These days, it seems, just about everyone is talking about the benefits of adding coconut oil into your life and, so, we thought we would share our thoughts!
Coconut oil is a wonderful food with so many health benefits; we urge you to include it in your diet regularly. The majority of the fats in most people’s diet are long chain fatty acids; they’re found in animal fats, vegetable oils (including olive oil) and avocados. Coconut oil is rich in a type of fat called medium chain triglycerides. There aren’t many foods rich in this type of fat; coconut oil, palm kernel oil and human breast milk are the main sources.
Medium chain fatty acids are a lot easier to digest than long chain fatty acids. In fact, they do not require bile for their digestion. The fact that they’re easy to digest makes these fats a good option for people without a gallbladder, or anyone with severely compromised digestion. These fats head straight to your liver and provide an efficient source of energy. The fats are in a form that is not readily converted into body fat and stored. That means eating more coconut oil will help to give you more energy, but should not prompt you to gain weight.
In fact, most people lose weight once they start including more coconut oil in their diet.
All fats have a satiating effect, but medium chain triglycerides can help to keep you feeling full for longer; that means you’ll be less inclined to snack or search for sugar in the afternoon or evening. These fats also help to reverse insulin resistance (syndrome X) by making your body a more efficient fat burner.
One type of fat found in coconut oil is lauric acid. It has strong antimicrobial properties. In fact, it is found in human breast milk, where it helps to protect the infant against infections. Including coconut oil in your diet regularly can help to protect your immune system against infections and discourage the growth of pathogenic microbes in your digestive tract. It helps to discourage the growth of Candida and Helicobacter pylori in the digestive tract.
You can use coconut oil in a variety of ways. You can cook with it, although please be aware it doesn’t tolerate heat as well as fats like ghee or lard, therefore it’s better for lower temperature cooking. You can use coconut oil as a salad dressing during summer when it’s liquid. You can also add it to smoothies. If you’re battling with an intense craving for sugar you can eat one tablespoon of coconut oil by itself, or add it to a cup of herbal or green tea. It will take away the craving and leave you feeling full and satisfied.
Coconut oil can be applied topically as an all natural moisturiser – it is also an awesome hair mask (no nasty chemicals!)
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