olive oil

Have you ever stopped and wondered whether olive oil is healthier than butter and which fat is better for cooking? There is so much wrong information out there when it comes to good and bad fats! Let me break it down for you:  Butter vs. Olive Oil  – which fat is healthier? Recently there was a debate on Homemade Mommy’s Facebook page over olive oil being healthier than butter. This is something I see a lot. People eschewing butter because they are still afraid of saturated fats and have been led to believe that vegetable oils are the healthier option. Don’t get me wrong, olive oil is great. I eat it on my salads just about every day. It is rich in antioxidants and I love the taste. But is it healthier than butter? Should we eat olive oil instead of butter? Should we cook with it? Nutrient Density of Olive…

As a holistic nutritionist that focuses on ancestral eating, avocado oil has never been my favorite. Through and through, I’m an olive oil kind of gal. It is backed not just by thousands of years of use, but also by legitimate scientific studies that display its numerous benefits (see studies here). Avocado oil, on the other hand, is a relatively newer item. The FDA has not yet established standards for it, thus making it harder to identify brands that supply a less than stellar product. I recently discovered a study out of UC Davis that found that a whopping 82% of avocado oil on the market is either rancid or adulterated. But before we dive into that, let’s talk a bit about avocado oil itself. Is avocado oil healthy? Generally speaking, yes. Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fat, more specifically is it made up of roughly 70% oelic acid.…

I recently got an email asking, Hey – what’s the deal with grapeseed oil? I’ve been hearing it’s the healthiest oil to use and cook with, figured you’d know. This isn’t the first time I’ve been asked about grapeseed oil. It seems like there’s always a new food or product to try. But here’s the truth: There is no next best thing. Smoke Point First of all, grapeseed oil does have a high smoke point. But this does not make it a healthy or safe. Peanut oil has a high smoke point, but we know that it is not healthy. Grapeseed oil is much more likely to oxidize under high heat. As a result, this creates free radicals. These can damage DNA/RNA, cell membranes and lead to plaque buildup in the heart. In short: You don’t want these in your body! How is it processed? Consider how oily a kernel…

Learn how eating a healthy anti-anxiety diet and cutting out these three foods entirely can help reduce anxiety naturally.  I’ve detailed my struggle with anxiety over the years on this blog. Despite living a healthy lifestyle, it’s still something I struggle with and still something that I need to heal. And I truly believe I will heal and release my body from anxiety. I go through long periods when I have no anxiety issues at all. But because anxiety has crept back into my life, I’m attacking in from all angles: dietary – adjusting my diet to further support brain and gut health (which are closely linked) seeing a therapist for EMDR, the number one trauma based therapy (it works!) seeing my naturopath to use herbs and homeopathic remedies to heal (here is a link to my favorite supplements to improve and alleviate anxiety) In this article, I want to focus…

These grain-free enchiladas are also gluten-free and paleo friendly. A flavor-packed healthy weeknight dinner the whole family will love! Surprisingly, you can still indulge in delicious Mexican cuisine even when you’re paleo and/or cutting gluten out of your diet. Just grab some gluten-free almond flour tortillas, some gluten-free enchiladas sauce and make this delicious recipe for the cheesiest and most delicious beef enchiladas. “But wait, it that cheese on top? I thought cheese was not allowed on paleo?” I hear you and yes we can talk about this! Are these gluten-free enchiladas also paleo? Can we talk about cheese and being paleo for a second? I recently hashtagged a salad with goat cheese as paleo on my Instagram. Someone commented asking, “I thought cheese wasn’t paleo?” To which I responded, “If it’s local, organic and grass-fed and works for your digestion – it’s totally fine.” The commenter said she was…

This gluten-free sea bass with herbs, tomatoes & capers is easy to make, incredibly healthy and fancy enough to fool anyone into thinking you’re a brilliant chef. Plus it takes all of 15 minutes from start to finish. I am a lucky person. We moved from DC to Charleston, South Carolina in June of 2020. No one thought we’d do it. My mother in law thought we were insane. But now, it’s 70 degrees on March 1st and I golf carted to the docks in my neighborhood to pick up fresh sea bass. Life is good. Fresh seafood is probably my most favorite category of food. Give me some oysters, a whole grilled fish, a crisp glass of white wine and I am GOOD. Not to mention that seafood is one of the absolute healthiest foods available to us as humans. Pair it with herbs, tomatoes and capers and you’ve…