent cancer

• they are necessary to brain and heart function

• Omega 3s are an essential nutrient for your eyeballs

• they're needed for your thyroid + adrenals

• you need them for strong bones

• mood regulation

• they reduce your risk of death in just about everything under the sun. Including effects from the sun.

• they help reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimers'

most important: THEY ARE NECESSARY TO PROTECT YOUR EVER LOVIN BODY FROM INFLAMMATION.

Eat them, dear friend, consume them. Make them a part of every meal.

And eat in health. Good food is here, and it's got Omega 3s written all over it. Now go eat half an avocado stuffed with sardines, and drizzled with olive oil for lunch, will you?

THURSDAY BASICS: Eat Good Fats

This week’s topic is a cornerstone of supporting you in building a kitchen pantry that helps you work at keeping chronic disease at bay (read: inflammation).

STOCK UP ON THE GOOD FATS.

COLES’ NOTES:
1. Fats help deeply nourish all systems in the body, from immunity to brain to heart to reproductive
2. Fats are the backbone of all hormones, thus helping in balancing hormones (+blood sugars at the same time!)
3. Aim to have a good fat at every meal. A good place to start!

Read on for some great tips and ideas on how to incorporate this idea in to your every day.

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One of the most confusing topics in my practice as a Holistic Nutrition Practitioner is the Great Fat Debate. What is a good fat? What isn't as good a fat? Which ones should we nix from our kitchen pantry? In this next in the series of #mondayhealthbasics, let's take a gander at this hotly debated topic, albeit in a bit simpler form.

These Monday blog posts are meant to be quick reads, and easy swaps or add-ins to your daily routine in order to support optimal health. And while I could talk for days on the topic of fat, I want to make this as succinct a blog post as I can. If you're looking for further reading and understanding of fats, I recommend some reliable sources at the bottom of this blog post, and invite you to peruse through those sources in order to best arm yourself with what makes sense for you. Every body is biochemically unique, and what works for one person won't necessarily work for the next.

I want to clear one thing up: FATS ARE GOOD. FATS ARE NECESSARY. They are a macronutrient category, much like Protein and Carbohydrates. These macronutrients are necessary for so many things, and one cannot just toss a macronutrient to the curb because they don't like the sound of it. (Sound familiar for another macronutrient?)

Know this: there are good fats out there. Sure, we were misled. The news is lit up with stories, and you can do your own research there. I just want to provide you the good things to add without barraging you with studies and information. That stuff is already out there.

So why include fats?

They're a macronutrient. We need good fats as they serve as a concentrated energy source in our diet. We need them for cell membranes, hormones and hormone building. They play an integral role in our growing children's bodies, helping them to build each and every system especially their reproductive systems.

They are necessary for proper immune health, and we need them to build bones and teeth. Without fats, our brains would not exist (60% of our brain is made of cholesterol, a type of fat!). We need fats to better absorb, assimilate and metabolize minerals.

Fats are a necessary component of insulin production. Not only that, but saturated fats (a certain kind of stable fat = think solid at room temperature) protect the heart and liver against the damaging effects of stress.

In Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's book GAPS: The Gut and Psychology Syndrome, a book that explores the connection between the health of the gut and the health of the nervous system and how supporting improved digestion and assimilation can lead to improved health for the nervous system, she explains how big of a role good quality fats can play in contributing to reducing overall inflammation, including that found in the gut. We need fats to get the fat-soluble vitamins in our bodies: vitamins A, D, E and K which we need for healthy skin and mucosal linings (intestines! respiratory tract!), immune system, bone building and maintenance.

One of my favourite things good fats can do is to help slow down the absorption of foods at mealtime. This means we feel fuller, longer, or satiated and this, in turn, helps balance blood sugars and hunger hormones. Which is HUGE. (Anywhere you see blood sugar imbalance, think 'HANGRY', or brain fog, or inflammation, or adrenal drain, or blood cholesterol levels, or stress...)

So for you, dear friend, here are your healthy fat guidelines for this Thursday morning

• remove your liquid vegetable oils like canola, sunflower, safflower, peanut oil, corn oils from your pantry (keep your olive oil and flax seed oil, and your sesame oil too) as they contribute to the inflammatory picture going on (high in Omega 6s)

• start cooking with saturated fats like butter, coconut oil, ghee, lard, tallow , shmaltz - they can take the heat without going rancid

• low to mid temp cooking with olive oil and avocado oil is great, but ensure you are buying good quality oils (my favourite is to go with a small locally-owned specialty shop that can best guide you in choosing the right oil)

• add a pat of ghee or butter to your veggies

• drizzle olive oil on your salads or soups

• make pestos, homemade mayo

• if you are eating pastured meat, do not discard the fat

• if you are drinking milk or eating dairy, swap your skim milk and 0% yogurts for the higher fat products

• Reach for real food, reducing your intake of pre-packaged foods (usual hidden culprits of rancid oils)

• start introducing these healthier fats slowly

• Having said all this, if you are new to cooking from scratch or making whole foods, start slow and add one good thing to your pantry a week. As you add the good, the bad will fall to the wayside. And you'll be doing it in increments that are do-able, and sustainable!

