Flatten your stomach with butterfat

Do you keep up with the Kardashians? Love them or hate them, there’s no denying that those girls have enviable bodies. I was watching an episode recently and heard Kourtney, the oldest Kardashian sister, talking about how she drinks ghee every morning. She credits the wonder food with staying healthy and keeping her body in great shape – even after having three babies in under six years.

This was the first time I’d ever even heard of ghee. My interest was sparked, but because I was so uninformed I had to do some serious research. What I found out was so interesting, I just had to share… even if it meant outing myself as a Kardashian fan.

Ghee is 100 percent butterfat. Butter contains primarily butterfat, but also milk proteins and water. To create ghee, butter is simmered to separate the oil from the other components, which are strained off. It has a nutty flavor and can be made by simmering local, grass-fed organic, unsalted butter until the liquid evaporates. Lots of people consider it a superfood. Here are just a  few of its many benefits:

• Ghee is rich in healthy fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. These vitamins are important for promoting bone and brain health, and for boosting the immune system.
• It converts fiber into butyric acid, which is beneficial to intestinal bacteria. It also helps to decrease appetite, fostering better health and weight loss.
• It’s made from butter, but the milk solids and impurities have been removed, so most people who are lactose or casein intolerant have no issue with ghee.
• It helps to lubricate the connective tissue and promote flexibility.

Say what you want about Kourtney, but she has no belly fat… even after having children. This Kardashian starts every day by melting a teaspoon of the ghee in a pan on the stove. She drinks it, then waits 20 minutes before eating or drinking anything else.

I didn’t feel ready to drink ghee straight, but what I do know is that if you eat fat and protein first thing in the morning it resets your hunger signals so that your brain gets the message that you’ve eaten and you’re satisfied. Grains and skim milk can’t do this because they have no fat or real protein.

You can use ghee as a cooking oil anywhere you would use butter or oil: cooking vegetables, frying rice before steaming it or searing meat. Since it doesn’t have the milk solids of butter, it is a primarily saturated fat, which we now know doesn’t cause heart disease and is safe to consume, and is highly heat-stable for sautéing and baking.

Over the last two weeks I’ve tried to incorporate ghee into my meal prep. I’ve tossed steamed vegetables with ghee and sea salt and I’ve used it instead of butter for spreading on toast, rolls, etc. The taste of ghee is, in my opinion, superior to the taste of butter.

Though I went with store-bought ghee, I’ve included a simple recipe for homemade ghee below. This recipe will yield you slightly less than one pound.

• Place 1 lb. of butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Bring butter to boil. This takes approximately two to three minutes.
• Once boiling, reduce heat to medium. The butter will form a foam which will disappear.
• Ghee is done when a second foam forms on top of butter and the butter turns golden — approximately seven to eight minutes. Brown milk solids will be in bottom of pan.
• Gently pour into heatproof container through fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
• Store in airtight container being sure to keep free from moisture.
• Ghee does not need refrigeration and will keep in airtight container for up to one month.