Today you are being let in on a secret. I am having a love affair! And it’s with coconut. Take a listen to why this relationship evolved. How many single food sources on the planet can you think of that provide such an abundance of applications and forms for internal and external use? Not very many, but with coconut, there is Coconut butter, coconut oil, coconut water, coconut palm sugar, coconut flour, coconut nectar, coconut meat, coconut milk, coconut aminos (an excellent soy-free and low sodium alternative to soy sauce and tamari), and you can use it as body lotion, and even hair balm. And I use every single of one of these! Very moderate internal consumption of course since it is still concentrated fat, but I tell you, coconut has so many healthy benefits, it will make your head spin. Did you know eating coconut (yep…even with all its saturated fat) can help you lose weight, lower LDL cholesterol, and increase your metabolism? It is also known to help reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Why? Let’s explore.
The main and most understandable reason is the presence of Lauric Acid. Lauric acid is a medium-chain fatty acid (as oppose to long-chain which are unhealthy and found in all other saturated fats) and converts to monolaurin when consumed. Monolaurin is known to lower inflammation in the body, and fights infections, bacteria, and viruses. Also, medium-chain fatty acids are easy to digest unlike other saturated fats.
Explore this further in Dr. Mercola’s video below:
So how much do I recommend? If you are going to use coconut oil, 1 Tb. per day is sufficient. If you’d rather use the whole food version in the form of unsweetened shredded coconut or coconut meat, aim for under 1/2 cup per day. You could add some to your smoothies or sprinkle on morning oats. As for body use, slather coconut oil on as your daily moisturizer to achieve smooth, healthy and radiant skin.
