The Scoop on FAT plus a Dairy-free Cacao Hazelnut Latte recipe

This is the perfect recipe to couple with a post about FAT. No, not the stuff between our thighs, or that annoying pest that collects around our belly buttons. I’m talking dietary fat. I have been dying to find time to write about this very important addition to our diet. Fat is nothing to be afraid of, in fact, fat is what our bodies need to THRIVE!

Before I go deeper into this oh-so-interesting post about fat, let me first air out some ridiculous myths about it:

• Fat makes you fat. Wrong.
• Low-fat is the healthiest diet. Wroong.
• All fat raises your cholesterol. Wrooong.
• Saturated fats are bad for you. Wroooong.

For so long, fat has been given the cold shoulder by society. This was fueled by misinformation about what fat does to our cholesterol. Saturated fat, which has actually been proven to be good for you was demonized because it was thought to raise the bad cholesterol in our body. Science doesn’t back this up at all and therefore the myth that saturated fat causes heart disease has since been debunked.

Why do we need healthy dietary fats in our diet?

1. Every cell in our body is covered in a membrane primarily made up of fat. In order to keep our cells functioning optimally, the cell membrane needs to be healthy. And to support this, we need to be getting in enough healthy fat.
2. Our brain is also made up primarily of fat and therefore needs the intake of dietary fats for optimal functioning.

There are many other wonderful things that fat does to ensure health and happiness so if you want to know more, here are a few other links with more information:

Why you need fats

Healthy Fats

The Truth about Saturated Fats

All About Healthy Fats

Why Vegetable Oils Should Not Be Part of Your Diet

Here is a list of some excellent fats you should be incorporating into your diet:

• Coconut oil – can be used for cooking (low to medium heat) or eaten raw and improves brain and memory function
• Olive oil – best in raw form and decreases bad cholesterol while increasing the good cholesterol
• Avocado/avocado oil – decreases bad cholesterol while increasing the good cholesterol
• Nuts and seeds – contain essential omega fatty acids
• Butter (not margarine) – contains essential omega fatty acids
• Ghee – clarified butter that has a higher smoke point and is better for heating
• Omega 3 fatty acids – found in salmon and sardines as well as chia seeds, flaxseeds and walnuts

Since I have laid out what fats you should start incorporating into your diet, here are some fats and oils you may think are good but are actually toxic or inflammatory:

• Vegetable oils such as sunflower, canola and soy
• Hydrogenated/artificial trans fats – processed oils like margarine
• Certain oils when used at high heats such as olive oil (which is best used in raw form or in low heat)

So finally, now that you have seen the light about fats, and your mind is opened to incorporating these healthy fats into your diet, it’s time to try it in your coffee mug!

Have you heard of bulletproof coffee? This involves coconut oil or MCT oil and butter, emulsified together with a cup of coffee in a blender that turns into a nutritious latte. Originally, this recipe calls for a butt-load (not quite) of butter and MCT oil and is supposed to be a breakfast replacement. I’m not down with that. I want an actual meal made up of chewable food for breakfast.

However, I do like the idea of getting in all those brain and cell healthy fats out of a creamy latte-like drink. So I make my own kind of bulletproof coffee with smaller amounts of them fats and have it as a healthy snack.

I experimented with a few versions of this drink until I found one that I love so much I just had to share it! And this one is coffee-free! If you want a caffeinated version, just add instant coffee or replace the cacao for coffee.

I call this the full-of-healthy-fats Dairy-free Cacao Hazelnut LATTE (take a breath now)! This is low-carb, so there is nothing sweet about it. But if you need a little sweetness then feel free to add a little raw honey or any other natural sweetener of your choice.

All you need for this recipe is coconut oil, butter, cacao powder (plus instant coffee if you want a caffeine boost) and a blender/immersion blender. I typically have one of these daily so as to ensure my brain is getting enough fat to function all day. Some people are innately clever, and then there’s me. I need healthy fat lattes.