Coconut Oil and the bad rap of saturated fat

[Grace&Violets]

I'm reading a book called Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. I highly recommend it and Real Food by Nina Planck. I'm learning so many things about the foods we eat and the lies we've been told about fat. By now, everyone has heard about the evils of trans-fats...but you've also heard that saturated fats are BAD for you. Well, after researching (and I'm not done), I'm here to tell you, we've all been duped!

 

Did you know that in traditional societies, they eat up to 60-70% of their diet in animal fats? The Inuits (Eskimos) actually eat 96% of their calories from animal foods! Yet, they average over 60 points LOWER in their cholesterol! AND, they have a lower BMI than modern Americans! There is so much data to support the inclusion of GOOD saturated fats, that is, saturated fats from pastured meats and eggs, coconut oil, butter, etc. Heart disease is a modern epidemic. It was virtually unheard of before 1900, before the industrial age. With the industrial age, came industrial foods, and industrial age diseases. Societies have eaten cream, butter, fatty meats for 1000's of years, yet heart disease is a modern disease. Why? According to Real Food, sugars and hydrogenated foods are a big part of the problem. And lack of certain vitamins. (There's more, but I'm still researching).

 

I personally have noticed that when I eat less fat, I feel awful! My blood sugar gets messed up and my head feels fuzzy. But, when I eat like I did when my Gram lived with us, I felt great. She grew up on a farm, eating HEALTHY lard sandwiches. Healthy, because they came from pigs that were raised naturally with no antibiotics or hormones and contained healthy fats. She scooped the cream off the top of the milk and ate it as a dessert. She also ate real, fermented saurkraut with good bacteria and probiotics. (another part of a healthy diet).

 

And now for coconut oil.

 

According to Eat Fat, Lose Fat, coconut oil is an "all-systems healer." It explains in great, scientific detail why it has the following properties. Too much detail for me to include here.

 

Coconut has healing benefits for the following:

*Chronic fatigue

*Low energy

*Anxiety

*Depression

*Mood Swings

*Thyroid imbalance

*Hypoglycemia

*Insulin Resistance

*Food cravings

*Gallbladder ailments

*Bacterial infections

*Fungal isues, like candida

*Viral infections

*Digestive problems, including irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's Disease

*Gas and bloating

*Skin problems such as eczema, dry skin, scaly patches

*Sagging, wrinkled skin

*Dandruff, lifeless hair

*Liver support

 

Another benefit of adding "good" fats (and not the "good" fats modern medicine claims) is weight loss. Fats make you feel fuller calorie for calorie. I know that when I eat fat, I eat less. Mostly because I'm not as hungry. I don't walk around the kitchen looking to graze. Well, I do sometimes if I'm bored, but not out of hunger. But, when I was younger, I ate tons of fat and was healthy and good weight. I tried the lower fat thing and gained weight and started getting gross things like (tmi) dandruff and skin problems. Super dry skin and *gasp* crow's feet! My hair was dry and not healthy. When I eat the proper fats, coconut oil, butter and fatty natural meats, those problems go away.

 

I'm not a scientist or a doctor, but what I've been reading makes so much sense. I've always avoided artificial anything and low-fat nonsense, but it was more instinctive. Now I feel like I am learning the "why."

 

Btw, I didn't put this here to start any arguments. I know it's controversial, but I stand by it. Everything that gets published in medical mags is totally political. Brought to you by whoever has the most $$ and the most to gain or lose from the direction the "research" leans. Dr. Mary Enig was threatened by corporations and special interest groups for publishing her finds. Just something to think about.

[Homemaker]

Thanks so much for posting this info!

Sally Fallon and Mary Enig aren't the only ones who believe this.

The truth is getting out about the healthy way people used to eat, but the big cooperations and those who live out of their pockets are still trying to hide it. They made big bucks and entire financial empires were built whey they showed "simple ignorant" people that the foods they were eating could be "improved" by buying their product.

If anyone is interested in learning about cholesterol and how it is actually a healthy omega 3, needed by your body for immune system support, there is a book called The Cholesterol Myth. You can also just google the cholesterol myth and read a lot of articles on this important subject we have been deceived about. I would post some links if I knew how, but maybe someone else can find some and post them.

