Excerpt from the book “Food to the Rescue” by Dr. Jennifer Shell, D.C. 

Photo by Roberta Sorge on unsplash.com 

Good Fats; 

Olive oil is very good for us, but never heat it. It is not stable at high heat, which means it goes rancid, which could potentially lead to cancer. Also, just an FYI: if weight is an issue, avoid too much olive oil. Its structure contributes to body fat, so don’t overdo it.18 I do all my cooking with coconut oil or ghee. Ghee is also called “clarified butter”. To make it, butter is heated, and the top is skimmed off, just leaving healthy oils. Both are solid at room temperature. Coconut oil is high in saturated fats, which has traditionally given it the rep of being an artery clogger. But research now shows that coconut oil’s saturated fats boost your metabolism, support the immune system, and improve heart health. So just scoop it out and heat it if you need a liquid. A beauty tip is that coconut oil is a great moisturizer. Just don’t slip in the bathroom if you put it on your tootsies. Coconut has an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, too. To aid weight loss, Mary Enig, a biochemist and pioneer in healthy fats and oils, recommends if you weigh 90 to 180 pounds, you take one tablespoon daily; if you are over 180 pounds, take two tablespoons. You can add it to hot tea or eat it plain. Do this for at least two months, and then slowly decrease the amount once you’ve lost the weight you didn’t want. Good fats are found in avocados, nuts, and seeds as well. 

18. Fallon, Sally, Mary G. Enig, Kim Murray, and Marion Dearth. Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. Washington, DC: NewTrends Put., 2001.