ABOUT COCONUT OIL<\/strong><\/p>\n

Coconut oil is an extraction from the meat of mature coconuts, harvested from the coconut palm. It is one of the most beneficial natural products in our world. It is considered by many people to be necessary for good health, as well as for grooming and caring for the body and our environment. It has been used for thousands of years by native island cultures and is an integral part of daily life for many people living today in tropical or subtropical areas of the world.<\/p>\n

In our culture, the use of coconut oil requires that we break out of some social conditioning that influences us to use highly-marketed chemical products. We also need to be conscious of the (undeserved) bad rap that coconut oil has gotten in the past and continues to suffer today.<\/p>\n

There are so many benefits to using coconut oil, both for ourselves and for our environment. My research led me to information about using coconut oil in treating everything from HIV to insomnia. It is capable of reducing the effects of aging, thanks to its power as an emollient and an antioxidant. What I have also discovered is that there are multiple ways of incorporating coconut oil into your environment and reducing the negative impact of chemicals.<\/p>\n

Some people question the health benefits of coconut oil because it is a saturated fat. The truth about saturated fats is that there are many different types of them, some good and some bad. Because coconut oil is taken from a plant source, it is very different from the saturated oils taken from an animal product.<\/p>\n

There are ten different medium chain fatty acids (MCFA) in coconut oil. Lauric acid is by far the most prevalent. This MCFA, which is also abundantly present in human breast milk, provides the building blocks of growth and good health. In addition, it is known for its antimicrobial benefits, which support a healthy immune system. Its presence is a large part of what makes coconut oil especially healthy for us.<\/p>\n

Many health concerns can be helped with coconut oil, either directly or indirectly. For instance, it is helpful for weight loss by improving one\u2019s metabolism and bolstering the thyroid gland\u2019s good health. .With obesity comes a myriad of other problems including varicose veins, high blood pressure, heart issues, knee and foot pain, digestive disturbances, depression\u2014just to name a few. As part of healthy eating and an active lifestyle, coconut oil is a essential food to keep on hand to obtain and maintain a healthy body weight and body fat percentage.<\/p>\n

Coconut oil is widely considered to be an antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiprotozoal food. Some of these terms are easy enough to understand: antiviral (kills viruses), antibacterial (kills bacteria), antifungal (kills fungus), and antimicrobial (kills algae, fungi, bacteria and parasites). However, before my research I didn\u2019t know what \u201cantiprotozoal\u201d meant. Do you? This means that it kills protozoa, which is a single-celled organism and parasite. It typically causes infections such as malaria, giardiasis and trichomoniasis. The fact that coconut oil can fight off these diseases definitely speaks to its health benefits!<\/p>\n

When we invite coconut oil into our routine, we are making a paradigm shift in our lifestyles. For instance, we no longer need to go to the dentist to have our teeth cleaned as often.  The oil helps our body to absorb minerals such as calcium and magnesium which encourages the strength of our teeth, particularly the enamel.  With all its antimicrobial and antioxidant benefits, it is no wonder that it keeps our gums healthy, as well. Even though it seems to be a time-consuming venture to change our ways, in actuality, the use of coconut oil carves out more time for us. In the instance above, how much time do you set aside for dental appointments and how many hours do you need to work to pay for those appointments?<\/p>\n

A lot of things that we use, especially in lubricants, paint, carpets, building materials insulation, and plywood, have high levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which are detrimental to us. Not only do our bodies absorb these compounds when we use them, but they also vaporize to a breathable gas. Manufacturing and disposing of them produces hazardous waste that pollutes our air and water. Typically, coconut oil can replace these products with no harmful effects to our environment or our bodies.<\/p>\n

Coconut oil has gotten a bad reputation in the past. From what I read, it seems as if some of the bad rap has a political\/economic basis to it. For instance, we were told years ago that fat was bad for us, especially saturated fats, but now we are finding that it just isn\u2019t the truth.  This book will not center on this debate, as my intent is simply to expose you to all the wonderful, healthy ways to use coconut oil. This is just a fair warning that you might come across misinformation that will steer you away from coconut oil.<\/p>\n

In this book, I won\u2019t go deeply into the chemistry of coconut oil, nor will I delve into the history of it. This book is about using coconut oil, so I will leave these topics for other books. I have provided a list of references and research sources at the back of this book; if you are curious to learn more about this topic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"