We are in an age where nutritionism has scared the public out of eating fat. The emphasis is on “low fat” everything. Eating the right types of fat in your diet is very important to the body. Fat helps to lubricate the joints, protects the organs, helps to create a healthy heart and brain and so much more. Some of the most common healthy fats are avocados and avocado oil, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and flax oil. From this list the only oil that you can possibly cook with is coconut oil. Nutritional value breaks down when the other oils are heated at higher temperatures. Unfortunately, my family isn’t very fond of the flavor or smell of coconut oil. They want butter! Well I was introduced to an alternative that I want to introduce you to if you haven’t been already…..Ghee.
 
Ghee is a clarified butter that is heated longer. What this means is ghee is butter that has had the moisture, milk solids and impurities removed. The absence of the moisture and milk solids make ghee shelf stable. Ghee has one of the highest flash points (485ºF) which make this oil the best choice if you want to cook at higher temperatures.
 
Ghee also has many nutritional and health benefits. It is rich in vitamins A, E, D and K. It has Omega 3 and Omega 9 essential fatty acids. Much like coconut oil, ghee is rich in medium chain fatty acids, which are absorbed directly by the liver and burned as energy. The energy from these medium chain fatty acids can be used to burn other fats in the system and help in weight loss.
 
Ghee (unlike other oils) is rich in butyric acid, a short chain fatty acid, which aids in better digestion and intestinal wall support. Butyric acid also supports the production of killer T cells in the gut therefore helping to build a strong immune system.
 
The purity of ghee allows it to be deep penetrating and nourishing as it passes through the lipid membranes of cells. For this reason, the vitamins and minerals from food cooked in ghee will be drawn deep into the body, helping to increase the assimilation of the nutrients. When you add spices to ghee to cook with, the flavor is carried deep into the food. Many herbal preparations use ghee as the carrier oil because of these characteristics. I make a body butter that really nourishes my body made from equal parts of ghee, coconut oil and cocoa butter.

To top it all off, Ghee tastes and smells wonderful and is easy to make in your own home. Since the milk solids and impurities have been removed people who are lactose or casein intolerant have no issues with ghee. It has become my favorite choice of a healthy fat that I add to my diet every day.

Mishelle Knuteson is certified in Rapid Eye Technology (RET) an emotional release therapy, teaches classes in The Art of Feminine Presence and a Master Herbalist ~ graduate of The School of Natural Healing. Mishelle currently works as an Educative Master Herbalist (MH) for The School of Natural Healing and as Office Manager of Christopher Publications.