{"id":7828,"date":"2015-02-06T13:25:10","date_gmt":"2015-02-06T21:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fxnutrition.com\/?p=7828"},"modified":"2025-08-28T15:21:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T15:21:07","slug":"giddy-for-ghee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fxnutrition.com\/blog\/giddy-for-ghee","title":{"rendered":"Giddy for Ghee!"},"content":{"rendered":"

I get it. . . sometimes you just don’t have time to make it yourself.<\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I like to share my recommendations and reviews for food you can purchase while aiming to achieve your desired optimal health and wellness.<\/span><\/p>\n

This month:<\/em> ghee<\/h2>\n

When I graduated college, unorthodoxly in the middle of winter, over half a lifetime ago, my friends threw a party for me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Generously, they tried to identify my favorite food to serve at the gathering. But they were all a bit flummoxed. Each of them knew that my favorite food was not typical party-fare.<\/span><\/p>\n

My favorite food at the time? Buttered Toast.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would sit for hours reading, studying, drawing up plans for new projects fueled only by tea and thick slices of German rye bread that I\u2019d toast in the oven then slather with butter and finish with a sprinkling of salt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then life happened. Decades of it! First the dairy left the dietary picture. Gone was the butter. Then it was goodbye gluten (and the rye along with it.)<\/span><\/p>\n

My favorite food no longer favored me!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Can you relate?<\/p>\n

So when I found ghee (pronounced with a hard G and rhymes with glee), I was in heaven. Who knew that clarified butter had significantly less lactose and casein, and was considered a healing agent in Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) practices for centuries?<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s get clear<\/h2>\n

That\u2019s exactly what ghee does. It\u2019s butter that\u2019s gotten <\/span>mostly<\/span><\/i> clear \u2013 clear of almost all the milk proteins and solids. Ghee is traditionally made from either cow or buffalo\u2019s milk.<\/span><\/p>\n

The milk is heated which causes it to separate into three parts. The milk fat solids (which contain the dairy\u2019s proteins) sink to the bottom. The water rises to the top. What\u2019s left in the middle is a clear golden, healing and delicious oil.<\/span><\/p>\n

This<\/em> is ghee.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Three great things about ghee<\/h2>\n

It’s butter for those of us who can’t have it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ghee is very low in both lactose and casein.<\/span> When I prepare a grain-free muffin or scone to satisfy a hankering, ghee seals the deal.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fat soluble vitamins it contains can help with bone growth and organ integrity. <\/span>(As for taste, when I first found my way to ghee after not eating dairy for a good many years, I might just have uttered \u201cI can\u2019t believe it\u2019s not butter.\u201d If\u00a0 you\u2019re transitioning right from butter to ghee, you may more readily decipher the difference in taste.)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

While ghee may not be for those who have a true dairy allergy (or should be tried carefully and sparingly), those of us with dairy sensitivities or intolerances can usually tolerate the small amount of milk proteins that are left lingering in ghee.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ghee is a higher heat oil.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A higher heat oil means it reaches its smoke point later than many commonly used cooking oils, like olive oil. It oxidizes less readily, is less likely to cause free-radical damage, and is ultimately more healthful at these higher temperatures.<\/span><\/p>\n

In France, as I understand it, they cook their eggs in clarified butter precisely because it won\u2019t turn brown and overheat, retaining the integrity of the look and taste of the dish. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ghee is used for its healing properties in the Ayurvedic tradition.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Among ghee\u2019s healing properties is <\/span>its ability to ignite the digestive fires to help break down your food<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s said to do this in several key ways, from stimulating and balancing the secretion of necessary stomach acid that facilitates the breakdown of our foods, especially our proteins, to helping to deliver the nutrients within the food to the cells.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ayurvedic tradition would expand upon this list considerably. It\u2019s the go-to substance for supporting immunity, healing wounds, improving mind power, softening the skin and remedying what ails you.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re dairy or lactose-free, ghee is for thee!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Where do I buy ghee?<\/h2>\n

In your local health food store you might find jars of ghee on the shelf near the Indian foods and coconut milks. Sometimes it’s stored in the fridge. If you don\u2019t find any, ask them to carry one of these!<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few brands in keeping with our concerns for quality. The first four are clearly grass-fed and organic. The one that follows is organic but I was unable to find anything verifying the feed for the animals.<\/span><\/p>\n