Coconut Oil - what do I need to know?

Liz4J

Hi all,
I just purchased a jar of coconut oil to try. I've heard there are many, many uses but I need more information on how good it is to cook with.
I looked on the jar and was shocked to see it was so high in saturated fat. I know some fat is good but is coconut oil worth cooking with? Give me your opinion.
I did notice when used it today that I only needed a very small amount.
Thanks in advance for the input.

melimomTARDIS

Its nice in place of vaseline, for skincare. Also good after shaving, or a little in your hair post wash. It gives me heartburn, so I don't eat it.

MizTerry

I use it to cook with (my homemade pan popped popcorn is da bomb!), I use it for my hair, my dry skin, and it's even good for bedroom playtime.

Liz4J

melimomTARDIS wrote: »

Its nice in place of vaseline, for skincare. Also good after shaving, or a little in your hair post wash. It gives me heartburn, so I don't eat it.

I have some slapped on my face right now! I heard you can put it in on your teeth to remove stains too. Maybe I'll try that one tomorrow!

Liz4J

MizTerry wrote: »

I use it to cook with (my homemade pan popped popcorn is da bomb!), I use it for my hair, my dry skin, and it's even good for bedroom playtime.

Oooh! Bed room play time! Well, I'm positive I have enough to spare with how much I've caked on my face!

GoPerfectHealth

Lot's of people say it is good for cooking because it has contains medium chain triglycerides which are good for you. Yet, other's say that it is not good for you because it has too much saturated fat. Like so many other aspects of nutrition, you will find a great deal of disagreement and you'll just have to decide for yourself!

spunmommy

All of the above and I use it to season my cast iron skillets! I haven't used anything on my face save for coconut oil and honey for a year. It's cheaper than Clinique and my skin feels awesome.

Coconut oil has a high smoke point making it great for sauté and roasting. Stay away from vegetable and canola oils for cooking because they're high in Omega 6 and oxidize at high temps. Don't cook with olive oil either, save it for dressings and a little drizzle of flavor out of the pan.

miriamtob

I have my local healthfood store order it by the gallon for me. It is an extremely stable oil that won't go rancid like most nut and seed oils. I've been making loads of these amazing truffles with it. Mix it with your favorite nut butter, some almond flour, maple syrup, roll it into bite sized balls and refrigerate. Then you can roll them in different powders like cocoa and maca. Yum.

Christine_72

@miriamtob‌ do you take maca? I've been looking into it, but the hormone thing kinda put me off

miriamtob

Oh, I don't know about the hormone thing, can you tell me? I really like the malty flavor of it and it is an adaptogen herb, great for energy and stress.

rbayse1

It taste really good, (even by itself) clean and it does't stink when cocking with it. Very high in calories like any oils or fat based food. I read it was better to cook with that other oils because the medium chain triglycerides don't break down. It does get really hot so I don't turn the burner on as high.

cdn_beaver

I use it for cooking and baking (sub out half the butter for coconut oil). I use it in bulletproof coffee. I buy the big tubs from Costco.

Pupslice

Never cooked with it but it's soooooooooo good if you have dry skin. I use it right out of the shower, and also use it in my hair as well (it's wonderful for naturally curly hair that tends to be dry).

Christine_72

miriamtob wrote: »

Oh, I don't know about the hormone thing, can you tell me? I really like the malty flavor of it and it is an adaptogen herb, great for energy and stress.

I've read that if your hormones are off, maca can regulate them. Menopause symptoms can be alleviated etc etc
It doesn't contain any hormones though.

Christine_72

Here's just one link re maca powder
http://wellnessmama.com/8254/maca-herb-profile/

SnuggleSmacks

The majority of what you've heard is psuedo-science fad bull. But it really is a nice oil to cook and especially bake with. Since it is solid at room temperature, it's a nice sub for butter in baked goods, as it will give the same consistency, and it imparts a very mild sweet flavor. You can also put it in smoothies and make "fat bombs" with it (add some sort of flavoring agent to room temp, solid coconut oil and then extrude it through a cookie extruder into little shapes, stick in fridge or freezer.) People on low carb/high fat diets may be interested in this, since it's not exactly delicious (although it is somewhat tolerable.) I sometimes use it to make frosting for breakfast stuff like pancakes or crepes. Just add unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and a little honey.

I will say that beyond the woo, eating coconut oil makes me feel fuller longer than olive oil or butter.

nam985

Coconut oil is something that has been a pantry staple for me for years, but to be honest I have never once cooked with it! I use it as a moisturizer for my skin, which gets very dry and angry in the winter (but never on my face as it is a recipe for a breakout) and once a week I use it as a hair mask (I slather it in my hair, wrap my head in plastic and hang out around the house for a couple hours before washing it out, it works better than some of the fancy schmancy salon hair treatments I've tried over the years!).

