For years, we’ve been told “eat low fat, make sure you carb up, etc” and while there may be some truth in those guidelines, what’s wrong with eating full fat foods like avocados and coconut oil? Better question, why are we trying to avoid these superfoods? [ ps – Jump to the end if you just want this deliciously healthy Blueberry Cream Pie recipe]

Fat makes you fat – let’s just put this false claim to rest, fat DOES NOT make you fat. Many of these healthy fats we’ve done our best to avoid may actually help with your weight loss efforts. But for more than vanity’s sake, let’s consume these foods for the sake of our mental health. Since the “low-fat craze” caught on in the United States, rates of degenerative diseases and mental illness including parkinson’s, alzheimer’s and depression have skyrocketed.

Healthy fats (even saturated fats) may do significantly more for the health of your brain and your overall well-being. Your brain is well over 60% fat, so it only makes sense that we should nourish those fat stores. Gobbling up guacamole to help carry blood and oxygen to the brain doesn’t sound like a difficult task, right? Avocado is great, but one of my favorite fatty food’s is coconut!

Coconut oil for example, is comprised of 65% MCTs (or medium chain triglycerides). This type of fat, unlike your typical fat, completely bypasses your bile and digestive process and is instead released by the liver in the form of ketones. These ketones then make their way through the bloodstream to your brain and have been shown to not only maintain cognitive help but may actually improve brain function!

Just a little food for thought, and while you think about it, here’s a healthy treat you might enjoy (with plenty of deliciously healthy fat).

Blueberry Cream Pie

(vegan, grain free, gluten free, paleo, no added sugar)

Crust

• 1 1/2c mixed nuts (I used hazelnuts, walnuts & almonds)
• 3/4c pitted medjool dates

Pie

• 1 cup cashews (soaked; use almonds for paleo)
• 4 Tablespoons coconut butter
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 10oz. blueberries
• 2-4 Tablespoon full fat coconut milk (though water will work, too)
• optional* stevia to sweeten

Directions

To make the crust, place the nuts in a food processor and grind until you have a fine meal. Careful not to make nut butter! As the machine is running begin to add in the pitted dates. Press this mixture into a pie or springform pan and set in the fridge.

For the cream filling… you’ll love how simple this is…. put all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender or processor and blend till smooth! Pour the cream batter into the pie crust and store in the in the refrigerator or freezer.

When you’re hungry for this delicious pie, just pull it out of the freezer to thaw twenty minutes prior to serving.