OMG Coconut oil!! <3
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1 week UPDATE:
So I've been using coconut oil for 1 week and I thought I'd tell you my results after one week. I built up to 3 Tablespoons a day (over the course of 3 days to avoid adverse tummy reactions, which I did). I've gotten used to having 1 tbsp in my coffee in the am, munch on these yummy banana muffins I made on the weekend (recipe below), and have a tablespoon with dinner. I've also been putting some on my face each night a little bit before bed. I do this everyday, and fit it into my daily calories (I am set at sedentary, losing 1 lb a week, and my net calorie goal is 1370 - for exercise, I aim to run 25-30 miles a week, and try not to eat over 1900 calories in any one day - except on saturday I ran 12 miles so I ate 2200 - still under my net calories a little).
So, the first thing I noticed was a boost in my energy, as I told you before. That crazed "speed-like" feeling eventually subsided and it was just a good healthy energetic lift. I can have a tbsp at dinner and go to bed within a reasonable time. I used to get up a lot during the night to use the bathroom (from all the water) - I'm still drinking the same amount of water, but I'm sleeping through the night.
I also noticed an upward trend in my basal body temperature (went from 96/97 - a constant above 98 - usually very close to 98.6) and my resting heart rate (from 45 - 55). I'm in pretty good physical condition and 55 is right on par with my VO2 max, so I'm happy with that.
Second thing I noticed was my skin. I have had these little bumps below my bottom lip forever, and suddenly they just disappeared. I got a few blemishes in the middle of the week, but now they are almost gone and my skin feels like a baby's. So soft and smooth, I love it!
Next, I noticed a change in my body (not my weight, mind you). I was getting a little frustrated that I still didn't see a significant dip in my weight yet, but I noticed some mushy parts in my middle (down half an inch), and my arms - I could see a difference when I put some shirts and coats on.
Lastly, finally, weight. In one week I've lost 4 pounds. The weight finally showed 2 days ago, and seems to be sticking, so I'm super happy about that.
overall....I LOVE COCONUT OIL
Here's the banana muffin recipe
5 eggs (apparently you need a lot of eggs when you use coconut flour on it's own)
2 ripe bananas (I had small ones so I used 2 and 1/2)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut flour (also found at whole foods: bob's red mill brand)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Heat oven to 325
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix until smooth. I divided the batter into a greased muffin pan (used coconut oil to grease it) - 12 muffins total (It was a little less than a quarter cup per muffin)
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned or set in the middle.
Each muffin is 144 calories, 7 carbs, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams protein, 12 grams of fat (all from coconut oil so it's good) - recommended dosage of cocounut oil is 2-4 tablespoons a day. I have 2 muffins a day - spread out in halves mainly to give me energy. Half pre-run, half post run, half before lunch, half after lunch. It's filling, satisfying, and gives me a boost.0 -
yes but it is good saturated fat. If you dig deep into physiology and nutrition our bodies need saturated fat and coconut oil is the best next to olive oil.0
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1 week UPDATE:
So I've been using coconut oil for 1 week and I thought I'd tell you my results after one week. I built up to 3 Tablespoons a day (over the course of 3 days to avoid adverse tummy reactions, which I did). I've gotten used to having 1 tbsp in my coffee in the am, munch on these yummy banana muffins I made on the weekend (recipe below), and have a tablespoon with dinner. I've also been putting some on my face each night a little bit before bed. I do this everyday, and fit it into my daily calories (I am set at sedentary, losing 1 lb a week, and my net calorie goal is 1370 - for exercise, I aim to run 25-30 miles a week, and try not to eat over 1900 calories in any one day - except on saturday I ran 12 miles so I ate 2200 - still under my net calories a little).
So, the first thing I noticed was a boost in my energy, as I told you before. That crazed "speed-like" feeling eventually subsided and it was just a good healthy energetic lift. I can have a tbsp at dinner and go to bed within a reasonable time. I used to get up a lot during the night to use the bathroom (from all the water) - I'm still drinking the same amount of water, but I'm sleeping through the night.
I also noticed an upward trend in my basal body temperature (went from 96/97 - a constant above 98 - usually very close to 98.6) and my resting heart rate (from 45 - 55). I'm in pretty good physical condition and 55 is right on par with my VO2 max, so I'm happy with that.
