Functional medicine physician Mark Hyman suggests that we include four to five servings of fat in our diets every day. “In the last five years, the scientific evidence has been mounting that high-fat diets outperform low-fat diets for weight loss and for revising every single indication of heart disease risk, including abnormal cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension and inflammation,” he says.
Each amount listed indicates a serving size.
Nuts (a handful of walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts or cashews)
Seeds (a handful of flaxseed, pumpkin or sunflower)
Most plant-based liquid oils (one tablespoon of olive, safflower, sesame, avocado, macadamia, grape seed or walnut)
Fatty fish (4 ounces of salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna or trout)
Avocado (one-half to one avocado)
Extra virgin coconut oil (one tablespoon)
Organic coconut milk (one-quarter cup)
Olives (one-quarter cup)
Grass-fed animal butter, clarified butter or ghee (one tablespoon)
Aim to eat fats that remain liquid (not solid) at room temperature; it’s a sure sign of heart-healthy, unsaturated fats.
Source: Adapted from Eat Fat, Get Thin, by Mark Hyman, M.D.