HEALTHY FAT SOURCES

• BUTTER and GHEE (conventional –> good; organic –> better; grass-fed -> best)

• raw nuts and seeds (pre-soak for easier digestibility)

• olives and olive oil

• coconuts and coconut oil

• cacao butter is amazing in smoothies, on oatmeal or in elixirs

• EGGS! Especially the yolks!

• Dairy products like cheese, kefir, whipping cream, yogurt, creme fraiche if you can tolerate dairy

• avocado

• grass-fed meats and wild caught fish (from the ocean and freshwater)

• unheated nut oils (keep them in the fridge)

• fish oil, cod liver oil, krill oil

• goose and chicken fat (shmaltz)

• lard and tallow (bacon fat and beef fat, rendered)

• avoid any packaged foods with 'soy bean oil' or the words 'hydrogenated oil' on it

Today's take-away: make sure to have a good fat at every meal and snack.

Have some nuts, seeds, or nut butter, or mix butter+honey=frosting!, have half an avocado with breakfast and drizzle it with olive oil, make sure to add cocoa butter to your smoothie or some yummy coconut oil.

If you're interested in reading up some more, may I recommend:

Sally Fallon and Mary Enig's book Nourishing Traditions

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's book GAPS: The Gut and Psychology Syndrome

The Weston A. Price Foundation has done extensive research into the traditional uses of fats, and their applications in today's world. Read here for the full skinny on fats. 

This online blogger goes into detail about which fats to include for a GAPS protocol 

lots of interesting articles and information pertaining to healthy fat guidelines on my pinterest page (you do not need an account to look these up) 

Now go eat a pat of butter, will you?

THURSDAY BASICS: eat butter.

This week’s topic is one of my oft-mentioned ones. I talk about this all the time. Why in fact, if you were to ask what my favourite food is, I might have to say it’s this one.

ON BUTTER.

COLES’ NOTES:
1. Brilliant source of important nutrients to help reduce inflammation + support your immune system.
2. The catch: it has to be from pastured sources to reduce toxin load.
3. Butter is one of the cornerstones of how the good foods can help, especially in the issue of gut integrity!

Read on for a full exploration of the benefits of including this saturated fat on the daily. And listen, think butter isn’t for you because you can’t handle dairy? Look to ghee: it is lactose- and casein-free, not to mention free of whey. Strictly butter fat!

Butter is the new superfood.

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Everything is better with butter.

Short and sweet. This is the subject of today's blog post.

It's true, everything really is better with butter. And there is good reason! The idea behind this next in the series of Monday Health Basics is meant to inspire you to reach for this super food more often, in order to support your very best self. Allow me to go over some of the good stuff.

Why I love butter

• butter protects against many diseases

• it is a rich source of those all important fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)

• you need vitamins A + D to help take up calcium in to the bones, so eating butter will help keep osteoporosis and tooth decay at bay

• good source of antioxidant vitamins + minerals, warding off free radical damage (think heart protective, liver protective, skin protective, lung protective, brain protective, warding off cancers, whole body protective)

• excellent way to get more of the animal version of vitamin K (K2!) shown to protect our hearts, our noggins, our teeth + bones and showing promise of helping protect against cancer

• excellent source of the animal version of vitamin A, integral to the intestinal lining and all mucosal linings (think respiratory- good to protect against asthma!), also helping support your immune system

• vitamin A is also integral to thyroid and adrenal health, so important in metabolism and your response to stress!

• Selenium is also part of the nutritional profile here, further supporting your thyroid and also contributing to butter's antioxidant prowess (liver loving!)

• provides a good hit of B12, the 'energy' vitamin

• butter is a good source of iodine, a mineral integral to the function of your thyroid

• a good source of saturated fats, helping to protect our heart and liver

• helps to balance blood sugars, leveling them out which means staving off spikes and dips which is supportive to our mood, adrenals and energy levels

• consuming vegetables cooked in butter (or steamed, then adding in a pat of butter) will ensure we are better able to assimilate the minerals found within the vegetables (fat supports this!)

