The Coconut Oil Miracle Read online

  Coconut oil is sold in various-sized bottles. Fourteen-to 16-ounce bottles are typical. I buy mine by the gallon. Often people ask me what type or brand of oil they should use. I have a simple answer. Buy the one that tastes best to you. If you don’t like the taste of a certain brand, try another. There is a wide difference in the taste of oils. If you are going to use the oil frequently, you want one that you will be happy with. Some people don’t like the taste of coconut in all their foods. For these people I recommend they try one of the tasteless brands. Personally I like the taste of coconut and love the delicate taste and aroma of virgin coconut oil. It costs a little more than the other types, but it is worth it. Some brands of oil have a strong flavor. I don’t care for them, but some people like them.

  At present, good-quality coconut oil is still difficult to find in some areas. The best places to look for it are in health food stores. If your local store doesn’t carry it, ask them to order it for you. If you can’t find a source of coconut oil in your area, check the resources listed at the back of this book.

  HOW MUCH COCONUT OIL DO YOU NEED?

  Researchers have yet to determine precisely how much coconut oil is needed daily to gain the optimal health benefit. However, on the basis of the amount of MCFAs found in human breast milk, which is known to be effective in its role of protecting and nourishing infants, we can estimate the amount that may be suitable for adults. On the basis of this premise, an adult of average size would need 3½ tablespoons (50 grams) of coconut oil a day to equal the proportion of MCFAs a nursing baby receives. The same amount of MCFAs can be obtained from 10 ounces of coconut milk or 7 ounces of raw coconut (about half a whole coconut).

  Studies have shown that the antimicrobial effects of MCFAs increases with the quantity used, so the greater the number of these infection-fighting fatty acids available in our bodies, the greater our protection. Eating more should provide greater health benefits, not only in preventing illness but in improving digestion and nutrient absorption, protecting against heart disease, and so on.

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  Daily Dose Comparison

  The amount of medium-chain fatty acids that is believed to be necessary for optimal health can be obtained from a variety of coconut products. The following all contain about the same amount of MCFA.

  3½ tablespoons pure coconut oil

  7 ounces fresh coconut meat (about half a coconut)

  2¾ cups dried, shredded coconut

  10 ounces coconut milk

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  It is not known for certain whether it is possible to consume too much coconut. Coconut oil is essentially nontoxic to humans. It is considered safer than soy, which many people eat by the pound. The FDA has included coconut oil on its list of foods that are “generally regarded as safe.” This is an exclusive list. Only those foods that have passed stringent testing and have a history of safe usage can qualify for inclusion on the GRAS list. We know that certain island populations consume large amounts of coconut oil, as much as 10 tablespoons a day, and have excellent health. This is far more than you would normally want to eat, so you probably don’t need to worry about eating too much. Several clinical studies have shown MCFA levels up to at least 1 gram per each kilogram of body weight to be safe. For a 150-pound person that would equate to 5 tablespoons. For a 200-pound person that would be 6.5 tablespoons.

  My recommendation is for an adult to consume 2–4 tablespoons of coconut oil daily. This dose could be achieved through cooking, taking it as a supplement, or by applying it directly to the skin. Incorporating coconut oil into your cooking is the most palatable way to get the daily dose, and it is the easiest way to measure how much you are actually using, so it is the first step in my coconut lifestyle plan. But I do provide guidelines here for taking the oil as a supplement. Step 3 of my plan involves coconut oil applications to the skin.

  COOKING WITH COCONUT OIL

  Replacing the cooking oils you currently use with coconut oil is the easy first step to adding MCFAs to your diet without increasing your total fat intake. Eliminate all margarine, shortening, and processed vegetable oils from your diet. Olive oil and butter are okay, but use coconut oil whenever possible. I have provided many recipes in chapter 9 to get you started. Because coconut oil is primarily a saturated fat, the heat of cooking does not create a free-radical soup as it does with other vegetable oils. You can feel safe knowing that you aren’t damaging your health when you eat it. From all the research that has been done to this point, it appears that coconut oil is the healthiest all-purpose oil you can use.

