I’ve been consistently drinking butter (yes, literally, Mom) for the past month or so.

Now, you might be wondering why you’re reading this, and why you look to me for health advice. It sounds ludicrous to consume large amounts of pure, unadulterated fat. It turns out there’s some science behind it.

Butter is proven to aid in absorption of crucial macronutrients, micronutrients and vitamins. It’s a solid source of CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, proven to speed up your metabolism (that means weight loss and improved muscle tone, guys).

CLA is actually sold as a weight loss supplement, and has been proven to mitigate cancer and decrease body fat percentage. Ummm, pass the butter. And some sourdough bread too. More on that soon.

Translation: Butter helps you absorb the nutrient-dense food I know you’re eating (wink). Without it, all that goodness might be passing right through you. I know you’re busy and don’t have time for that – so let’s maximize absorption, yeah?

Butter also contains a lot of healthy saturated fat, which boosts your HDL, or “good” cholesterol. HDL is absolutely critical to non-negotiable bodily functions like brain mechanics. You CAN be witty – just eat more butter. LDL cholesterol is the bad stuff, increased by trans fat, refined carbohydrates and white sugar. Stay away from those players.

Butter is deeply satisfying and proven to increase fat burning. This means you’ll be satisfied with an overall smaller quantity of food. This is a very French concept – quality and richness over quantity. All for it.

My primary vehicle for butter has been “Bulletproof” coffee, which I’ve written about previously but only used coconut oil in. It turns out butter totally changes the game. Essentially, this is hot coffee blended with butter and coconut oil. Almost as good as morning sex.

Besides drinking butter, I’ve added healthy amounts of it to my cooking, which is something completely foreign to me, and awesome.

Guys, it also tastes really good. That means a lot for your brain. Mental satisfaction means you’re not going to be hitting up the vending machine and loading up on trans fat, processed carbs and sugar at 4pm because you’re bored and frustrated.

Most of you know that I was raised macrobiotic, which is a traditional, primarily-vegan diet based on root vegetables, grains, and eating according to the seasons. Butter is absolutely out of the question. I grew up on zero dairy, programmed to believe it would make my skin break out and cause digestive upset. Stronger forms of dairy like cheese and milk still seem to mess with me, but it turns out butter makes me feel like superwoman on crack.

If you’ve banned butter because of the fat or dairy content, I encourage you to reevaluate it, take it slow, and experiment to find out what works for you.

The bottom line is not that you should definitely eat lots of butter. It might suck for you and totally not work at all. Take my butter awakening as inspiration to intuitively fuel your body with real, whole food that satiates you fully, from meal to meal. And taking one big step back, erase all the mental preconceptions about what’s “bad” for you and listen to your body.

Do you love butter? Hate it? Avoid it because you’re afraid it will make you gain weight? Or for other reasons? Did you grow up with it or no? I want to hear from you – shoot me a note at lula@lulabrown.com or leave a comment below.

Pecan-Maple Glazed Chicken

Ingredients

Serves 2

2 chicken breasts or thighs, skin-on, organic/local (this is good fat – ask me about it)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons pure, organic maple syrup
5 tablespoons grassfed butter
3 tablespoons macadamia oil, or other high smoke point oil
Himalayan salt, to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Toast pecans in dry pan on medium heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant, then chop.

Add butter, maple syrup, pecans, and salt, to taste, to small pot and bring to a low boil, then reduce to super low heat.

Bring macadamia oil to high heat in non-stick skillet.

Wash and pat dry chicken. Sprinkle with salt on both sides. Sear in pan on high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side, until skin is browned and crispy.

Pour ½ of glaze over chicken and transfer to oven. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear.

Top with remaining glaze and extra chopped, toasted pecans and rosemary.

Photo: Jake Freeman