IMMUNE BUILDER/COLD AND FLU FIGHTER
We are now seeing coconut oil being used to help fight AIDS. Recent studies have confirmed that coconut oil has an anti-viral effect and can reduce the viral load of HIV patients. For more information on this visit. http://www.www.lauric.org/. For those of us looking for a way to fight off or reduce cold and flu symptoms, ingesting coconut oil will help. If you get the flu/cold take 2-3 Tb. of coconut oil with every meal. Your sick time will be cut in half. People who use coconut oil regularly in their diets have made claims to be cold/flu free for 2-10 years.
WEIGHT LOSS
I think this is the one people are really interested in so let me say this… there was a study done on how farmers could make their pigs fatter. They fed one group of pigs soybean oil and one group coconut oil, then sat back to see which ones got fatter. To their surprise, the pigs that were fed coconut oil actually lost weight! Science is now figuring out how this is possible. When you eat coconut oil, your body uses it immediately to make energy rather than store it as body fat. Energy = good. Fat = bad. In essence, it boosts your metabolism even when you are not exercising and therefore burns calories. It can also help control your sugar cravings which could save you a few hundred calories a day.
ASSISTS IN FATIGUE
Instead of going for that extra cup of coffee or candy bar around 2:00, take one tablespoon of coconut oil. I really like eating it with a small bite of chocolate. It gives you a natural boost.
SKIN BENEFITS
My sister-in-law was visiting recently and I couldn’t help but stare at her skin. It was truly amazing. She chalks it up to her intake of coconut oil and lotion that she makes. (An all natural recipe that I LOVE and she sells. Let me know if anyone wants to try it and I can get you some.) Coconut oil can also reduce stretch marks, control dandruff, and be used as a conditioner. In full disclosure, I haven’t tried using it to reduce my stretch marks because I plan on getting pregnant again and figure what’s the point. My husband says they are my tiger stripes and I’m starting to wonder if that’s where all my mommy power is derived from.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
I have to admit I was really skeptical about this one. My sister-in-law said to rub it on the area that hurts with a couple of drops of peppermint oil. My knee was starting to act up so I begrudgingly tried it. At first I felt a warm sensation on my knee. Then it immediately felt better. I thought if felt nice at the time but surely wouldn't "fix" my knee pain. I kid you not… I did this for three days in a row and my knee no longer hurts.
GOOD SOURCE OF PROTEIN/FIBER
Coconut oil has more protein than green beans, carrots and other vegetables. One cup of dried coconut is equal to 9 grams of fiber.
WHAT IS IT?
Nutritional scientists do not agree on what it is… fruit, nut, seed? Personally, I’m cheering for the fruit team so I can count it as one of my five-a-day. What scientists do agree on is how amazing it is. It’s actually a component in baby formula because it provides many of the same nutrients as human breast milk. I think we have all heard the recent findings of how amazing breast milk is for our children’s health…even in their adult lives. With that said, let’s get started!
RECOMMENDED CONSUMPTION
Start out by consuming 1-2 tsp of coconut oil a day. If you jump to 2 Tb. a day you will be in the bathroom more than you’d like. Although this can be another benefit, I really didn't want to make a whole section on how great your bowel movements will be. After a few days, go ahead and move to 2Tb. a day. There are so many ways to do this that I’ll just list a few examples.
- Consume 2Tb. a Day
- 1 Tb. in your morning coffee
- 1 Tb. in the afternoon with small piece of chocolate
- 1 Tb. in orange juice
- Add to Your Vitamin Routine. While researching more for this blog, I found coconut oil capsules! I'm really excited to try them out and add them to my evening vitamin intake.
- Cook With It. There are so many delicious ways to add coconut to your diet. Use the unsweetened coconut flakes in all kinds of recipes. I recommend the book, Coconut Lovers Cookbook. I also use coconut oil instead of shortening. In fact, I haven’t used shortening in years. I even use it in my homemade pie crusts.
There are so many benefits and interesting studies done on coconut. I highly recommend reading “The Coconut Oil Miracle.” This is where a lot of my research came from. The author did a good job of citing his resources and they were credible.
DISCLAIMER
Like any good attorney, I’d like to provide a disclaimer. Contrary to the book, coconut oil does NOT cause miracles. After trying it, you will not wake up the next morning fitting into those skinny jeans of yours. However, I do believe it is a small change to make on our journey to live healthier lives.
Hey Michelle! Great blog!! :-) One question on the coconut oil... what about the saturated fat? Isn't coconut/coconut oil largely saturated fat? Just wondering how that weighs into the health benefits? Let me know if you have any info on that.
ReplyDeleteBtw, my hubby is from Honduras - and he grew up on coconut and coconut oil. They used to make it, of course - and that was the only oil they had to use. He's delighted that there may be great health bens to it, but I tend to avoid the saturated fats and stick w/ olive oil etc.
Thanks!!
:-) Heather
Most people are alarmed when they read the saturated fat on the label. What needs to be distinguished is “bad” saturated fat vs. “good”. Hydrogenated oil has trans fatty acids (TFA), which is not good for you. Natural coconut oil does not have TFA. I too use olive oil (First Cold Pressed) in my cooking. When to use what will come with time and your preferences. For example, this morning I made coconut blackberry muffins with coconut oil and coconut flakes. (They are a big hit with my friends) When I make my pies, I would never add olive oil to my crust but do love using coconut oil instead of shortening (Bad saturated fat).
ReplyDeleteI love love love coconut and interested to hear more about this lotion your sister in law has....and where are my muffins?!? Those sound yummy!
ReplyDeleteI just have to say that I am a stressed out mama who, like you Michelle, is also a raving fan of caffeine! And I loved this coconut post. honestly, I had no idea that coconut oil was this good for you. And the bit with the pigs and the weight loss was enough to hook this American female into giving it a try. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDelete