Co-Co for Coconuts

I don’t know about you, but for years, I avoided coconut oil like the plague. The mere fact that it was high in saturated fat alone was enough to take it out of consideration for a fat option. Back then, I was under the impression that my only good fat options were olive oil, avocado and fish oil, all used quite sparingly and in keeping with my overall low-fat diet I followed for years. Oh, what I was missing! Sadly, many people are still missing out on the many health benefits to be gleaned from eating coconuts including but certainly not limited to : • Diabetes • Heart disease • Chronic fatigue • Crohn’s disease • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) • Alzheimer’s disease • Thyroid conditions Plus, it’s versatility for use takes it far beyond the kitchen. Use it as a moisturizer or a hair mask. Grab a single serve packet of Artisana’s raw coconut oil for an easy snack on the go, or use it as a tool to add to your fat burning arsenal. Come again? Yes, consumption of MCT oil as part of a weight-loss plan improves weight loss and can thus be successfully included in a weight-loss diet, according to a study posted on The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’s website. Stir a scoop into a hot cup of green tea for an added boost of MCT oil, which occurs naturally in coconut oil. All systems go, in that case, to literally go co-co for coconuts? Balance is the key here; too, just as it is with any other fabulous food we eat on a real Paleo diet. That, plus common sense will lead you to down the right path towards incorporating coconut oil into your daily regime. Do: • Toss your freshly steamed veggies in raw coconut oil • Sauté with it up to medium temperatures • Source fresh, whole coconut if possible to make your own coconut water, milk and cream • Stock up on natural, dehydrated, natural, nothing added coconut if fresh isn’t available Don’t: • Make canned or boxed coconut milks and creamers part of your regular diet. Many contain stabilizers such as xanthan, carrageenan or guar gums, all of which contain potent anti nutrients and can cause GI distress • Convince yourself that making cakes, cookies and baked goods using coconut flour instead of whole wheat makes something into a health food. Special occasion? Sure. Daily breakfast? Not so much. • Get in a coconut rut. Don’t forget about all the other amazing fats we can partake of when we follow a real paleo diet. Learn the smoke points of all the different fats in order to determine which are best eaten raw and which are safe to heat the heck out of will ensure you’re not taking a fat that was once healthy and oxidizing it to death. Adding it to your pantry to have on hand just as easily as that bottle of Greek olive oil or freshly sprouted raw walnuts does a great job of rounding out your supply of good fat options, all of which provide satiety and a better means to facilitate absorption of many vitamins and nutrients. Perhaps most importantly, coconut provides an amazing taste and texture! 1 “Coconut Oil: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings – WebMD.” WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015. 2 St-Onge, Marie-Pierre, and Aubrey Bosarge. “Weight-loss Diet That Includes Consumption of Medium-chain Triacylglycerol Oil Leads to a Greater Rate of Weight and Fat Mass Loss than Does Olive Oil.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015.