Second thing I noticed was my skin. I have had these little bumps below my bottom lip forever, and suddenly they just disappeared. I got a few blemishes in the middle of the week, but now they are almost gone and my skin feels like a baby's. So soft and smooth, I love it!
Next, I noticed a change in my body (not my weight, mind you). I was getting a little frustrated that I still didn't see a significant dip in my weight yet, but I noticed some mushy parts in my middle (down half an inch), and my arms - I could see a difference when I put some shirts and coats on.
Lastly, finally, weight. In one week I've lost 4 pounds. The weight finally showed 2 days ago, and seems to be sticking, so I'm super happy about that.
overall....I LOVE COCONUT OIL
Here's the banana muffin recipe
5 eggs (apparently you need a lot of eggs when you use coconut flour on it's own)
2 ripe bananas (I had small ones so I used 2 and 1/2)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut flour (also found at whole foods: bob's red mill brand)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Heat oven to 325
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix until smooth. I divided the batter into a greased muffin pan (used coconut oil to grease it) - 12 muffins total (It was a little less than a quarter cup per muffin)
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned or set in the middle.
Each muffin is 144 calories, 7 carbs, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams protein, 12 grams of fat (all from coconut oil so it's good) - recommended dosage of cocounut oil is 2-4 tablespoons a day. I have 2 muffins a day - spread out in halves mainly to give me energy. Half pre-run, half post run, half before lunch, half after lunch. It's filling, satisfying, and gives me a boost.
Good for you olivia3263! Gonna have to pick up some and the coconut flour as well. Need to read through this thread again to find the favorite brand of coconut oil you all are using. You've got some terrific benefits from this and the recipe does sound good and the nutrients in it good ones!
Appreciate you checking back with your progress...definitely feel free to keep adding to this thread as I'm sure I'm not the only one that loves your progress posts!:drinker:
ETA:
Can you buy these locally or only on line at this time? I shop Trader Joe's but don't have access to a close Whole Foods and have several other healthy food stores in town but they are much smaller.My extra virgin coconut oil finally arrived from Amazon.com (I got Nutiva brand). It is so tasty I have been dipping into it just plain. YUM. I have used coconut oil before, but that must have been expeller pressed or something because it didn't really taste like coconut at all. This stuff has a definite sweet, coconut taste -- which I love!
I think I will try some on my hair the next time I wash it. Come to think of it, I probably should have ordered a larger size....
I use Tropical Traditions and Nutiva................Tropical Traditions is the absolute best in the world.!!!
Please contact me if anyone wants to order from there............
Grokette... why the preference in using the Tropical Traditions brand over the Nutiva brand what do you feel the benefits are? Keep in mind I've never tried either but would prefer one that others have already tried & enjoyed. SO far I've heard good from both of you above about TT & N brands.
Thanks to all of you above for the tips... well anyone that's contributed to this thread, much appreciated!:happy:
Thanks for the recipe link Servilia 0 -
WOW!! Thanks for this post, I had no idea about the benefits of coconut oil -- I mean I LOVE coconut to start with, so I'm totally trying this. Right now I'm on Norwegian Lemon Flavored Cod Oil, which has really helped improve my skin (smaller pores and a nice glow), but it sounds like I'll have to mix in the coconut oil for breakfast at least -- I do cereal usually or yogurt with trail mix tossed in. Anyway -- thank you for posting!!0
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bump0
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The fat in coconut oil is lauric acid, which so happens to be the SAME fat that people are so insistent on eliminating from their milk by drinking skim instead of whole. It's also found in palm kernel oil and goat's milk.
Besides, while lauric acid may help overall cholesterol numbers, atherosclerosis has nothing to do with cholesterol, and they have yet to prove that lauric acid doesn't contribute to atherosclerosis like other saturated fats. Like everything else, use in moderation, there is no 1 miracle cure.
Personally I'll go with extra virgin or virgin olive oil as my cooking oil of choice, just based on it's polyphenol and antioxidant properties, as lauric acid can come from other sources, the antioxidants and polyphenols in olive oil are unique.0 -
The fat in coconut oil is lauric acid, which so happens to be the SAME fat that people are so insistent on eliminating from their milk by drinking skim instead of whole. It's also found in palm kernel oil and goat's milk.