My family loves coconut oil and what it has done for our health and skin and hair that we buy it by the 5 gallon bucket. We go through this in about a year. Even my daughter who married and moved out brings back her empty jars to be re-filled from the tub. She is using the oil on her baby to control diaper rash, cradle cap and the irritation babies can get in the folds of their skin. She also rubs a little into her eyes and nose to keep her nasal passages moist and germ free. My other daughter got her boss' family using it in cooking and on the skin and they in turn got another family using it. That is how this information spreads. You'll never hear about it on tv or in a women's magazine. It's going word of mouth, or, "word of skin, health and taste-buds!"

Edited May 12, 2009 by Homemaker

[Mother]

and a whole bunch of applaud (I couldn't find a clapping smiley). My own research has shown the same thing that G&V and HM found. We have been duped and our health eroded by the powers that control our country,,,,greed and money.

 

Try this for informational reading. http://www.coconutoil.com/

 

Please remember though, the research studies might be only as good as the funding they recieve. If possible, try to follow the funding resources back as far as possible. Often it will be found that the studies were surreptitiously funded by those who want to use the studies to sell you something. Sometimes this information is well hidden behind non profit organizations or universities.

 

We must all make up our own minds about what a healthy diet is for our particular situation as often what is healthy for one is not for another. One good way of finding out if a change in your diet might help is to try it for several months and see how your body reacts. In the case of coconut oil and healthy fats you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

Thanks G&V for this reminder that we aren't always told the truth.

 

[Grace&Violets]

I've heard of The Cholesterol Myth, but haven't read it. Maybe the library carries it.

 

Two other books I've heard that are supposed to be good are "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver and The Omnivore's Dilemma (not sure of the author).

 

I need to figure out where I can get the 5 gallon buckets of CO (coconut oil). I have a jar in my bathroom that I use for OCM (oil cleaning method) for my face, in my hair, as moisturizer, on my lips, etc. And I have a jar in my kitchen that I use for popcorn, to spread on toast, eat spoonfuls, in oatmeal, in cooking and baking, etc.

 

Do you know how long coconut oil stays good? I would hate to buy more than I would use before it went bad.

[Grace&Violets]

Mother, thanks for that link. Another link that I have read is http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

 

Another good one...http://realfoodcure.blogspot.com/ and http://www.ninaplanck.com/index.php?page=real_food_book

[Homemaker]

Great links. I added them to my favorites so I can check them out later.

I get my five gallon buckets of oil from Tropical Traditions. I get their gold label organic oil. It's around $250 including tax and shipping. Quite expensive, but we view it as our medicine to avoid drugs, doctor visits, surgeries and pain and suffering. It's quite affordable when you look at it that way. My Mom spends around $300 a month out of pocket for her drugs just to be able to move around.

It's like the old saying goes... Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.

We just started the oil pulling for oral health,(swishing oil around in your mouth before eating in order to dislodge and remove bacteria from your mouth so you don't swallow it,) so I will be getting the cheaper expellier expressed oil for that and for skin and hair. This will save the more expensive virgin CO for eating.

[sjllm]

I don`t post much, but I had to say that coconut oil is AWESOME stuff. I lost over 30 lbs just using the oil, I didn`t change my diet at all. I just bought 6 more gal last week..............I`m good to go for a while.

[Grace&Violets]

sjllm, what did you do to lose that weight? I read on another message board that some people eat a tbsp morning, noon and night and it's helped them. I'd be interested to hear how you did it.

 

HM, $250 doesn't really sound that bad, especially when you consider my little jars cost between $10-$15.00. The one in my kitchen is 20 oz. but I don't remember exactly how much it cost.

[highdesertgirl]

I've also read about eating coconut oil for health benefits. The little jar I bought of organic coconut oil is a solidified oil and I couldn't eat a tablespoon of that straight. How does eveyone else eat it? I love using it for making popcorn.

[OINK]

Yes, I would be very interested in learning in detail HOW to use the jar I bought for the homemade deodorant recipe that I have. What else do I do with it? Is that information in one of the links above? I didn't click on any right now.

[MommaDogs]

I am so pleased to see this topic on here. For all of you lurkers, let me please add the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, the website www.realmilk.com and www.westonaprice.org. Of course, www.mercola.com

 

I buy my coconut oil in large quantities (also my palm oil and my palm shortening) from www.tropicaltraditions.com - added bonus to us preppers is that coconut oil has a very, very long shelf life. Over 2 years, and Tropical Traditions said in an email to me once that due to the high antioxidant content of the oil, they've never had any go bad.

