If you’ve been following us for a while, you probably already know that we’re big fans of supporting oral health by taking action directly in the mouth and in the rest of the body.
Why?
Because all of our bodily systems are intertwined and influence each other. So, what’s happening in the mouth can impact the rest of the body, and what’s happening in the body can impact the mouth.
In previous posts, we’ve explored what causes tooth decay, what to eat to support greater oral health, and which foods undermine our oral health.
Then we dove deeper into the diet/nutrition/oral health connection in our article about vitamin K2, our FREE video series, 5 Steps to a Healthy Mouth, and our expert interview with Dr. Steven Lin (author of the book, The Dental Diet).
We even wrote an article that’s entirely dedicated to explaining why eating healthy fats is our #1 diet hack to heal cavities.
But how can we work more healthy fats into our diets? Today we’ll share some tips and recipes from each of us here at team WOW (We’re OraWellness).
Will’s Tip: ‘Just’ Eat More Butter
Sure, there’s guacamole and that’s wonderful. But honestly, I look to keep my diet really simple and my fat intake much higher than most would anticipate. (Did I mention that Dr Weston Price found that indigenous peoples ate 10x the dietary fats of American contemporaries???)
So, if you already add butter to anything, just add more. There’s a reason why butter tastes so great; it’s absolutely awesome for your health.
Our go-to butter is Kerrygold from Ireland. Yeah, this brand isn’t exactly a locally-produced food for many of us, but our family has yet to find a local butter that naturally has the same deep golden color. That golden color is from the rich, rapidly growing green grasses that the cows in Kerry, Ireland graze on. Dr Price found that this kind of rapidly growing grass is a critical component to stopping (and even reversing) active tooth decay.
Kerrygold butter isn’t cheap. But like they say, you can pay for your healthcare today in the form of quality food or you can pay for it in the future in medical (and dental) bills. Quality butter really is one of the very most important foods for optimizing one’s oral (and whole-body) health.
Attention Vegans: Be sure to learn about the Japanese fermented soy product called ‘natto’. Commonly eaten with breakfast, natto is loaded with vitamin K2. The only problem I have with natto is the texture. It’s definitely not butter. 🙂
Chris and Chad’s Tip: Fat-Enhanced Beverages
If you’ve heard of Bulletproof coffee, Chad likes to add ghee, grass-fed butter, coconut oil, or MCT oil to his coffee.
Not into Bulletproof-type coffee? Try Chris’ tip of adding coconut oil or MCT oil to your tea.
The bottom line is that adding healthy fats to a warm drink is an easy way to work more fat into your diet (and ramp up the benefits of the warm beverage, too).
Here’s one more tip: The next time you make a smoothie, try blending in some avocado or another healthy fat of your choice to enhance the creaminess and nutrient profile.
Rebekah’s Favorite Healthy Fat Recipe: Savory Sauce or Soup Base
Ingredients:
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 13.5 fl oz (about 398 ml) unsweetened coconut milk. This should be full fat (NOT reduced fat). You can search for easy recipes to make your own or you can buy it pre-made. If you buy it pre-made, look for a simple option that only contains coconut and water (NOT one of the ‘coconut milk beverages’ that contain a bunch of added oils, preservatives, etc.).
- 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (use more or less to taste, or even experiment with different spices that you love; this sauce is pretty flexible)
- Cooking oil of your choice (I like avocado oil)
- Optional: half a pound of bacon, cooked and chopped
Directions:
- Add some cooking oil of your choice and the chopped yellow onion to a skillet. Stirring occasionally, cook until the onion starts to brown just a little.
- Add the garlic and coconut milk to the onions in the skillet.
- Stir in nutritional yeast and/or whatever other spices you desire.
- If you’re choosing to use it (my family just about always does), add the chopped bacon into your sauce and stir to incorporate it throughout.
- Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now you have a delicious and versatile sauce that you can use however you choose. My family uses it as a pasta sauce, for the ‘cream’ part of creamed spinach, or as a soup base (we love to add bone broth and other fixings to turn it into a creamy chicken soup).
Susan’s Favorite Healthy Fat Recipe: Lemon Curd
Ok, here’s my fatty food contribution. Be forewarned this is a super rich treat that’s sour, sweet, and thick!
Ingredients:
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbls water
- 1/2 cup cold butter in pieces
Directions:
- Place the first 4 ingredients together in a double boiler and whisk.
- Once well blended, slowly add butter 2-3 pieces at a time, whisking constantly.
- As the pieces of butter melt, continue to slowly add the rest of the butter.
- Once all the butter is incorporated, cook on medium heat for an additional 10-12 minutes until the curd reaches your desired thickness.
- Pour into a heat-resistant bowl and place in the refrigerator. Allow curd to cool until it solidifies.
Use it to top yogurt, a fruit salad, or in a smoothie. Or enjoy it in our favorite style, by the small spoonful! 🙂
Wrapping Up…
We hope today’s article gives you some inspiration on how to include more healthy fats in your diet to support your oral (and whole-body) health.
For even more in-the-mouth and whole-body tips to help keep teeth strong and healthy, feel free to download our free eBook, How to Stop Tooth Decay and Remineralize Your Teeth.
What about you? What tips or recipes do you have for incorporating more healthy fats into your daily routine? Please share in the comments below so we can all learn from each other!