Besides, while lauric acid may help overall cholesterol numbers, atherosclerosis has nothing to do with cholesterol, and they have yet to prove that lauric acid doesn't contribute to atherosclerosis like other saturated fats. Like everything else, use in moderation, there is no 1 miracle cure.
Personally I'll go with extra virgin or virgin olive oil as my cooking oil of choice, just based on it's polyphenol and antioxidant properties, as lauric acid can come from other sources, the antioxidants and polyphenols in olive oil are unique.
Exactly, no miracle cure.
It's just business. Marketing. A loss in sales volume of coconut oil to the U.S. was a "problem" that was easily fixed when millions were spent to promote it. No different than the $ spent on campaigns to put halos on almonds, pomegranate, bottled water and so on.
Clip below is from 5 years ago, before the decisions made by the Coconut industry Investment Fund to create more demand in the U.S. market. You can see the sales projections for the U.S. were quite low. It wouldn't benefit the Philippines to import it to India due to the high import duty, not until/ unless free import was allowed under advance license for value added re-exports.Philippines keen to export coconut oil to India
Posted: 2006-09-28
The Philippines, the world’s largest producer and exporter of coconut oil, is looking to shift its exports to Asia Pacific region from its traditional markets of Europe and the US. “One of the important markets in Asia-Pacific region would be India,” Coronacion told CrisilMarketWire. Traditionally, The Philippines exports crude coconut oil to Europe and refined bleached oil to the US, he said.
The Philippines, on an average, exports 80% of its coconut oil production. However, demand from Asia Pacific region is growing compared with Europe, the US and Canada, he said.
Demand from traditional markets is being shifted to Asia Pacific due to burgeoning population and prospering economies in the region, he said. “As growths in population and income in these economies spur demand...expansion of oil consumption in the region is expected to be sustained,” Coronacion said.
“The share of the US and Canada has stagnated and that of Europe has declined but Asia Pacific has widened from 14% in 2000 to 32.7% in 2005,” he said. Share of Europe exports for 2006 is projected at 45.0%, down from 52.4% last year. Exports to U.S. are pegged at 33.3%.
I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade here, I use coconut oil myself. I do believe it's healthier than many other sources of fat, but not as weight loss "magic". It's used to help with weight maintenance and weight gain in AIDS patients and cystic fibrosis along with other diseases that result in malabsorption syndromes. Celiac disease, hepatic disease, short - bowel syndrome.
Now that I'm thinking about it, it might benefit those who've restricted the fats in their diet, simply by aiding in the absorption of nutrients that they lack. But no magic!
**** I posted this in the wrong thread - it was meant for the "magic or myth" one. Too many coconut oil threads and I need some sleep. Sorry!0 -
Something that might have contributed to the myth -Jul 30 2003
A note from Mary Shomon: The May 20, 2003 issue of the weekly newsstand publication, Woman’s World, featured a cover story “The New Thyroid Cure.” Since that article hit the newsstand about ten days ago, I’ve been inundated with emails from people who want to know if what the article seems to claim is true: Can coconut oil "cure" your hypothyroidism and ensure rapid weight loss? I asked holistic physician Dr. Ken Woliner to respond to this question for us.
Please note: Dr. Woliner has no financial relationship to any companies that sell coconut oil, and reports no conflicts of interest with the coconut oil industry, or with any other vitamin or pharmaceutical company.
by Ken Woliner, MD, ABFP
In their May 20th, 2003 issue (actually distributed around May 10th), Woman’s World published a cover story, “The new thyroid cure” describing how a low carbohydrate/high protein diet and coconut oil could cure thyroid disease. Though I have not been able to directly interview the authors or their sources, I have done my best to make a reasonable assessment of the validity and reliability of this article. My opinion is based upon my review of this article, information available on Tropical Traditions (one major supplier of coconut oil), independent research published in peer-reviewed medical journals, and my own personal medical school training and clinical experience. For simplicity’s sake, it is perhaps best to split my comments into two: a discussion of the article itself and a balanced discussion regarding coconut oil and its relation to thyroid disease and weight loss.