 

Health foods we should all add to our diets

kefir

kombucha

coconut oil

cod liver oil

blackstrap molasses

No soy, except for naturally fermented soy sauce and miso

fermented beverages and vegetables

Less sugar and sprouted grains instead of traditional flours (added bonus of making it easier to grind)

[Homemaker]

Coconut oil is solid in cooler temps. and softens as it warms up.

To eat it off the spoon, work your way up. It takes a while to get used to the oily feeling. You may want to eat it with your meal to wash it down with bites of food. That way you feel satisfied sooner and eat less.

 

I highly suggest the cookbook, Nourishing traditions. It's more than a cookbook. It's also packed with information on nutrition and the effects of food on your health.

[Lois]

http://www.healingmatters.com/fats.htm

This site will offer a good deal if information on healthy eating including oils

Good reading.

Edited May 13, 2009 by Lois
mispelling

[Grace&Violets]

I find it hard, almost impossible, to eat CO straight off the spoon. Instead, I like to spread it on toast with about an equal amount of butter (pastured). It is SOOO good! If you either make your bread from sprouted wheat or buy Ezekial bread, then you are giving yourself a real treat!

[Grace&Violets]

I am so pleased to see this topic on here. For all of you lurkers, let me please add the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, the website www.realmilk.com and www.westonaprice.org. Of course, www.mercola.com

 

I buy my coconut oil in large quantities (also my palm oil and my palm shortening) from www.tropicaltraditions.com - added bonus to us preppers is that coconut oil has a very, very long shelf life. Over 2 years, and Tropical Traditions said in an email to me once that due to the high antioxidant content of the oil, they've never had any go bad.

 

Health foods we should all add to our diets

kefir

kombucha

coconut oil

cod liver oil

blackstrap molasses

No soy, except for naturally fermented soy sauce and miso

fermented beverages and vegetables

Less sugar and sprouted grains instead of traditional flours (added bonus of making it easier to grind)

 

I totally agree with all of this. Nourishing Traditions is the first book I bought and read. It just made so much sense! Thanks for the links. They are some of my most visited on this topic. Along with the coconut oil, I drink kefir, kombucha, CLO, sometimes molasses, etc.

 

I think that the wonderful and educated people on this board are different, but in the "mainstream" people insist that low fat, high carb diets are the answer to all the health problems. I think that for some people with certain problems, that may be true. However, I feel that most people would fair well with higher fat. I'm still learning, but I know that traditional diets were so different than today's, especially the saturated to nonsaturated fat ratios. Please keep educating me! I need it.

[MommaDogs]

The best part about traditional diets, after the health benefits, is that if TSHTF it's so easy to get maximum nutrition out of your foods.

 

For those of you that don't know, a lot of vitamins are locked in grains, and the phytic acid (which is the substance on the seed that stops it from sprouting until it gets wet) is an anti-nutrient. That means it leaves your body in worse shape then when it entered. Like distilled water, it has the capability of actually taking vitamins and minerals out of your body. By simply soaking your grains until they've sprouted, you unlock the nutrients.

 

By getting some cultures now, such as kefir grains and learning how to use raw milk to make butter, cheese, etc, and then using the whey to lacto ferment your veges, like sauerkraut, you are unlocking a huge powerhouse of nutrients that you can eat and make at home.

 

This is the way our ancestors ate, long before modern conveniences, and it's so easy to get more bioavailable nutrients out of food... as a survival as well as a daily health tool, learning about these issues is so key.

 

Almost forgot, one of my favorites, www.bodyecology.com

 

Also, if any of you are interested, go to the www.westonaprice.org site and find a local meeting. They're awesome to attend. I attend two separate groups near me and the one I go to tonight is bringing in a speaker, an expert on organic gardening.

[Homemaker]

Wow, I didn't know there were local chapters.

I looked up my closest chapters, one in Roanoke, and one in Botetourt/Rockbridge.

I was also delighted to see that Harvey Ussery has a chapter in his area. I attended his homesteading conference last month.

[OINK]

I'm finishing up a 10 day antibiotic today and I bought a quart of Kefir in the organic section of my grocery store. I got the plain but I'll be adding strawberries to it. Doesn't Kefir have more probiotics and active cultures for your digestive track? More than regular yogurt?

