As a holistic nutritionist focused on whole foods, I love to incorporate natural remedies beyond just the food on my plate. One of my favorites is coconut oil, which can be used extensively for health and beauty. I chose to start using coconut oil as an alternative to olive oil when cooking or baking. Olive oil’s structure is greatly altered under heat, whereas coconut oil can generally withstand medium to high heat. Coconut oil is mostly saturated fat, which has been given a bad rap over the years. But our bodies, especially our brain and heart, need some saturated fat. Most people don’t realize that our cell walls are almost 50% saturated fat in structure, so obviously the body benefits from it in small amounts. Coconut oil contains vitamin E, vitamin K and minerals such as iron. Believe it or not, but coconut oil can also help with skin care, hair care, maintain cholesterol levels, weight loss and increased immunity. Wow!
Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so if you’re going to use it to cook with, first heat your pan over medium heat and then add about one tablespoon. It will quickly melt and you can move the pan to evenly coat the bottom. It adds a nice, subtle flavor as well. Another favorite of mine is using it as my face and body lotion. But be careful-a little bit goes a long way! Any lotion you put on your body goes directly into your bloodstream, so using something natural like coconut oil is optimal as it does not contain any harmful chemicals. It can also nourish your scalp or damaged hair if used as part of your hair care regimen. I’ve even used it to soothe a sun burn and it helps prevent the skin from drying out. Any skin conditions such as eczema can really benefit from coconut oil. For over 40 other uses, check out Coconut-Oil-Tips.com. It really is miraculous.
If you are interested in improving your heart health, coconut oil contains about 50% lauric acid, which can help prevent several heart problems such as high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. And for those wanting to lose a few pounds, listen up! Coconut oil can be extremely useful in reducing weight. It helps the thyroid, increases body metabolism and increases the amount of energy you burn.
As you can tell, there are so many benefits to incorporating coconut oil into your overall health program. So when you run out of your skin care products or are at the grocery store, give coconut oil a chance and pick up an organic brand. I think you will be blown away by this amazing super food.