What is the quality of this article?
Woman’s World is a “tabloid” style magazine that is sold in checkout aisles in supermarkets across the United States. They have been cited on numerous occasions for fabricating quotes and other information. There is no consistency from article to article in each issue, with some stories promoting a low carbohydrate / high protein diet for weight loss, while on other pages, listing recipes for very high carbohydrate recipes. There is no way to contact the magazine to write letters to the editor or to contact authors of their articles. Simply put, Woman’s World is not a reliable source of medical information.
Popular Spanish-language television host Cristina Saralegui is featured on the cover of the magazine and inside the main article. It does not appear that she is using (or has ever used) coconut oil. It appears that a majority of her weight loss and increase in energy was due to her new eating and exercise pattern. She now consumes less total calories by omitting white carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta and rice and forgoes the fried tempura, consuming only the fish (sashimi?) instead. In addition, this dietary change limits her carbohydrate and saturated / trans-fat intake, limiting her need to produce insulin to metabolize these foods. Insulin is a hormone that leads to fat deposition, most notably in the hips and belly. High insulin levels also lead to fatigue, and by reducing her insulin requirements, she appears to have more energy (and discipline) to exercise on a treadmill 30 minutes a day, four times a week. This increased exercise burns calories, and further lowers her insulin resistance. Though I have not had the chance to interview or examine Ms. Saralegui, I could reasonably infer that she is insulin-resistant and prone to diabetes (which is more common in Latino populations). As she still is a size 10 (and only about 5'5" tall), she is still considerably overweight (and if not "overweight", her picture portrays her as "overfat" and "undermuscled" with abdominal obesity), and most likely has other issues that could be addressed to optimize her health. Whether or not she has a thyroid problem or not cannot be ascertained by the information presented in this article.0 -
@ the OP
I just can't believe that you're eating 20% of your daily calories as supplemental fat on purpose. Are you one of those who can't eat enough regular food to get up to required daily calorie intake?0 -
@ the OP
I just can't believe that you're eating 20% of your daily calories as supplemental fat on purpose. Are you one of those who can't eat enough regular food to get up to required daily calorie intake?
Some extra virgin coconut oil is likely far more nutritious than a lot of "regular food" that makes up a lot of diets, though. Personally, I'd rather have a tablespoon of coconut oil than a bagel or a bowl of Wheaties because it would probably keep me satisfied longer.0 -
I use coconut oil a lot in my cooking, its amazing. Just read the label, many crap brands make it hydrogenated - meaning trans fats- get cold pressed always. Like the Nutiva brand. Check your labels!0
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Okay, I literally went out and bought a litre tub of it after reading this post. Have had half a tablespoon (to keep within my calorie limit) and am so excited to reap the benefits. My mother, who has worked in the natural health industry for years, has always told me that coconut oil is amazing stuff. I have dry scalp problems so hopefully it will help with that too. Yay for coconut oil! xxx0
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Every health agency in the world says to use it sparingly because it is high is saturated fats.
Don't be so quick to write off coconut oil because of the saturated fat.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453.html
That article compares it to things like sunflower and canola oil. What about olive oil?0 -
it is, it has to be said, *incredibly* expensive. At £15 a tub, it would have to be very good indeed to induce me to buy it....0
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is it CRAZY spooky that there is a giant COCONUT OIL ad directly to the right of this thread???? Hmmmmmmm interrrresting!0
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is it CRAZY spooky that there is a giant COCONUT OIL ad directly to the right of this thread???? Hmmmmmmm interrrresting!
Good old google ads.0 -
I bought mine yesterday -- put a tbsp in my tea-- got that boost of energy!!
This morning, I put it in my cereal -- I like it MUCH better with the cereal.
