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I know you're going to find it difficult to believe, but butter - at least the raw, grass-fed, organic variety - is one of the healthiest whole foods you can have in your diet.

The great butter controversy has a long and varied past. If you go back about 120 years in America's history, you will see that animal fats and butter were the only available and exclusively used fats in the American diet. With this, there was still a low incidence of heart disease, heart related illnesses, type 2 diabetes and obesity. So if the saturated fat that is found in butter is not the culprit for these diseases, what is?

The answer to that question is right in front of our faces - on television, in most people's pantries, and in nearly every restaurant out there - processed and prepackaged foods, refined sugars and flours, and the increase in the use of unhealthy fats that are found in margarine and other oils are what's really to blame for such trends, not butter!

In fact, here are 8 reasons to ditch the margarine and start cooking with butter:

1. Butter helps to supply your body with essential fatty acids.


2. Consuming appropriate amounts of saturated fats, such as those found in butter, help in maintaining proper hormone balance.


3. Organic butter is good for heart health, as it keeps the arteries supple and flexible due to its high lauric acid content.


4. Butter from organic grass fed cows encourages healthy glowing skin and hair.


5. Vitamins K, D, and E are plentiful in butter.


6. Butter contains antioxidants that help to fight free radicals


7. The conjugated linoleic acid that is found in butter has been shown to be an anti-cancer agent while assisting in building muscle and boosting the immune system.


8. The cholesterol found in organic butter fats has been shown to play a significant role in the development of the brain and nervous system in children.

The list can go on and on, but I think you are starting to get the picture that butter is better for numerous health reasons. In fact, butter is better than it's so-called "healthy" counterpart, margarine, better than vegetable oils, and it doesn't have to be given up if you are looking to lose stubborn pounds.

How much butter is too much?

While butter is an extremely healthy fat, just like anything else it should be consumed in moderation. If you are cooking with butter, limit yourself to 1-3 teaspoons of butter throughout any given day. It's so important to measure your food so you aren't over- and under-estimating portion sizes.

Check out some of our recipes to see just how much butter should be in 1 serving:

»For more tips on how to become a healthier, slimmer you, and meal plans that will bring you closer to success, Join Beyond Diet Today.