How Eating More Butter Can Help Improve Your Mental Health

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There is often a major stigma associated for those who are suffering from mental health issues, especially moms who have youngins. It seems as though this is entirely more common than my heart can take. I find this stigma completely disturbing because it causes many to hold their tongue and not share with others that they indeed struggle with mental health issues too. This is disturbing because for one it is epidemic and there is much we can do about it.

I know SO many moms and clients that are reliant on anti-depressant and mood stabilizing medication. They are reliant on it to keep their moods even keel so that they can have a handle on their emotions. This should absolutely have no stigma associated with it, instead it should cause us to figure out what is causing this epidemic. There may be a genetic pre-disposition for some to struggle more easily with mental health issues than others, but even if others in your family suffer it doesn’t have to be you.

Although main stream health and nutrition are slowly changing to encourage integrating more fat into the Standard American Diet , our minds have been inundated with the propaganda that fat makes us fat. There is nothing that is further from the truth. Sure, fried foods, rancid oils, and trans fatty acids can make you fat and sick. This is the “fat” that you will find in fast food and in much of the SAD (Standard American Diet). But, let’s talk about good old-fashioned butter from grassfed cows, delicious raw cream, lard, other animal fats, cold pressed olive oils, coconut oils, avocados, cold pressed nut oils and seed oils. These foods are healing foods!

If you are having mental health issues you may need help improving your digestion to digest your fats properly if you are eating enough fat OR you may just plain need to EAT MORE FAT!

The chances are good if you grew up in the culture that I did to think that fat is bad, that you just need more. The chances are also good if you grew up on the standard American diet that you may need to do some things to improve your digestion so that you are able to digest what you are eating.

Here are some things that fat does to keep your body functioning properly:

• Provides Energy – This is what sustains you and keeps you going.
• Building Blocks for Cell Membranes and Hormones – *Ding* Ding* Ding* Ding* (This is very important.) Your hormones are what can strongly affect your mental state. Fat can help stabilize your blood sugar and causes hormones to be properly balanced. Your endocrine system can not function properly without enough fat and neither can your mental health. Our body can not make hormones without fat.
• Insulates the cells which are needed for healthy cellular and hormonal communication to take place.
• Required for absorption of A, D, E, K fat soluble vitamins which can also be important in stabilizing mental health (especially D).
• Required for healthy liver function – This is what filters toxins from the body.
• Decreases inflammation in the body

There are always other factors that can hinder the mental health of you or anyone in your life. Everyone is an bio individual and are in need of different things. However, I have found that eating too little fat is epidemic in our culture. I have found that a decrease in fat in the diet can be directly correlated with mental health issues. An imbalance of hormones cause depression and not eating enough good fats can cause an imbalance of hormones. It also seems as though not getting enough fat and the beginning or increase of lactation can be directly correlated with post postpartum depression. Though this is a theory of mine as I have worked with clients I have also included a few studies below as references.

Fatty Acids and Maternal Mental Health

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders

It is important to note with the studies listed above that the studies are based on primarily Omega-3 fatty acids. It is important for the body to have a variety of fats and not simply fish oil in the diet (although quality fish and fish oil can be quite helpful). And, with each fat the source is always important to benefit from the fatty acids contained in the food. Most fats besides tropical oils spoil and go rancid very easily if they aren’t cared for properly. It is important for the body to have a proper ration of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in the diet.

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