#7: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth

This is day seven of our education of the 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Woo Hoo! Some of these you won't be surprised by, some you will. I'll take one out of each food group each day to mix it up a bit.

All information is from the book by jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S. "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth".

Day 7: Butter/Ghee

I have to smile as I begin to writing this entry, knowing that it's going to cause apoplexy among the dieg dictators, conventional dietitians, doctors, and other members of the diet establishment. But the fact is that butter--from pasture-fed, organically raised cows--is a wonderful, healty food. Surprised? Read on.

BUTTER:
* Yes, butter contains saturated fat and yes saturated fat raises cholesterol somewhat. But it raises both the bad and the good kind, so the net results on your health is anyones guess.
- In the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in September 2004, they suggested that it might be prudent to wait until evidence clearly indicates which amounts and types of saturated fat are optimal before eliminating all saturated fat from our diet.
* some saturated fat is good for us and necessary in the diet.
* Butter is a rich source of vitamin A (optimal for the function of the immune systeam and maintains good vision)
* Butter contains vitamin E, K, and D
* grass fed animal butter contains CLA (conjugated linolenic acid), a particularly healthy fat that has demenstrated anticancer properties.
* research has shown that CLA has a lot of promis in fighting weight gain, particularly around the abdomen
* 30% of the fat from butter is from monounsaturated fat (the same kind in olive oil).
* The fat in butter inhibits the growth of pathogens
* a source of several kinds of antimicrobial fats, including lauric acid, which disables many pathogenic viruses

GHEE:
* Ghee is clarified butter, which means it's basically butter witht he milk solids removed
* been used specifically for its healing and health-giving properties for thousands of years
* believed to healp stimulate the healthy flow of fluids throughout the body.
* considered an important rejuvenative tonic for the mind, the brain, and the nervous system
* since it has all the milk solids removed, it can be used for cooking at higher temperatures
* increases "digestive fire," thereby improving assimilation and enhancing the nutritional value of foods.
* doesn't go rancid, I keep a container of ghee out on my kitchen counter all the time, unrefrigerated, and dip into it for a spoonful almost everyday
* like butter, ghee contains butyric acid, a fatty acid that has antiviral and anticaner properties and that raises the level fo the antiviral chemical interferon in the body

WORTH KNOWING:
According to Dr. Dharma Sing Khalsa, and easy way to make ghee is to simmer unsalted butter over medium-low heat for 10 to 20 minutes until an almost transparent crust forms on top. Then skim off the crust and strain the golden liquid that remains into a container. Make sure you discard the white sediment at the bottom. Or, you can dow ath I do and buy ready-made ghee in most natural food stores. It doesn't need to be refrigerated, and in fact, according to some traditions, has more healing properties if you leave it out at room temperature.