AND I put some in my hair today too, as I read online that it's good for
that too. Wish me luck!!0 -
Very interesting. I've used coconut oil for a while. I love the taste and the health benefits are great. I've never noticed a spike in energy levels after eating it, but I'll have to pay more attention now!0
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I also love coconut oil and you may think this is strange but I use it to make my homemade deodorant lol
Use 2-3 tbs coconut oil and add 1/8cup of cornstarch and 1/8cup baking soda, it makes a paste if it's not too warm, if it is warm where you keep it than you can put it in the fridge and it will be solid and doesn't take long to warm up enough to spread on like a reg deodorant would when you use it otherwise just put a dab on and it really works,ive been using it for months and I don't stink! It's much safer than store bought. I just keep mine in a baby food jar, I don't like to use plastic since whatever is in the plastic can leach onto it. Hope you try it! 0 -
Lauric Acid, the fatty acid in coconut oil is one of the main ingredients in soaps and deodorants already.0
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I use coconut oil and I have never noticed the burst of energy that you are referring to. I'm thinking maybe you were low on fat in the first place? I try to consume 3tbs / day to improve my cholesterol level. I usually just put a spoonful into whatever I'm eating. So far my cholesterol numbers are improving. I'm not going to test again until the end of the year.
I finished a jar of Nutiva and wasn't really fond of it. Too coconutty for me. Almost like perfume. I'm trying out Spectrum now. So far it is better (less flavor). Although I haven't tried it yet, I also have a jar of EFA Gold at home.0 -
Update - 2 weeks using coconut oil.
I had to update this morning because today I stepped on the scale and I was down 3 more pounds!!! So in 2 weeks I've lost 6 pounds!!! I had been hovering between 162 - 164 forever (I'm 5'8") and last week I dipped down to 161, but then I would still see 164 every now and again - stupid 164. Well the last couple days has been more like 161, 160's - and then this morning...158.2!!! I had to step on it a couple times to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Hahaha. Not only that - my waist is down from 31" to 29.5". I can tell the weight that came off is fat because I can see a difference - especially in my middle, my face, and my thighs (I thought that stuff was never gonna go away).
Interestingly enough, I looked back through my pie charts for the weeks: I used to be 50% carbs, 30%fat, 20%protein - this past week I was 45% carbs, 40% fat, 15% protein.
This week (and I've already planned it out) - I'm going to aim to get my protein back up, so my numbers will look like 35% carbs, 40%fat, 25% protein.
A couple other things I've noticed: my sleep has improved a ton!!! I have been waking up at 5:15am everyday, and I feel well rested, and alert when I wake up.
I used to try to keep my metabolism going by eating 6 small meals throughout the day - now with the fat, my meals are more satisfying so I now have 3 satisfying meals and 1 afternoon snack.
I'm also, ahem, may I say much more 'regular'. Very nice.
This week I really got into cooking thai curry - sooooo yummy!! I was discouraged at first because there are 6 servings in a can of coconut milk and they say on the can to use within 2 days of opening - and I live by myself, and only want to have 1 serving at a time (and would rather not waste the food, or eat if for breakfast lunch and dinner). But I stretched it out over the whole week and it lasted perfectly. But anyway, it's so easy to make and super yummy and healthy for you. Who knew?!
I love fat!!! (In my tummy, not on my tummy, haha). And I LOOOOVVVEE coconut oil 0 -
Sounds like your issue was not enough fat, rather than coconut oil being some miracle cure.0
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Love coconut oil!!0
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Sounds like your issue was not enough fat, rather than coconut oil being some miracle cure.
You know, I agree with you. I really think it was my low-fat diet before - and before I started MFP my fat levels were even lower. I was always afraid of fat, but not anymore. I don't think coconut oil is a miracle, but I do think it is a healthier alternative, and I like how it's making me feel.
I've also been doing some reading about fats and vitamin absorption - specifically with dairy. Seems certain vitamins require fat to be absorbed in the body - like Vitamins A, D, E and K. I'm specifically interested in vitamin D, as my boss has been a HUGE advocate for Vitamin D for years - he thinks it's the cure-all for everything. I'm a teacher, and I do a lot of work after school and during school, and am notorious for getting sick during the year - I catch everything. I'm interested to see if this year, with the improved fat levels in my diet if I get sick less. That would be cool 0 -
Vitamin D is huge. The funny thing about Vitamin D, it seems that lots of people are chronically deficient in Vitamin D, which amuses me, because your body manufactures Vitamin D from sunlight. All it takes is about 10 minutes of sunlight a day to get all the Vitamin D you need (as long as you eat enough fat to process it.)0
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Can't wait to research this myself!0
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