why to eat more fat and raw chocolate coconut fudge

Last week I attended a lecture by Tiffany Higgins on nutrition (info here). I went because a very good friend told me too and I do what I’m told.

I enjoyed the lecture very much and want to share 2 things that really stuck with me.

1. Eat More Good Fats. She very clearly and scientifically explained why fat, saturated fat in particular, is very important in our diet and modern diets don’t have nearly enough.

Every cell in our body needs fat to function. Apparently our brain is 60% fat, maybe that is why it is so squishy (I made that part up).

She spent lots of time breaking down different fats and talking about them. Coconut oil in particular is a fabulous fat. It has a long shelf life (2 years) and holds up under high heat cooking. It is a short chain saturated fat (very good). It is one of the few ingredients that contains lauric acid which exhibits antiviral, antimicrobial, antiprotozoal and antifungal properties. What’s not to love!

Tiffany’s fat list:

Good Fats: coconut oil, butter from pasture feed cows, palm oil, evoo (not to cook with), avocados, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil (no cooking), flax and chia seeds, and cod liver oil

Bad Fats: soybean oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, “vegetable oil”

So let’s all remember to eat more GOOD fat!

2. Sugar is AWFUL for our health. This I already knew, but sometimes a good reminder is always in order, esp right after the holidays.

She drew on the board how as the liver breaks down fructose, 2 bi-products are LDL and triglycerides – bad cholesterol! This and other reading I have been doing have opened my eyes more and more to the harmful effects of sugar, but in my mind, it also gives meats a bit of a break (considering how often we blame animal products entirely for high cholesterol). Her whole argument about meat was that it isn’t inherently bad, it is the new farming and feeding of animals that is changing the product into something terrible. This is a subject I have been thinking and research a lot lately. I am starting to believe that she is right, meat and eggs can be part of our healthy diet if we are able to find good quality stuff. Animals that eat what they are naturally intended to and live out happy lives without diseases and unhealthy injections, are a good source of minerals, protein, and good fat.

As you can see from my goals, I was already on the hunt… To report, I found a wonderful woman 2 blocks away that has a bundle of chickens and other birds. I am now going weekly for my eggs. It is so much fun to see the birds that are supplying our eggs. The eggs are all different sizes and colors and even shapes sometimes. They taste delicious and I am happy.

This recipe is my current favorite way to consume coconut oil.

Raw Chocolate Coconut Fudge

• 3 C dried unsweetened coconut flakes (raw) (you can use Shredded or Coconut Chips depending on how chunky you want them)
• 1 1/2 C Raw Cacao Power
• 3/4 C maple syrup, preferably grade b
• 1/3 C coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

In large bowl or standing mixer combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Decide if you want fudge balls, tee hee hee or fudge squares.

For the balls: Line a dish that can fit in your freezer with a silpat or parchment paper. Using a small ice cream scoop, your hands, or a big tablespoon, spoon rounds of dough onto the parchment paper. If you are using your hands, it helps to refrigerate the mix a bit prior to forming the balls.  Freeze the balls. Once they are completely frozen, you can put them all together in a freezer bag in the freezer.

For the squares: Line a 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper. Spread the mixture out evenly and press into pan. Freeze. Turn out fudge onto a cutting board and cut fudge into individual squares. Keep in an airtight container in the freezer.