On Nutrient Dense Fats & an Infused Ghee Recipe
Bread and butter, anyone?
There is something that just feels so lovely to me about bread and butter. The thought of a nice slather of rich spread on a crusty piece of fresh baked sourdough would perhaps make many hearts swoon, and I think there’s a reason for that, more than just the nostalgia of it all. My body seems to crave the nutrients present within high quality fat sources, like butter, which feels supportive to my physical sense of both grounding and nourishment.
I’m a big advocate for supporting one’s health through nutrition. There are of course many factors that go into both physical health and the adequate nutrition, including the quality of food ingredients, and also educating oneself about ways of eating that will support both physical, mental, and even spiritual wellbeing.
My struggle with getting healthy fats into my diet, and what changed when I did
There have always been a lot of myths and fears within dominant Western culture surrounding fat, perpetuated by media driven beauty standards, that promote the idea that people, especially women, should limit fat within the diet. And so that was what I did, especially when I was a teenager. I was convinced that I had to avoid putting fat in and on my body at all costs. And so I attempted just that, while struggling with amenorrhea (absence of menses) and cystic acne all the while, issues I struggled with for many years thereafter. Even though I was told repeatedly by healthcare practitioners that in order to support my body to come back into balance I would have to introduce more healthy fats and nutrient dense foods into my diet, especially from animal kingdom sources, I was hugely resistent. I now understand how I had to be be patient with myself and respect my own process as I got used to these new concepts and how they affected both my core identity and viewpoints, not just my physical health.
It took me a long time to slowly incorporate healthy fats in my diet and within my skin care regimine, but in making those slow and steady changes, I watched my health shift and progress in surprising ways. I began with what felt easiest, with a little grass-fed butter here and there. I’ll never forget how that first smear of butter seemed to light my brain up! As I progressed with my intake of healthy fats, I saw tremendous improvements in my memory function, menstrual cycle, metabolism, skin and mental health.
I am now at the point where menstrual cycle has regulated without resurgences of amenorrhea for close to a decade now and my skin is at a stasis, which I know is in large part due to my shifts in incorporating healthy, traditional fats into my diet in a balanced way. My own health journey is a huge reason why I am so passionate about nutrient dense foods, and sharing techniques for incorporating them into the daily diet with others.
What are healthy fats and why are they important in the diet?
Now that I have a deeper understanding of nutrient density and how to support the body with food, I know how important fat is within that framework. Healthy fats support our bodies to metabolize nutrients properly. Without healthy fats in the diet, our internal systems can have trouble functioning adequately.
Not all fats are created equal, however. People are becoming more aware of the dangers of trans fats, but even seemingly innocent oils are often unhealthy for the body when not processed correctly, especially when heat is introduced. If the smoke point of an oil is low, as it is for most vegetable oils, and it is used for sautéing, roasting or deep frying, the oil begins to break down and create free radicals. Free radicals are carcinogenic molecules that damage cell membranes, and have been linked to health problems including numerous inflammatory diseases of the body. Heat can be part of the processing of oil even before it reaches your pan. Buy fats which are extra virgin, cold pressed or raw, and avoid oils which are refined or expeller pressed for this reason.
Many people from around the world have worked with healthy fats in delicious and nourishing ways that have been passed down through the generations, preparing these foods with the utmost care. Some of these traditional nourishing traditional fats to include within your diet are organic and virgin coconut oil, grass-fed butter, extra virgin olive oil, and duck fat, tallow or lard. It is absolutely crucial all of your animal nutrients are from trusted sources, and to the best of your ability obtaining these fats from animals that were fed non-GMO organic feed and were raised in open pasture.
All about Ghee
Learning how to prepare food as a way of expressing myself creatively and having fun with recipes was a huge reason why I stuck with eating nutrient dense foods and made time to make them at home. I began to notice how much joy and fulfillment came into not only my own life through cooking in this way, but also in the lives of those around me when we ate meals together.
One of my favorite ways of processing fat at home using a traditional technique is by making ghee, which is a practice native to India. Ghee is not only traditionally used in cooking, but also within many Ayurvedic healing regimes, both topically and internally. Ghee contains little to no milk protein, so there is very little danger of free radicals forming when it is used in recipes that involve heat. It may take some time to get to the point where you feel confident there are no more milk proteins in your finished product, but when properly made, ghee is close to if not fully free of lactose, which is a main factor in dairy intolerance.
When making ghee at home, you can flavor it in many different ways to bring a new level of depth and complexity to whatever recipes you are preparing with it. Whether cooking with ghee, simply slathering it on bread, or using it therapeutically in a protocol, ghee is well known to be a nourishing fat for the body.
Basic & Infused Ghee Recipe
This recipe will teach you how to make a basic ghee, and then infuse if with various spices and herbs. Feel free to get creative with your infusion options and have fun with it! You can use ghee wherever you would normally use butter in your daily diet.
Ingredients
1 pound organic unsalted butter, preferably pasture raised and fed
Spice or herb of choice, See suggestions below:
Lemon Chive: Zest of 1 lemon and a large handful of chives
Orange Clove: Zest of 1 orange and 1 tbsp cloves
Chili Lime: Zest of 1 lime and 3 tbsp dried hot pepper of choice
Herbal Ghee: Large handful of sage, thyme, rosemary or parsley
Basic Ghee
Directions
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
Simmer gently until a foamy layer of buttermilk comes to the surface.
Keep a low, slow simmer for the next 30-45 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. When the simmer grows quiet and no more foam seems to be surfacing, take the pot of the flame.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a clean jar and put a few layers of cheesecloth or muslin fabric over the strainer, if available.
Strain the ghee, removing buttermilk solids from the pure fat lying beneath. This pure fat is your basic ghee!
Infused Ghee
Directions
Pour your basic ghee into a clean, dry saucepan and add your spice, zest, and/or herb of choice to the pot.
Simmer on the lowest setting of your stovetop for 30-45 minutes. When the color changes slightly and the solids become darker in hue, turn the flame off.
Strain the liquid from the solids into a clean glass jar. This liquid fat is your infused ghee!
Let the infused ghee cool to room temperature. Store your finished infused ghee in your refrigerator for up to 6 months, or in your pantry for up to 3 months.
All photos within this post taken by Julianna Blizzard.