Coconut oil, the cure-all!

I have a lot of my readers ask me about coconut oil. What is it? Where can I buy it? Why is it so great? So here I am to hopefully answer some of your questions. Coconut oil is obviously a natural oil derived from coconuts. Shocker, I know. I  have actually seen it available more and more in regular grocery stores so check your local grocer particularly the health foods isle if they have one, if not check where the other oils & baking goods are located. If they don't have it look up the closest health food store and get it there. I try to buy the organic virgin unrefined kind when available because it's the purest form of Coconut oil. Now to answer the BIG question...What makes it so great? This might take a while.

Okay, let's clear the air right now. Coconut oil used to have a bad rep because of it's high saturated fat content... it is made of about 90% saturated fat- "but Nikki won't that stop my heart?"...DON'T FREAK YET. NOT ALL SATURATED FAT IS CREATED EQUAL. Let me explain.

The fat found in coconut oil is made 50% of a rare miracle type fat called lauric acid. Lauric acid is a compound that promotes healing and health in incredible ways- when digested the body turns it into monolaurin. Monolaurin has antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-fungal, antiviral, antibacterial properties. That's a mouthful. Basically, that is saying that it is a superfood that boosts your immune system and heals your body in multiple ways. 

Here are a few ways to use and benefit from it.

• Coconut oil can be used as hair care- apply after bath by massaging it into your scalp. This helps repair damaged hair because of the oils essential proteins. It also heals dry scalp, protects against lice, and moisturizes and conditions. 
• It can be used topically as skin care- it naturally moisturizes skin, it greatly reduces premature aging because of it's antioxidant power, and is great for healing several skin conditions including eczema. It can even be used to heal open wounds and infections by forming a chemical layer that protects it from dust, fungi, bacteria, viruses, ect. Ryleigh recently had a knarly cold and a couple days into it she started complaining that her ear hurt- I dropped a couple drops of coconut oil into her ear and had her lay there for a couple minutes so that it could be absorbed. She never complained of it hurting again. This same cold ended up stopping up her sinuses creating a cold in her eyes- they were excessively draining and puffy. A couple days into it I started cleaning her eyes with coconut oil on a q-tip several times a day... 24 hours later she no longer had matted closed eyes after a long nights sleep. I'm telling you it is magical and I swear by the stuff. That's just the magic it works externally.
• Interiorly it works very much the same way. When digested and the lauric acid turns into monolaurin, it then has the ability to fight and protect against bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, ect. It can sooth and heal ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, and other indigestion while also improving the bodies ability to absorb other important minerals and vitamins that benefit the body and boosts immunity. Vitamin K, E, and Iron are found abundantly in coconut oil as well.

Okay, so it's magical but it's still saturated fat and can stop up my heart, yes? NO! Coconut oil is also nature's richest form of medium-chain fatty acids...which basically means it is more easily digested than the long-chain fatty acids found in other vegetable and seed oils. The long-chain fatty acids predominately end up as stored fat, because they are more difficult for your body to break down. Since coconut oil is loaded with the medium-chain fatty acids they are easily broken down and burned immediately by the liver and used as energy, essentially boosting your metabolism and helping your body burn fat as energy instead of storing it. So it IS good for you and promotes weight loss and a healthy heart.

I'm secretly (or not-so-secretly) a homeopath at heart. I try to avoid medicating when possible. I prefer natural remedies when possible. Pardon my religious insert but I believe God put these things on this earth for our use and benefit and we should utilize them as often as we can instead of putting man-made chemical substances in our bodies that can create not-so-natural adverse affects. I am grateful for modern medicine as well as it is very necessary for some, but it shouldn't be so heavily relied upon when there are simpler, safer, solutions available. 

Hopefully, now, you have a little better understanding of why coconut oil is a staple in my home. I use it for culinary purposes because of it's versatility and deliciousness, as well as for medicinal and nutritional purposes. 

Also as an athlete it's immediate clean form of energy makes it an excellent part of a pre-workout meal. Toss a little in your oatmeal, or spread a little on your toast, or cook your eggs in it, or try a few of my previously posted recipes here or here or here...you'll be glad you did!