• butter provides your intestines with butyric acid, which has been shown to help bring down inflammation in the gut lining, protecting your digestive system

• you'll get a good hit of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which has been shown to protect against some cancers

• other good fats found in butter have been shown to kick candida in the patootie

• butter provides you with short and medium chain fatty acids that have been shown to have strong anti-tumour effects and immune supportive

• butter has a good amount of cholesterol (the good kind I assure you!) necessary to proper brain development in our littles, maintenance of cognitive function as we age

• that cholesterol is also important in the development of a child's reproductive system, as well as supporting a healthy reproductive function in those looking to have babies (yay fertility!)

• as if that wasn't enough, butter has the right ratio of omega 3 fatty acids to the omega 6 fatty acids, which helps our bodies keep inflammation at bay (which is really at the root of just about every chronic disease out there)

• you'll also find lecithin in butter, an important nutrient essential to liver function and fat digestion

• oh man, it's just delicious (did you really need another excuse?)

Good thing to know is that the lactose content in butter is much lower than that found in other dairy products. Some people with lactose intolerance can tolerate butter. If casein is a problem for you, or if you find it tough to stomach butter, you may want to try your digestive prowess with some clarified butter, also known as ghee. This clarified butter is only the butter fat content; all milk solids (proteins) have been taken out in a low/slow cooking process.

While researching the health benefits of butter, you'll come across the Wulzen factor. This refers to keeping stiffness out of the body. Consuming butter will help protect against the calcification of certain tissues in the body; think joints, glands, arteries, cataracts. Unfortunately this factor is deactivated when the milk or cream is pasteurized. Keep this in mind.

When it comes to choosing your butter, it's a question of good – better – best. Good = conventional butter. Better = organic butter. Best = butter from grass-fed cows. When the cows are out on the pasture consuming the diet they have evolved to eat, they are eating the diet Ma Nature intended them to eat, and hence have less inflammation going on in their bodies. When there is inflammation, when we have toxin build up in our bodies (happens when we’re eating foods we aren’t normally supposed to eat) those toxins build up in our fat stores. Reaching for butter from pastured animals will be of better service to you here - for that reduced amount of toxins.

The vitamins A, D, E and K2 are all found in conventional AND pastured sources. So buy what your pocketbook can afford! Consider going 50/50 if you can. This is one of those foods that are well worth the investment. The better the quality of the butter, the more the quality and quantity of the nutrients found within and the less inflammatory toxins stored for us to then take on.

Can you switch to butter from margarine? Are you able to alternate one week conventional butter, the other week organic butter, and maybe get one block a month of the grass-fed butter?

Incidentally, the butter coming from organic cows around this time of year in Canada will sometimes have a sticker on the packaging indicating the product is from grass-fed cows. Look for these, and stock up. The blocks of butter freeze beautifully! (It really is impossible to expect that all butter in our northern climate come from grass-fed cows all year long; it just isn't practical nor has it ever been done.)

Butter is the newest super food. Add a pat of the good stuff to your next bowl of soup or stew. Slather on a bit to your steamed veggies. Cook your vegetables in butter. Melt some butter and coat your next chicken before roasting. Put more butter on that snack/baked good/popcorn. Swap out the oils or margarines called for in your recipe and use butter instead. Mix 1 tbsp of butter with 1 tsp of honey or maple syrup, and call it frosting for fruit. Cook your eggs in butter! Add some butter to your morning coffee (butter coffee, anyone?)

I cannot lay claim to this quote. But it's so true. Food for thought...

I invite you to do some further reading, if you're still not convinced.

Here is a good all-round write up on the importance of including butter in your diet from the good folks at the Weston A. Price foundation, along with lots of scientific sources to back up the ideas presented

Dr. Mercola explores the nitty gritty science behind the benefits of butter here

Dr. Axe explores the difference between margarine and butter here

Here is a how-to on making your own ghee

THURSDAY BASICS: there's a new list in town.

Ah, this week’s revisit and revamping is a good one, especially as we are focusing on those food things you can do to reduce inflammation. It’s one that needs a wee update, too! The updated list was recently sent out, pointing out those produce items that carry the highest pesticide residues, and those that come pretty low under the radar.

THERE’S A NEW LIST IN TOWN.

COLES’ NOTES:
1. This study is done from an arms-length organization in the States that does lab testing to read the pesticide residue left on fruits + vegetables sold in grocery stores.
2. Pesticides can play games with our hormones, contributing to throwing them off course. When hormones are off course, you are setting the stage for chronic low grade inflammation.
3. Your liver is the queen of clean-up, yes? How much work do you want her to attend to? It’s up to you.

Read on for a full exploration of this yearly report card on some of those practices Big Food has put in place, and its impact on our collective health!

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Without fail, I usually share with my clients the list of Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen that is put out every year by the folks at the Environmental Working Group. EWG is a non-profit organization that relies on foundations and individuals and a bit of consulting for their income, a group that has been around now for over 23 years.

