The benefits of coconut oil are touted far and wide across the internet. Coconut oil has been shown to protect you from viruses, bacteria, infection, thyroid, brain and heart problems… plus beautifies your skin – and even burns fat! I’ve been using coconut oil everyday for several years now and I’d like to share some of the amazing benefits of coconut oil. But first, I want to address some of the questions I had difficulty finding answers to when I first heard about this miraculous product:
What is the consistency of Coconut Oil?
Is it a thin liquid similar to olive oil or vegetable oil, or is it thick like Crisco or butter? Coconut oil is different consistencies at different temperatures. When its cool (below 76 degrees fahrenheit or less, it’s more like a solid, almost like white candle wax, and can be dipped out of its container with a spoon. When the temperature is right at the 76 degree mark, it becomes a slurry. Above that temperature, it’s more like vegetable oil, clear in color and easily pourable.
How do I take or use Coconut Oil?
There are a number of ways coconut oil can be taken (ingested). It can be eaten with a spoon in its solid or liquid form. It can also be substituted for almost any kind of oil (or butter) used for cooking. It’s great when added to hot drinks, soups and smoothies. Coconut oil is an excellent eye make up remover and a makes great moisturizer when applied on your skin. There really are no rules as to how its used. And I can promise you this, once you start using coconut oil, you will find different ways to use it for all kinds of applications.
How does Coconut Oil taste?
Coconut adds a kind of sweet flavor to most foods when used in cooking that’s downright delicious. I love it on toast, eggs, garlic toast, and to be truly honest its great on just about anything! So enjoy the taste and all of the health benefits coconut oil has to offer!
Coconut oil is great to cook with! You can substitute Coconut oil for other oils or butter at a 1:1 ratio. I use it for cooking eggs, pancakes, stir fries and popcorn. It’s wonderful in baked goods, too.
Not ALL Coconut Oil is created equally! For the optimal health benefits of coconut oil, I recommend a cold-pressed, unrefined virgin coconut oil. Here’s the coconut that I use everyday.
Now, on to the benefits of Coconut Oil
Benefits of Coconut Oil are amazing – it consists of Medium Chain Triglycerides or (MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length. Unlike other oils made up of long-chain fatty acids, coconut oil’s MCT’s are metabolized in such a way that they go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, becoming a quick source of energy. This process produces ketone bodies which have been shown to have therapeutic effects on brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.
Here’s a quick list of other benefits of coconut oil:
- Boost your metabolism, helping you to burn fat
- Full of good fats that raise HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad cholesterol)
- Powerful anti-bacterial, anti-virus and anti-fungal properties to help ward off infections
- Appetite suppressant, making you feel fuller, and eating less
- High in anti-oxidants, helping protect hair and skin cell
- Shown to increase and promote thyroid health
- Can be used in Oil Pulling for whiter teeth and fresher breath
Where can I buy Coconut Oil?
Here’s a link to the coconut that I use everyday. Here’s a link to my favorite resource for coconut Oil.
What are your favorite benefits of Coconut Oil? Please share your coconut oil uses
