With the flip of a calendar year often comes the resolution to be the best new version of ourselves. With this fresh start, we promise that we’ll be better, do better, cut things out and swear things off. The majority of people’s resolutions revolve around physical and mental health, finances and losing weight, but these typically last only two to four months.
Instead of cutting things out, research has shown that focusing on adding things in can make small changes more positive and longer lasting. As I underscore time and again, the results of small changes tend to stick around longer than bigger declarations. Adding things in can be just the change we need to crowd out the things we don’t. When we drink more water, for instance, we have less room to drink the diet soda we’ve sworn off. When we eat more greens at the start of the meal, we have less room to eat the other, potentially less healthy things on our plates. I call it the crowd-out approach.
Adding in may just be the ticket when it comes to dairy. Several studies throughout the years have shown that full fat dairy may be healthier than more processed dairy like low and reduced fat and entirely fat-free products. Though physicians are reticent to make a blanket statement and the daily dairy recommendations still focus on reduced and low-fat products, studies have failed to show that these products reduce disease or are healthier than their full fat counterparts.
Enter oleo
Margarine was created in 1869 and grew hugely popular as a result of butter shortages. Due to the combination of the Depression and the war that followed, butter was rationed in the 1940s. My mom tells a story of being assigned the formidable task of mixing the button of yellow food coloring into the bag of oleo that served as a butter replacement at their house in Newfane when butter was hard to get. She and her brother tossed the bag from one end of the room to the other, catching it as it grew a deeper shade of yellow with every throw. Just as it was nearly mixed, another toss and my mom missed the catch, the margarine splatted on the wall behind her, its perfect yellow hue oozing down the surface.
Butter is good. I like to butter my butter, but when it comes to butter, it’s better to get real. For years, I sought the perfect “healthy” margarine as a butter replacement. I tried the spray version, the one that was reported to be made of yogurt (and a million other synthetic things) and the brand we couldn’t believe. It has been discussed for ages that fat-free products might not be all that and margarine is no exception. I won’t pretend that butter is a superfood that contains no saturated fat and is perfect for heart health, but the real thing in moderation could be better than any imitation, hands down. High in vitamins A, D and E, the only thing I substitute for real butter is extra virgin olive oil, which is central to the Mediterranean diet.
“Plant-based” butters or margarines can host high levels of trans fats and are made with inflammatory oils (that may have residual levels of solvents in them from the harvesting process).
Though there are several camps when it comes to dairy, some would say we have no business, as adult mammals, eating something meant to get a baby cow to grow large swiftly. Some remain proponents of eating only skim or low-fat dairy due to its saturated fat content. Still others, and this claim continues to gain momentum, maintain that the recommendations have been wrong all this time.
Interestingly, a study that came out in 2018 followed 136,000 adults from 21 countries over nine years. During that period, it was found that those who consumed two or more servings of dairy were 22 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease. Further, those participants who consumed higher levels of saturated fat were not recorded to have a higher instance of heart disease or death.
In another study the same year, it was found that those who had higher levels of dairy fats in their blood were 29 percent less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who had lower levels. A more recent and smaller trial showed that consuming full-fat dairy actually lowered blood pressure in participants. Neither weight gain nor elevated cholesterol was seen in the participants during this period.
Removing the fat in dairy not only removes some of the vitamins, it takes away the satiety factor (fat helps satisfy us). The texture changes and we experience a less pleasurable experience, possible leading to future cravings. Overall, research has shown that instead of contributing to obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, full-fat dairy may help prevent them.
To get science-y, as explained by Chris Kresser, compounds found in high-fat dairy like butyrate, phytanic acid and trans palmitoleic acid as well as conjugated linoleic acid have been shown to have beneficial effects. Who knew?
What to do
It may be a tough change to make, but ‘tis the season for new resolutions. Resolve to swear off fat-free as a first step, instead opting for low or reduced fat, then work your way up to whole fat or cream top, if desired.
Opt for whole Greek yogurt. Please have some fat in your yogurt. Not only is it more satisfying, as previously noted, but it just tastes better and is creamier. We may actually eat less of the full fat version than we would the skim one! Get rid of the light and flavored yogurts and make your own with fresh or frozen fruit, maple syrup, honey or all-fruit jam. (See my carrot cake yogurt for inspiration).
Skip reduced fat or light cheese. It’s the same thing – when we remove the fat, we remove the taste and satisfying aspect of the food. You don’t need to bask in triple crème cheese every morning, but skip the light versions of hard cheeses and go full fat instead.
Butter is better. Avoid the oleos or butter subs and go for the real thing. Make your own to see the process. Don’t forget to save the buttermilk for pancakes!
Whipped what? We may have just come out of whipped cream season, but we have hot chocolate in our future when it cools down. Instead of using that can or (God forbid) Cool Whip, make your own. With a splash of vanilla and a hint of syrup, you can’t go wrong.
DIY butter
Ingredients
Heavy whipping cream (steer clear of added ingredients like gums)
Bowl of ice water
Method
Shake or whip cream with a hand or stand mixer until it separates into butter and buttermilk.
Once the mixture separates, squeeze excess liquid from butter.
Using a small mesh bag or cheese cloth, dip butter into bowl of ice water and squeeze to remove any excess liquid and to prevent it from going rancid.
Place in a mold and enjoy!
Save buttermilk for pancakes.
