Coconut oil is one of the safest, best oils to use for cooking. Coconut oil is a saturated fat. Now, before you get all huffy about saturated fats, please understand that they are NOT bad for you see my first blog  post on Experimenting with Oils called "Fat, The Healthy Kind". Studies show that people who consume proper amounts of saturated fats are actually healthier than a person on a low fat diet filled with trans-fatty acids (Heart Disease and a Little Help from Vitamin K). All trans-fatty acids cause inflammation--they are the true culprits of poor health. Just take a look at the rise of obesity in the past 50 years since the myth about saturated fats was devised. In short, not all fats are created equal, and coconut oil is one of the good ones.

As a saturated fat, coconut oil is highly stable in nature and does not go rancid easily even at higher temperatures, as opposed to polyunsaturated fats. It can sit in the cupboard for up to a year before needing to be tossed. It is solid at a temperature of 76 or less, and turns into a liquid at 76 or above. And it is perfect for putting in your frying pan as it does great when heated.

•  It is good for the body in many different processes
• Is it abundant in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) which are quickly converted by the body into energy, good things for blood sugar regulation and weight loss.
• Contains myristic acid and palmitic acid, essential acids for communication between the kidneys.
• Supports the thyroid gland in controlling metabolism and energy level.
• Can help reduce “belly fat” 
• Smoothes out the sugar roller coaster swings of hypoglycemia
• It is an immune booster
• Coconut oil contains lauric acid which is converted by the body into monolaurin. This helps the immune system fight off a number of viral, bacterial and fungal disease organisms including:
• Viruses - herpes, measles, HIV
• Bacteria – listeria, staphylococcus, and streptococcus
• Parasites – giardia lamblia (causes gastroenteritis)
• Fungus – Candida
• It is synergistic with essential fatty acids
• If your diet is already high in saturated fats, (again, NOT bad for you in moderation), consuming coconut oil won’t make any difference. It has neither omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids, so you don’t have to worry about overstocking on those!
• It can be a great moisturizer for you skin and hair
• It is antimicrobial and fights dandruff (a fungus in the Candida family)
• Can be in contact with the skin for several hours without consequence--put on right before going to bed at night and then wash off/out in the morning

Liquid coconut oil (also known as MCT oil), marketed for cooking and baking, is a relatively new fad. It is NOT naturally occurring--it is genetically modified coconut oil. In fact, the chemical process it goes through actually removes the best part--lauric acid--which counts for approximately half of the original constitution of coconut oil. If you’re removing half of the whole, can you really label and market it as the same thing? 

Here we find processing at its best yet again! Coconut milk separates and spoils easily. When you see coconut milk on the shelf, it’s probably pumped up with stabilizers that are likely not included on the ingredient list such as soy lecithin or guar gum (which can cause problems for gluten sensitive folks). Again, beware of this product. The best source of coconut milk is to buy a real coconut and just make it/drink it right from the fruit itself.

Coconut oil can be found in almost every grocery store these days, but how do you know you’re getting the best of the best? Look for words such as Cold Pressed, Organic, Raw, Virgin or Unrefined, and Fair Trade. These will lead you to purchasing the purest product available. 

If you’re looking for coconut oil to apply to your skin or hair, there are some great options available through my shop! Wellevate. Creating an account is free and shipping is free with a purchases $49 and over.