Fat Is Good

                                        Coconut Oil

 

No! Not That Kind!

This kind!

 What is it? It's a healthy oil, it's a buzz word, it's all around us! Unlike Paris Hilton there is actually a good reason why you keep hearing about it. Coconut oil is the oil that is expelled from the pulp or flesh of a coconut. It's amazing! It is antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, and an antioxidant. That's alot of anti's! It not only fights off bad stuff, but does alot of positive things for your body too. That list is growing on an almost daily basis, with the most recent research I've seen linking coconut oil to improving Alzheimer's symptoms or even reversing them! The research behind this is delving into the action of ketones, but there seems to be a wide belief that one of the potential causes of Alzheimer's also gives us insight into the solution. Fat. We all know to take prenatal vitamins with an omega-3 addition and we give our babies whole milk, but do you know why? Fat. Fat is essential to the proper development of our brain as infants,and it continues to be a key component as we age. With all of the lowfat diets of the past decades, the cholesterol medicines, and replacing good natural fats (like butter and coconut oil) with processed transfats and hydrogenated oils our brains have been collectively deprived of this healthy essential. Potentially leading to Alzheimer.

  For the average family the benefits are innumerable, but here is a good list to give you a glimpse of the ways coconut oil can serve your family.

• Kills bacteria causing urinary tract infections, gonorrhea, gum disease, staphylococcus, MRSA...
• Destroys fungus causing candida (yeast)
• Kills viruses causing flu, infectious disease, typhoid, HIV..
• Eases acid reflux, relieves gallbladder disease.( I wish I had known about this during my first pregnancy. I had horrible heartburn AND had my gallbladder removed mere days before my 3rd trimester)
• Relieves and heals intestinal disorders, ulcers, colitis, IBS, and Crohn's disease.
• Protects against osteoporosis and reduces problems from cystic fibrosis
• Improves magnesium and calcium absorption, promoting stronger bones (coconut milkshake anyone?)
• Reduces joint and muscle inflammation, supporting repair of tissues
• Protects against cancers of colon, breast, and digestive track.
• Soothes earaches when mixed with garlic and olive oil
• Topical applications relieve pain and swelling from hemorrhoids (remember this when you're post partum, ladies!)
• Moisturizes and softens dry ski
• Mixed with baking soda, coconut oil makes an effective toothpaste (and deoderant!)
• Heals psoriasis and eczema lesions
• Eliminates head lice.
• Makeup remover
• Heals diaper rash and removes cradle cap on babies
• Cook with it!

It's impossible to go wrong with CO. You'll never waste your money, you'll never run out of uses, you will, however, run out of coconut oil. Fortunately, it has become widely available in supermarkets and even discount stores.

   Do you ever have those mornings where you wake up and the kids have ransacked all of the groceries you bought the day before? No? Just me? Ok. Well, this is how it goes. You think, "Hey! Bananas are on sale. I think I'll get 2 bunches." and "Oh yum! Look at the kiwi! I think I'll grab 6." Then you come home, fend off the crazies to put the groceries away, and manage to go to bed with all food still in tact. But cock-a-doodle-do, the morning's waiting for you. And the fruit isn't. The 2 year old at FIVE of the kiwi and a banana. While I was cleaning him up my 7 year old polished off the last one. Meh. He was all fat and happy until about an hour later. He started crying and gesturing to his mouth. When I inspected it both edges of his mouth were raw and his tongue was all raised taste buds like he had a bad sunflower seed habit. I honestly had no idea that kiwi would do that, but I guess it just goes to show you too much of a good thing.... I rinsed his mouth really well, but he was still so pitiful and crying and with absolutely no idea what else to do I grabbed the coconut oil. (I bet you were wondering where I was going with this. Have a little faith!) I coated his lips and the entire outside of his mouth but he was still fussing about his tongue. I said, "Say ahhhhhhhh..." and then swiped CO all over his tongue. He looked at my like I had 2 heads, one of which was rather startling, then said, "Yuck!" then he was quiet. 

   I don't know if he ever put 2 and 2 together and figured out exactly what helped his tongue, but when it started hurting again a little while later he didn't have any qualms with saying "ahhhhhh". And after just those 2 applications his tongue was fine. The corners of his mouth are another story, as it's been peeling and is still very raw, but he is asking for CO when it starts to hurt. It is improving, and if I weren't using CO I don't know what I would be using. I'm certainly not going near his mouth with Neosporin, and Vaseline would be equally gross. Either way, I fully expect to see his mouth healed before the black seeds disappear from his poop.

Oh! And see that little eczema spot on his cheek? Gone. Thanks to CO. :)

Gratuitous cuteness

  We primarily use CO for diaper rashes, skin problems (a dab on a scratch, coat a spot of eczema, etc), and lotion but the other health benefits do not escape my notice. I have cooked with CO, and after reading the recent research on Alzheimer's I think we'll be using it even more. My kiddos love coconut ice cream, so I think a coconut banana smoothie or milkshake would be perfect to throw a spoonful or two of CO in. We've started out fall baking too, so maybe these pumpkin muffins would fit the bill! How do you use CO?