  Coconut oil melts at about 76 degrees F, becoming a clear liquid that looks like almost any other vegetable oil. Below this temperature, it solidifies and takes on a creamy white appearance. At moderate room temperatures it has a soft buttery texture and is sometimes called coconut butter. Coconut oil can be spread on bread as a replacement for butter or margarine. Some brands have a mild, pleasant coconut flavor that makes them excellent spreads. If you like the taste of real butter, you can make a more flavorful spread using half butter and half coconut oil whipped together. Because it has a buttery consistency at normal room temperature, it isn’t generally used as a salad dressing. Olive oil, which is a healthy oil when used cold or at room temperature, is better for cold salads. I like to use a mixture of olive and coconut oils for my salads. When coconut oil is mixed with olive oil it remains liquid when poured on a salad.

  Coconut oil has a moderately low smoking point, so you need to keep the temperature below 350 degrees F when cooking foods on the stove. This is a moderately high cooking temperature and you can cook anything at this heat, even stir-fry vegetables. If you don’t have a temperature gauge on your stovetop, you can tell when it goes over this point because the oil will begin to smoke. When baking breads, muffins, and casseroles using coconut oil, you can set the oven at temperatures above 350 degrees F because the moisture in the food keeps the inside temperature below 212 degrees F.

  You don’t need any special instructions or recipes to use coconut oil. Simply use it in place of other oils in recipes that call for butter, shortening, margarine, or vegetable oil. Most good brands of coconut oil have a very mild flavor and can be used to cook any type of food. Try it in cookies, cakes, muffins, piecrusts, and pancake batter. It is great for stir-frying or any skillet or stovetop use. Use a melted coconut-butter mixture with seasonings poured over rice, pasta, or vegetables instead of butter or cream sauce.

  For frying, nothing beats coconut oil. It isn’t absorbed into foods as much as other vegetable oils, doesn’t splatter as much, and can be used over again. I don’t ordinarily recommend eating fried foods because most vegetable oils become toxic when fried, but if you use coconut oil, fried foods could be good for you, as long as you don’t overheat it. Remember to keep the temperature below the point where it starts to smoke. Any oil, including coconut oil, will produce toxic byproducts if overheated.

  You can also add coconut oil to most any type of hot beverage such as tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot cider, eggnog, and even warmed vegetable juice. It tastes good in warm milk and is delicious with V-8 Juice. Prepare the beverage as you normally would and simply stir in a tablespoon or so of coconut oil. The beverage needs to be warm enough to keep the coconut oil in a liquid state (76 degrees or more). Since oil is less dense than water it doesn’t mix well with most beverages and tends to rise to the surface. That’s okay. Just stir it up and drink. It won’t taste oily. This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to add coconut oil to your diet.

  Coconut oil is very stable and does not need to be refrigerated. It will stay fresh for at least two or three years unrefrigerated. If kept in a cool place it will last even longer, so it makes a good storage oil. I’ve heard of coconut oil being analyzed after sitting on the shelf for 15 years and still being unoxidized and safe to use. I buy several jars of oil at a time and keep one in the refrigerator. I do this only because I prefer to use the hardened oil, as opposed to the liquid. To me it’s easier
to scoop a little out of the jar with a knife or spoon than it is to pour it out. When pouring, it’s too easy to spill and drip. If I need liquid oil, all I do is heat up a little in a hot pan, or I will pull the entire jar out of the refrigerator an hour or so before it’s needed. It melts quickly.

  EATING COCONUTS AND COCONUT PRODUCTS

  Besides pure coconut oil, another source of the oil comes directly from eating the fruit or nut of the seed or from drinking the milk. Fresh coconut meat is about 33 percent oil; 7 ounces of dried coconut provides about 3½ tablespoons of oil. Ten ounces of coconut milk also provides 3½ tablespoons of oil. The more coconut oil you can add to your diet this way, the better. Adding coconut to your recipes can provide a significant amount of this life-giving oil.

  DRIED AND FRESH COCONUT

  Coconut, both dried and fresh, is a good source of fiber, which is known to be valuable in proper digestive function. One cup of dried, shredded coconut supplies 9 grams of fiber. This is three to four times as much as most fruits and vegetables. For example, broccoli contains only 3 grams of fiber per cup, and raw cabbage has only 2 grams per cup. A cup of white bread has a mere 1 gram. Coconut also contains as much protein as an equal amount of green beans, carrots, and most other vegetables. It contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, C, and E, folic acid, and the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc, among others.