Every year, they put out their latest list of produce that registers the highest pesticide residues (that would be the Dirty Dozen) recommending the reader reach for organic versions of these items when shopping at the grocery store.

Simultaneously, the organization puts out the Clean Fifteen list in order to best inform the consumers which produce items register the least amount of pesticides, in order that they may feel confident in purchasing the conventionally-raised items instead.

Well kids, they just released their latest version of this list recently. This can only mean one thing.

There's a new list in town.

Strawberries still top the list of heaviest-pesticides; and this year, your dark leafy greens are jumping to the front of the line. (Most probably due to the fact that folks are consuming more greens than ever! A good thing, yes. But word about how these greens are grown needs to get out.)

How do they figure this out?

The folks at EWG analyze results from tests done on more than 35 000 samples of produce items – fruits and veg – samples taken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They look for what kinds of pesticide residues remain on the fruit/veg after picking, and how much.

Strawberries clocked in on average 10 or more different kinds of pesticide residues. The folks at the USDA and FDA assure consumers that the residues that remain on these fruit are acceptable under their guidelines.

Doing some research into these residues though, scientists have found that some of these chemicals are known carcinogens. 

There is also evidence that pesticides can have a negative impact on our glandular endocrine system. That is code for mess-with-your-hormones.

Your endocrine system includes all of your glands that produce hormones; this means your thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, pancreas, and a few more. Just about every function in our body relies on the endocrine system to work optimally: from digestion to metabolism, regulating your cycle to becoming pregnant, regulating your response to stress to getting to sleep, it is imperative we take good care of our inner hormonal system.

By reducing the amount of pesticides we ingest, we will be supporting improved function in all organs associated with the Endocrine system. It is crucial when looking to balance hormones - which is also code for reducing inflammation.

Our bodies have a lot of toxins to deal with, making our way through the world every day. They come from outside and in, from the air we breathe  to the chemicals found on surfaces we touch, and through the foods we consume. The foods we eat, the chemicals found within also contribute to this load.

Whether or not we are digesting like a champ also contributes to that toxin load. And why is this load so important to recognize?

Because it's part of what our liver has to handle every day, and clear out.

The liver is always detoxifying, working hard for you. The liver does over 400 jobs in the body; some of its major functions are to regulate hormones, look after metabolism and move toxins out. It cleans the blood, makes bile so we can better break down fats; she works intricately with your immune systems too to keep you in tip top shape.

You see, your liver loves you.

And one of the ways you can love your liver right back is by reducing the amount of toxins she has to deal with.

One of the easiest first steps you can take is to reach for those produce items that are on the Dirty Dozen side of the list, and make sure they're organic ones. Doing so will ensure you are reducing that toxin load already!

And in the interest of keeping things affordable, the good folks at EWG have also provided us with a new list of Clean Fifteen. These are the top fifteen fruits and vegetables that register the lowest amount of pesticide residues on the conventionally grown stuff.

I know what you're going to say: but Luka, they still use pesticides in organic production. I know I know.  By choosing organic though, you are drastically reducing the amount of pesticides you could be exposed to and consume. Have you seen this video yet? It's a pretty big eye opener on how quickly things can change with just two weeks of eating organic. 

EWG's Dirty Dozen

1. Strawberries

2. Spinach

3. Kale

4. Nectarines

5. Apples

6. Grapes

7. Peaches

8. Cherries

9. Pears

10. Tomatoes

11. Celery

12. Potatoes

Add to this list their +1 for this year: Hot Peppers.

So these are ones you want to reach for organically, when possible. Whether that's 50/50, or 100%, you get to choose. And the choice you make will be the right one for you.

As for the list of Clean Fifteen, these are produce items you can reach for conventionally, comfortable in the notion that the pesticide residues will be fairly low:

1. Avocado

2. Sweet Corn (I still recommend you go organic, as that is the only way to ensure it is GMO-free)

3. Pineapples

4. Sweet Peas (frozen)

5. Onions

6. Papayas (but choose organic to rule out GMO produced stock)

7. Eggplant

8. Asparagus

9. Kiwi

10. Cabbage

11. Cauliflower

12. Cantaloupe

13. Broccoli

14. Mushrooms

15. Honeydew Melons

Because I am not a fan of being alarmist, know this: all of the pesticide residues that are found in foods are below the safe levels as outlined by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

So think of this as a good-better-best scenario.

It's really good to eat loads of fruits and veg. For so many obvious reasons. A diet loaded with these good foods leads to better health and is associated with longer lives. 

It's better to reach for organically grown produce items for those dirtiest of the dozen, sticking to conventional for the Clean Fifteen.

And it's best for folks to reach for organic as much as possible in order to reduce the toxin load on the liver, especially for friends whose livers are working extra hard right now.

Now go play with your food.

And maybe plant a garden.