Fat is your brain’s friend.

For decades, we were told that low fat, low cholesterol was the way to go. The advised high carbohydrate, low-fat diet has coincided with a startling increase in obesity, diabetes, and many mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. We now know that this type of diet does not optimally feed your brain and some even suggest that it may be partially responsible for the Alzheimer’s epidemic.

I don’t know. What I do know is that your brain is 70 percent fat and that fat is it the preferred fuel of your metabolism. Most of the fatty acids in your brain are actually saturated and function as signaling messengers that influence metabolism, including the release of insulin. A diet that skimps on healthy fats robs your brain of the raw materials it needs to function optimally.