Benefits of Coconut Oil
All the Health and a whole lot more
The amazing health benefits of coconut oil is a damn good reason to make a switch, especially if you're tired of the same cooking and salad oils. While regular edible oils such as corn oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, palm oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, peanut oil and olive oil are a common sight, there are some reasons for concern. Coconut oil, on the other hand, is not only the best money can buy, but you can use it in so many ways besides cooking. The best part is that extra virgin organic coconut oil will significantly boost your health and well-being.
Coconut oil is packed full of antibacterial and antifungal properties. Of course, buying the right coconut oil is also essential. You may have to pay a little more for organic cold-pressed, extra virgin coconut oil, but the benefits are priceless for your health. At the same time, you'll get a distinct coconut flavour and aroma as well as a creamy, stable oil that's highly adaptable with many applications. Also, organic cold-pressed, extra virgin coconut oil is naturally cholesterol-free. So with this in mind, let's talk about the real benefits of coconut oil and then look at some of the best ways you can use this incredibly versatile substance.
Coconut and Coconut Oil
Benefits of Coconut Oil for Cooking
Coconut oil, unlike any other cooking oil, can stand up to extremely high heat, so much so that the oil won't oxidise at a temperature lower than 450 degrees Fahrenheit. You wouldn't even use a fraction of that kind of heat in your cooking. What's more, coconut oil will keep more of its nutritional value even after cooking. And you can add coconut oil to just about any recipe.
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Benefits of Coconut Oil for your Skin
Not only is coconut oil good for cooking, it's also good for your skin too. You can use coconut oil as a moisturiser as it will help get rid of any dry and flaky skin. It's because coconut oil helps boost collagen production, making it ideal for keeping your face wrinkle-free and so much more radiant.
Coconut Oil Skincare Therapy
Benefits of Coconut Oil for Weight Loss
You may or may not be aware that coconut oil contains no trans fats whatsoever, and that's good news for you should you be watching your weight. On the other hand, coconut oil is an excellent source of a healthy fat called medium-chain triglyceride or MCT. What this means is that the MCT particles go straight to your liver immediately after being ingested, thus increasing the energy metabolism in your body.
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Benefits of Coconut Oil for Cuts and Burns
Because coconut oil is a natural moisturiser as well as a collagen production aid, it's incredible what it can do for repairing damaged skin. You can also prevent sunburnt skin from peeling by merely adding a couple of drops of lavender oil to the coconut oil. Wish I knew about this when I was a kid? My skin type is susceptible to the sun and plagued with terrible sunburnt skin.
Benefits of Coconut Oil as a Cream in your Coffee
You can use coconut oil, coconut cream or coconut milk as a healthy alternative in your morning cuppa. These oils, creams and milk products serve as a much healthier way in which to replace regular cow's milk, fat-free or otherwise. Of course, it helps to use organic products free of preservatives for best results as the vitamins and nutrients will significantly increase your metabolism into energy your body needs to function at its optimum.
Benefits of Coconut Oil as a Hair Conditioner
Did you know that coconut oil is extremely beneficial for the health of your hair? Oh! Yes, it is, and it's easy to apply. All you need to do is rub a small amount of extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil into your scalp, wait fifteen minutes or so, then wash your hair with a good quality shampoo and rinse. If you do this regularly, you'll notice a remarkable difference to your hair. It will be a lot shinier and healthier too.
Coconut Oil
Benefits of Coconut Oil as a Body Scrub
Mix equal amounts of coconut oil and raw sugar and use the mixture to scrub your body before climbing into the bath or shower. By doing this, you'll help exfoliate and moisturise your skin, making it beautifully soft and healthy.
Benefits of Coconut Oil as a Deodorant
You can apply coconut oil to certain parts of your body such as the chest area, neck and armpits to eliminate unwanted odours. It's especially useful when used under the armpits. If you are tired of using deodorants containing alcohol that cause itchiness, then coconut oil is the way to go. Also, coconut oil will kill off any of the harmful bacteria in this area.
Benefits of Coconut Oil as a Toothpaste
If you mix coconut oil with baking soda, you'll be able to create your very own special toothpaste. The antibacterial and antifungal properties within coconut oil are a great way to keep your mouth and teeth in a healthy condition. Once you have mixed the two ingredients, store the paste in a cool place. You will want to keep the mixture in a paste form as coconut oil will turn into a liquid at around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Benefits of Coconut Oil as an aid for Breastfeeding Mothers
Because breast milk is crucial for the development of newborn babies, mothers who consume extra virgin cold-pressed coconut oil will be amazed at how this will help increase breast milk production. It's because healthy fats in coconut oil are a crucial component of hormone production. And always remember that there are only good fats and no trans fats in coconut oil. So go crazy and use as much coconut oils as you like.
Coconut Oil
Benefits of other Nut Oils you should try
Almond Oil is not only rich in monounsaturated fatty acid, but it's also good for your heart. Almond oil is also known to help reduce blood pressure and increase HDL cholesterol because it contains a high amount of omega-9 fatty acid. Just sprinkle a little almond oil over a salad to reap its heart health benefits.
Cashew Nut Oil is also rich in monounsaturated fatty acid in the form of oleic acid, which is essential for promoting cardiovascular health. What cashew nut oil does, is help reduce the amount of triglyceride within your body and therefore it's incredibly beneficial for maintaining a healthy heart. Cashew nut oil is also rich in magnesium and calcium, which is useful for maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Also, present in cashew nuts is a pigment, known as melanin which helps provide essential nutrients for preventing premature greying of hair. There are so many health benefits that nuts provide.
Hazelnut Oil is another oil rich in monounsaturated oleic acid, which can help lower bad LDL cholesterol levels. And hazelnuts, in particular, are also a good source of protein as well as containing vitamin E and B.
Macadamia Nut Oil contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids that are essential for a healthy body and the nuts, in particular, are a good source of not only protein but also vitamin A, Iron, Thiamine, Riboflavin and Niacin. These nuts also contain small amounts of Selenium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Magnesium. I often purchase German rye bread from my local bakery that's baked with macadamia nuts and cranberries. Delicious and healthy.
Walnut Oil will significantly benefit your heart. The reason for this is because the oil, as well as the nuts, are a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an Omega-3 fatty acid. It, in turn, is converted to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). But don't worry yourself with all this terminology, enjoy. Walnuts are some of the best nuts you can eat. They are right up there with raw almond nuts.
Pecan Oil has essential health benefits. For starters, pure virgin pecan oil is rich in monounsaturated fats while it's low in saturated fats. And pecans contain a heck of a lot of vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin E, several B vitamins as well as Folic Acid, Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium. Pecans also contain fibre.
Pistachio Oil has a whole host of health benefits which is great for keeping your heart healthy as well as it helps protect you against diabetes, hypertension, weight management and will aid in improved digestion. Pistachio oil contains high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and low levels of saturated fatty acids. It also includes a fair amount of polyunsaturated Omega-6 fatty acid. Pistachio nuts and oil also contain protein, vitamins and minerals. All the good stuff your body needs to stay healthy. You cannot go wrong with eating a variety of nuts.
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Love Travel Eat Right - Disclaimer
Please take note that the information on this site is designed for educational purposes and is intended solely for a general readership. The contents herein are not intended to offer any personal medical advice or to diagnose any health issues you may have. This information is also by no means a substitute for medical care by a licensed healthcare provider. For that, you'd need to consult your medical doctor or a health care practitioner for any advice should you require prescription medication.
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