Edited May 13, 2009 by OINK

[Grace&Violets]

I've heard that kefir has more probiotics, but they are not necessarily the same ones that are in yogurt. If I don't eat yogurt and/or kefir while taking antibiotics, I get all sorts of problems.

 

One of the biggest reasons I started researching and looking into traditional diets is because of my DS with asthma. He tends to get sick with anything that happens by, so I'm trying to build his immunity and possibly get rid of his asthma. I guess I have a lot of faith in God that he gave us the knowledge and ability to heal ourselves with food.

 

MommaDogs, you are so right about this being perfect for if TSHTF. Lack of refrigeration gave us these wonderful fermented foods, especially as a way to preserve milk. It could be important in the future, as a way of survival. It could be a way of survival now, for those of us wanting optimal nutrition. Kimchee and sauerkraut optimizes the vitamins, especially C, in veggies. Raw milk and raw fermented milk products have plenty of lactase to allow a greater number of adults to digest dairy, not to mention they have enough vitamin A and D without it having to be added back in as synthetics. There is some research that says that the synthetic versions of these vitamins can be toxic if taken in excess.

 

I need to look to see if there is a local WAPF chapter near me. The last time I checked, they showed one but it wasn't active.

[MommaDogs]

G&V You could always start a group near you.

 

Oink, one of the differences is that kefir has yeast and bacteria. Another is that the types of bacteria in kefir helps to colonize your digestive tract, whereas yogurt does not.

 

Here's something from Body Ecology's website.

Both kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products...

 

...but they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.

 

Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt, Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.

 

It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by penetrating the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and strengthens the intestines. Hence, the body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites.

 

Kefir's active yeast and bacteria provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy.

 

Because the curd size of kefir is smaller than yogurt, it is also easier to digest, which makes it a particularly excellent, nutritious food for babies, invalids and the elderly, as well as a remedy for digestive disorders.

[sjllm]

G&V, I really didn`t change my diet at all to lose the weight. I just added the coconut oil. I take about 3 Tbs. full a day. I put it in food and sometimes in my coffee or tea........sounds gross, I know. I also eat it just plan from the spoon, I do not recommend taking it that way though, it`s hard to get down. LOL. I am hypothyroid and I think that is why I lost weight so easily with the coconut oil. It regulates the thyroid gland.

My weight loss was about two years ago. I than got pregnant with our second DD, I had a hard time taking the coconut oil while pregnant. So I am just now getting back to taking it everday. I still need to lose quite a bit of weight. Six years ago after our 1st DD was born I had severe PD and my Dr. put me on Paxil. Needless to say, anyone with hypothyroid SHOULD NOT take Paxil...........Grrrrrr.

We do have a pretty good diet. I would love to do more NT diet though. It`s hard for me to be able to afford the pastured dairy, and meat. I have not found a source for raw milk yet, so I buy whole OG milk for regular use and I make yogurt.

[OINK]

Wow! Thank You MommaD! This will be my first quart , so I think when I go to the grocery store I'll get another quart. Thats the only size they have. I haven't checked at the Health Food store yet.

[blestmomof4]

The best part about traditional diets, after the health benefits, is that if TSHTF it's so easy to get maximum nutrition out of your foods.

 

For those of you that don't know, a lot of vitamins are locked in grains, and the phytic acid (which is the substance on the seed that stops it from sprouting until it gets wet) is an anti-nutrient. That means it leaves your body in worse shape then when it entered. Like distilled water, it has the capability of actually taking vitamins and minerals out of your body. By simply soaking your grains until they've sprouted, you unlock the nutrients.

 

 

The 'distilled water' caught my attention. Several of the books I have read recommend distilled water. I asked at the local health food store and they recommend distilled water. A Dr. my DH went to a couple of years ago told him to only drink distilled water. I even asked about the lack of minerals in it and if I needed to supplement and was told that there was no need.

Water is SO very important and there are so many different opinions. We do use some distilled but not entirely. Penta is very highly recommended but who can afford that.

 

Guess I'll have to do even more research.

 

Blessings,

BB

Edited May 14, 2009 by blestmomof4

[Grace&Violets]

Wow! Thank You MommaD! This will be my first quart , so I think when I go to the grocery store I'll get another quart. Thats the only size they have. I haven't checked at the Health Food store yet.