RodaRose

The most benefits are from the unrefined that you cook on lowish temperatures.
I use it most often for skin and face before I go to sleep.

candacefausset

I use real grass fed sweet cream butter, coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. It depends on what I want to cook as to what I will use. Coconut oil is very fragrant and works beautifully in baked goods. It also has a high burn temp so it can be used for things that need to be cooked for long periods or at high temps without burning and smoking up your house. Works great on the off chance that I am frying something but is perfect in stir frys- especially when a little exotic flair is needed. It offers a subtle sweet smell so works well for counter acting pungent smells such as garlic and onion so I use it to saute too. EVOO is light on flavor and smell, allowing it to pick up whatever flavors and smells you put into it and blending in perfectly. I use it for sauteing and for making sauces and dressings for salads. It adds smoothness without being overly heavy. I use butter in fewer cases these days but I still do occasionally when something calls for that buttery flavor you just can't achieve otherwise. But I keep butter away from stir frys because of its low burn temp. Biscuits, garlic bread and gravy normally get real butter in our house.

My favorite food to use coconut oil in is waffles. The smell of the tropical coconut wafting through your house from a hot waffle iron is nearly intoxicating. It doesn't pick up the flavor so much but when topped with fresh berries, it gives a bit of a tropical experience lol.

I also use coconut oil in my hair, on my scalp as my facial moisturizer and on my dry skin and chapped lips in the winter. I work a lot with fabric and not only does it wick the moisture right from my skin, whatever it picks up tends to leave an oily stain on my work. Coconut oil doesn't do that so it is perfect for me. I buy it in bulk at our local Sams Club and I let it get down to the last cup or two in my kitchen before I move it to the bathroom and it becomes a body use only product at that point (don't want cross contamination) as I use it much more in cooking than anything!

melimomTARDIS

be aware that if you use it on your face- its HIGHLY comedogenic.

cwolfman13

It's a nice cooking oil....but it's fat, just like any cooking oil. I use it primarily when cooking my eggs and making popcorn. Most of the miracle claims are exaggerated at best and mostly just anecdotal *kitten*.

I think it's hilarious though that the stuff was banned from movie theaters in the 90s and pretty much the "devil" and now it's a "health" food...cracks me up.

spunmommy

melimomTARDIS wrote: »

be aware that if you use it on your face- its HIGHLY comedogenic.

I haven't found this to be the case for me, but I don't use it as a moisturizer, I remove makeup and wash my face with it. Rub it all over, then use a hot steamy wash cloth, rinsed several times to wipe it off.

Naley2322

A lot of calories for a tiny volume that won't give you much energy or keep you full so you will be eating more in no time... and an easy way to rack up calories! But if you have them to spare I guess there is no harm!

Laurend224

Takes off waterproof mascara like a champ.

johannam82

Liz4J wrote: »

melimomTARDIS wrote: »

Its nice in place of vaseline, for skincare. Also good after shaving, or a little in your hair post wash. It gives me heartburn, so I don't eat it.

I have some slapped on my face right now! I heard you can put it in on your teeth to remove stains too. Maybe I'll try that one tomorrow!

Today is my 2nd day of "oil pulling" stains do seem slightly lighter already. I haven't gone past 10 mins yet though.

nataliebordeauxx

Naley2322 wrote: »

A lot of calories for a tiny volume that won't give you much energy or keep you full so you will be eating more in no time... and an easy way to rack up calories! But if you have them to spare I guess there is no harm!

Interesting! I find that when I put a 1/2 serving in my shakes, it keeps me fuller for much longer.

Coconut oil FTW in my book!

zenabby

In India, coconut oil has been used as a staple for so many things for so long...I use it in cooking for special recipes. My guess is if I mix and match good oils, it can't hurt. It is my go-to lip balm at night. It heals and smoothes and is calming. I use it as a moisturizer on my legs and hands, and a little on the face. In India, we always moisturize our hair with coconut oil everyday (long ago tradition) to avoid dryness, but then ofcourse, the hair looks oily. So I now I moisturize my hair with coconut oil and leave it on for about an hour once a week before I was my hair. It is VERY safe.

DAM5412

I use it every morning in my coffee, it gives me an nice boost of energy that lasts well past "lunch" time. I also found this online, and tend to think it may be more helpful then someone saying "A lot of calories for a tiny volume that won't give you much energy or keep you full so you will be eating more in no time... and an easy way to rack up calories! But if you have them to spare I guess there is no harm!"


http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/13-evidence-based-medicinal-properties-coconut-oil

RhineDHP

I use it in my hair every once in awhile. I work it from the roots down to the ends, then put my head up in a bun because it feels super greasy. The next morning I shampoo twice, then after blowdrying it feels all silky.

Christine_72

I'm particularly interested in the "reducing belly fat" claim in that article @DAM5412‌ . I want to think it's true....

julielh72

I put it in my porridge - this morning I had porridge made with unsweetened almond milk, 1tsp of ground flaxseed and 1 tsp of coconut oil stirred in after cooking and topped with fresh raspberries and a few flaked almonds. It was delicious and I felt full for ages.

I've also been experimenting with baking sugar free oat muffins which have been turning out really well. It is a lovely base oil when making anything curried or oriental. Haven't tried popcorn yet but will give that a go soon.