Eating Fat

Eating Fat

I’ve always loved eating fat. As a child, I would savor sinking my teeth into the fat on a piece of roast beef. I followed the tradition of my Norwegian grandma who would eat butter by the spoonful. She lived almost into her 90’s.

My other grandma taught me the joys of mayonnaise. She would make some simple chip dip by mixing garlic salt into mayo. We’d dip into that fatty emulsion, scooping up generous portions on top of our potato chips. She only lived into her early 70’s.

As a teenager I began to delve into the mayonnaise jar with a spoon, especially when I was stressed. It was a quick fat fix. It calmed me—I didn’t know why. This was a secret perversion well into my adult years – until I learned about Ayurveda.

In Ayurveda my fat cravings were vindicated. I was trying to balance the dryness of my constitution through added fats and oils. By making sure that I went for the healthy forms of it, I could do what my basically healthy instincts called for without worrying that it was something I had to hide.

Meanwhile, the country was on a low fat craze. “Fat is bad,” became the message heard high and low. “Low fat-no fat” became the advertiser’s mantra. How could so many people be wrong???

Then menopause struck. My metabolism slowed down and I gained weight. Not usually having to be concerned about my weight, maybe that low fat idea was good after all. Some of that collective mind seeped in and I hedged on my better instincts. After all, if I wanted to BE low fat I’d have to EAT low fat. Right???

Then recently I heard about Diane Schwartzbein, MD and her books on nutrition and health. An endocrinologist, through her work with diabetics she came to see that the low fat diet actually leads down the road to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. A higher amount of good fats, non-starchy vegetables, and proteins, and carbs only to the level needed by the body according to activity level can bring the body into balance, leading to a slow weight loss and healthy metabolism. She explains metabolism, insulin, weight, cholesterol, why dieting doesn’t work, and more.

So last night for our book release party I made my famous artichoke heart dip. People raved about it and craved it. They must be dying for fat. If you want to try it for yourself, here’s the recipe:

Artichoke Heart Dip
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together: 1 cup cold-pressed oil mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream (whole fat, not low fat!)
1 cup parmesan cheese
at least 1 cup copped artichoke hearts
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
Put the mixture (or mix it in) an oven-friendly container.
Sprinkle a bit more parmesan on top.
Bake about 30 minutes – until bubbly and golden on top.

Try this on break, crackers or other favorite dippers. Or mix with cooked green beans or other veggies for an enriching experience.

And read Diane Schwartzbein’s books—you’ll be amazed and healthier.