 

I have several hfs's in our town and the largest size of kefir I've found is a quart. It is possible to make it yourself, if you find that you are drinking a lot of it. You need to find someone that can give or sell kefir grains to you. There is also a drink called water kefir that is supposed to be a fizzy water drink that you can add fruit juice to. I don't think you can buy it at the store, though. You have to get special water kefir grains from someone. Traditionally, people gifted these grains to each other, but now days you can buy them online. I have a Yahoo Culturing group I belong to and the members sometimes offer extras to whomever.

[MommaDogs]

http://www.mercola.com/article/water/distilled_water.htm

 

 

Early Death Comes From Drinking Distilled Water

 

During nearly 19 years of clinical practice I have had the opportunity to observe the health effects of drinking different types of water. Most of you would agree that drinking unfiltered tap water could be hazardous to your health because of things like

 

* parasites

* chlorine

* fluoride

* dioxins

 

Many health fanatics, however, are often surprised to hear me say that drinking distilled water on a regular, daily basis is potentially dangerous.

 

Paavo Airola wrote about the dangers of distilled water in the 1970's when it first became a fad with the health food crowd.

 

Distillation is the process in which water is boiled, evaporated and the vapour condensed. Distilled water is free of dissolved minerals and, because of this, has the special property of being able to actively absorb toxic substances from the body and eliminate them. Studies validate the benefits of drinking distilled water when one is seeking to cleanse or detoxify the system for short periods of time (a few weeks at a time).

 

Fasting using distilled water can be dangerous because of the rapid loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) and trace minerals like magnesium, deficiencies of which can cause heart beat irregularities and high blood pressure. Cooking foods in distilled water pulls the minerals out of them and lowers their nutrient value.

 

Distilled water is an active absorber and when it comes into contact with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, making it acidic. The more distilled water a person drinks, the higher the body acidity becomes.

 

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Distilled water, being essentially mineral-free, is very aggressive, in that it tends to dissolve substances with which it is in contact. Notably, carbon dioxide from the air is rapidly absorbed, making the water acidic and even more aggressive. Many metals are dissolved by distilled water."

 

The most toxic commercial beverages that people consume (i.e. cola beverages and other soft drinks) are made from distilled water. Studies have consistently shown that heavy consumers of soft drinks (with or without sugar) spill huge amounts of calcium, magnesium and other trace minerals into the urine.

 

The more mineral loss, the greater the risk for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and a long list of degenerative diseases generally associated with premature aging.

 

A growing number of health care practitioners and scientists from around the world have been advocating the theory that aging and disease is the direct result of the accumulation of acid waste products in the body.

 

There is a great deal of scientific documentation that supports such a theory. A poor diet may be partially to blame for the waste accumulation.

 

These and other junk foods can cause the body to become more acidic:

 

* meats

* sugar

* alcohol

* fried foods

* soft drinks

* processed foods

* white flour products

* dairy products

 

Stress, whether mental or physical can lead to acid deposits in the body.

 

There is a correlation between the consumption of soft water (distilled water is extremely soft) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Cells, tissues and organs do not like to be dipped in acid and will do anything to buffer this acidity including the removal of minerals from the skeleton and the manufacture of bicarbonate in the blood.

 

The longer one drinks distilled water, the more likely the development of mineral deficiencies and an acid state.

 

I have done well over 3000 mineral evaluations using a combination of blood, urine and hair tests in my practice. Almost without exception, people who consume distilled water exclusively, eventually develop multiple mineral deficiencies.

 

Those who supplement their distilled water intake with trace minerals are not as deficient but still not as adequately nourished in minerals as their non-distilled water drinking counterparts even after several years of mineral supplementation.

 

The ideal water for the human body should be slightly alkaline and this requires the presence of minerals like

 

* calcium

* magnesium

 

Distilled water tends to be acidic and can only be recommended as a way of drawing poisons out of the body. Once this is accomplished, the continued drinking of distilled water is a bad idea.

 

Water filtered through reverse osmosis tends to be neutral and is acceptable for regular use provided minerals are supplemented.

 

Water filtered through a solid charcoal filter is slightly alkaline. Ozonation of this charcoal filtered water is ideal for daily drinking. Longevity is associated with the regular consumption of hard water (high in minerals). Disease and early death is more likely to be seen with the long term drinking of distilled water.

 

Avoid it except in special circumstances.

 

Zoltan P. Rona MD MSc