Coconut Oil has been extremely popular worldwide for a few years now. It’s known as a super food/product that you can use in over 75 different ways . In your household, skin, hair, as a health supplement and for cooking.
Health websites and bloggers have been writing about it’s glory for quite some years but Italy seems to have skipped this train. I do believe this is due to the fact that olive oil here is considered the first lady of oils and for many good reasons 🙂
Since moving here I use olive oil much more than I used to, but from time to time I like to switch things up so I will alternate between olive and coconut in my cooking.
I would like start off by providing you with you some of the many ways coconut oil may be of use to you and I think a good speech can never be repeated enough.
– For starters, coconut oil can tolerate the highest heat out of all the oils and this is the reason why claims have been made that it’s the most healthy oil to cook with. It is high in saturated fat, but not all saturated fat is bad. The saturated fat in coconut oil is natural and natural saturated fat has been proven to be extremely healthy and even necessary for your body. It improves your health and functions in so many different ways.
– Coconut oil may help you to naturally balance your hormones because it’s a great source of saturated fat and also lauric acid.
– Coconut oil can help improve bacteria and gut health by destroying bad bacteria and candida. Candida imbalance can decrease stomach acids which then cause inflammation and poor digestion.
* There are entire books dedicated to the potential of saturated fats like coconut oil to help avoid Alzheimer’s. If you are interested in exploring more on this topic then I suggest you read, “Alzheimer’s Disease: What If There Was A Cure?”
– It’s anti-inflammatory properties can help lessen arthritis.
– It’s anti-inflammatory properties can also release a bloated swollen stomach.
– Blend a tablespoon into hot tea to help speed recovery from a cold or flu.
– Rub it in your nose to reduce allergies.
– Can reduce the itch of mosquito bites.
– Coconut oil makes an excellent eye-makeup remover all on its own.
– Add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to make a delicious massage oil.
– As a natural shaving cream and aftershave lotion.
– Mix with seal salt to remove dry skin on feet.
– Natural homemade diaper cream.
– Use it alone or with baking soda as a natural deodorant.
– By itself or with baking soda as a naturally whitening toothpaste
– Rub on cuticles to help nails grow.
– Rub on elbows or knees daily to alleviate dry, flaky skin patches.
– Excellent lip balm.
– After dish-washing use as a hand lotion or before going out in cold weather to protect your hands from dryness.
– As a completely natural baby lotion and massage oil.
* I rub it on my boys’ faces to protect their sensitive skin before going out into very cold weather.
– Make your own baby wipes – boil a small cup of water and add one big table spoon of coconut oil to it so that it melts. Then pour the mixture over a large pile of gauze in a box or Tupperware. *I use it as a diaper rash cream for my boys.
– Coconut Oil for hair – rub it onto the very ends of your hair and let it remain overnight and in the morning make sure to washout well.
– Coconut oil for hair – rub into your scalp daily to stimulate hair growth in men
– Oil Pulling – First thing in the morning when you wake up put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and swish it between your teeth between 5 and 20 minutes, then spit out and scrape your tongue well. It’s been said that this can improve any cuts or soars, cure bad breath, provide good gum and oral health.
– I like to add a teaspoon to my coffee every morning.
– In smoothies
– In exchange of butter on bread – coconut oil is delicious
– I add a tablespoon of it to melt over my steamed vegetables – so yummy!
– As an alternative to butter in many baking recipes.
What I always do after my shower and before drying off is massage the oil into my wet skin for extra moisture and I also do this for my boys. Take my word for it , your skin will simply glow. I am always very conscious of what I put on my skin, especially during my pregnancies and while breastfeeding. I once heard we should never put anything on our skin in which we can’t eat. Our skin is our biggest and a very important organ so what we put on our skin can easily be absorbed into our circulation. Many skin products are just loaded with harmful chemicals and toxic materials. I highly recommend you give coconut oil a try. I always keep one jar of it in our kitchen and one in the bathroom.
Hope you enjoy it!
– Love JM