Coconut Oil... How can you incorporate it into your daily routine?

As many of you know at the office we heavily promote coconut oil because of its healing properties and that it is an AMAZING fat for the body.  (Don't be fooled that fat is bad and that you want low fat or non fat foods. Sugar is the bad guy because it causes so much inflammation and inflammation is the main culprit of most health issues.) Coconut oil contains medium chained triglycerides (MCT) and it is almost 50% Lauric Acid.  Lauric Acid is what gives it such amazing antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial properties.  Who couldn't benefit from it?! Most people have been on antibiotics, which means they have candida (or have detoxed with the program at the office) and can benefit greatly from the antifungal properties.  All of us encounter viruses and bacterias on a daily basis and there is no getting around that... coconut oil can help fight off those invaders and help our immune system out.

There have also been many studies that have shown that coconut oil reduces LDL ("bad cholesterol") and raises HDL ("good cholesterol") levels as well as decreased triglyceride levels in the blood!  So it is a must have for anyone who has been told they have 'high' cholesterol (and what I consider high cholesterol is much different than traditional medicine- you need to be more concerned with triglyceride levels and work on lowering those if they are high). 

Coconut oil is also great for improving thyroid function and therefore our metabolism.  It also acts to help stabilize our blood sugar levels and prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes.  It allows our body to better utilize insulin which is a major player in blood glucose levels.  It is a great high energy food for the body.

A MUST HAVE for anyone with brain disorders (especially Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, etc).  This is because coconut oil is broken down into ketones which are utilized in great amounts by the brain.  There have been accounts that the effects of Alzheimer's have been halted or even reversed by simply taking coconut oil because it is a fuel for the brain!

I recommend getting at least 3 tablespoons of coconut oil a day.  Start slow and work your way up to it.  Take 1 tablespoon for a week and add in another one the week after until you have got up to 3 tablespoons per day.  You can do it raw... but if you are like me its hard to stomach.  So I wanted to give you some ideas below how you can use it too.  Remember 3 tablespoons!

Uses
-Cook/Fry with it... use it in your saute pan. Cook eggs with it.  Cook meat with it.
-Spread it all over your baking pans to grease up and prevent anything from stick.  No more PAM!
-Use as a moisturizer on the skin.  Especially over dry skin and breakouts.
-Put a tablespoon in a warm drink or soup.  Yes the first sip you drink most of it because it doesn't mix in the drink but that's okay.  Your lips get nice and moisturized :)
-Put a tablespoon over your quinoa or rice or pasta... you won't even notice it is there if you get expellered-pressed coconut oil
-Use it as a substitute for butter and other oils in recipes
-Use as lip moisturizer
-Use as hand moisturizer and hand sanitizer... remember its antibacterial and antiviral right!?
-Use on callused feet to soften them up.  Moisturize them up and put socks on. 
-Make deodorant with it... Look back at my previous post for the recipe.  It works better than any other thing I have tried... even name brand deodorants!
-Use as make up remover... that's what I use every night to remove my mascara.  Works like a charm.
-It can be used to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy... no I don't have any experience
-Use on all skin rashes... including diaper rash! Safe and extremely effective!  Use to help calm down the itching and redness of eczema and psoriasis too.
-Use as a deep conditioner for the hair (look at my previous post for instructions).  Makes hair silky and soft.  Also great for anyone who has dandruff or an itchy scalp.

Other fun uses
-Great for animals... keeps their digestive system healthy and great for their fur.  Feel Louie's fur and you will see!  He gets 1 Tbs a day.
-Rub on animals 'hot spots'
-This doesn't help your body at all... but it can be used as shoe polish!  It keeps leather soft and shiny.
-Use it like you would WD-40

Stop by the office and pick up a quart or gallon of coconut oil and a great book by Tropical Traditions on the amazing benefits and uses of it!

Research papers to reference about coconut oil
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19437058
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15329324
http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/yeclnm/article/S1751-4991(07)00043-1/abstract