Eat Fats That Fuel Your Brain and Heart

For decades we were told fat was the enemy. But your brain is nearly 60% fat, and every cell is wrapped in a lipid membrane. Just as a smartphone needs the right battery, your body needs specific fats for peak function. It turns out fats aren’t all equal: industrial seed oils drive inflammation, while monounsaturated and omega-3 fats from olives, avocados, nuts, and seeds calm your system, lower bad cholesterol, and sharpen your mind.

Imagine your morning coffee—now picture it enriched with a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil or MCT oil. You skip the midmorning crash and glide through your tasks. I’ve seen patients swap out refined oils for grass-fed ghee in their cooking and watch their HDL cholesterol rise and inflammatory markers plummet in weeks. This isn’t magic. It’s science in action.

Omega-6 and omega-3 fats play a metabolic dance: a balanced 3:1 ratio regulates immunity and brain health. But the Standard American Diet inflates this to 20:1 in favor of omega-6 from processed oils. Flipping that ratio by eating nuts, wild salmon, and adding flax or chia to smoothies restores harmony, preventing chronic diseases from heart disease to depression.

So, swap your bland, inflammatory fats for the kind that fuel creativity, memory, and resilience. It’s not about cutting all fat—it’s about choosing the right ones. Your taste buds and your health will thank you.

Start by clearing out all industrial oils in your kitchen—soybean, canola, and corn—then restock with olive oil, avocado oil, and grass-fed ghee. Make nut or seed snacks a daily habit—mix chia into yogurt or snack on almonds. Notice how your energy stabilizes and your mood lifts within days, and consider getting an NMR lipid panel to see the benefits on your cholesterol profile. Give it a try tomorrow morning.