  Most of the coconut available to us in stores has been dried and shredded. When dried, the moisture content is reduced from 52 percent (in fresh coconut) to about 2.5 percent. The fat content and nutritional content is pretty much the same in dried and fresh coconut. Since the saturated fat is highly resistant to oxidation and spoilage, shredded coconut will last for many months, whereas fresh coconut can spoil in a matter of days.

  Fresh coconut is a delight to eat as a snack or to include in your cooking. Most good grocery stores everywhere sell it. You should buy whole coconuts that are as fresh as you can find, but, unfortunately, when you buy a coconut at the store you have no way of telling how old it is. A fresh coconut will stay fresh for many weeks, but an older coconut may be rotten the day you buy it. Shake the shell to detect whether it still contains the water inside. If not, put it back. All three eyes should be intact, and it should not be cracked, leaking, or moldy.

  Before opening, you must first drain the liquid. To do this, puncture a hole in at least two of the three eyes with an ice pick. The thin membrane over one of the eyes is relatively soft and easy to pierce. You will easily find that one. The other two eyes require a little more effort to penetrate, and you may need to use a hammer and nail. Once the holes are made, drain the liquid into a glass. After the liquid is removed, you are ready to crack the shell.

  Coconut shells are tough and can be very difficult to open. Fresh coconuts straight from the tree have a softer shell and can be opened by a sharp blow with a large knife. But the coconuts sold in most grocery stores are older and have much harder shells. The easiest way to open one of these coconuts is to brace it in a corner and strike it with a hammer. The force to break the shell may be substantial, so choose a corner that will not be harmed. Your kitchen countertop may not be the best place to do this. Cement or hardwood stairs make a good location. You could also use a saw, but this can take a long time.

  After the shell is opened, pull the white meat off. A brown, fibrous membrane will be on the side that was in contact with the shell. Peel this off with a vegetable peeler. Your coconut is now ready to eat and enjoy.

  Because of its high moisture content, once a coconut has been opened, the coconut and the liquid extracted should be refrigerated and used within a few days to avoid spoiling. The remarkable antimicrobial properties of coconut oil become effective only after it has entered our bodies. Therefore, the oil in the fresh nut will not prevent mold or bacteria growth.

  COCONUT MILK

  Another common coconut product is coconut milk. Technically speaking coconut milk is not the liquid that develops naturally inside the coconut. This liquid is called “coconut water ,” although the two terms are commonly interchanged. True coconut milk is a manufactured product made from the flesh of the coconut. It is prepared by mixing water with grated coconut, squeezing and extracting the pulp, leaving only the liquid. Coconut milk contains between 17 and 24 percent fat.

  The water that fills the cavity inside the coconut is colorless but slightly cloudy and sweet-tasting. Coconut milk, on the other hand, is pure white, resembling cow’s milk, and is not sweet unless sugar is added. Canned coconut milk is available in many grocery and health food stores and can be used as a replacement for regular cow’s milk and in a wide variety of dishes (see the recipes in chapter 9). You can drink it by the glass, use it in hot and cold cereal, and pour it over fresh fruit. Coconut milk can also be added to many cold beverages. You can combine coconut milk with fruit juice, milk, chocolate milk, and many other cold beverages. Of course, you can mix coconut milk with hot beverages too. One of my favorite drinks is a mixture of coconut milk and orange juice. The coconut milk gives the juice a delicious creamy taste and texture. Mix 2 to 4 tablespoons of coconut milk into 1 cup of orange juice.

  You can also use coconut milk to make fruit smoothies, coconut pancakes, clam chowder, and creamy chicken gravy, to mention just a few (see the recipes in chapter 9). With delicious meals like these, dieting can be a pleasure, and because there are no calorie restrictions to worry about, you can easily maintain it for life without feeling hungry or deprived.

  APPLYING COCONUT OIL TO YOUR SKIN AND HAIR

  Coconut oil works like magic on the skin. Whenever I meet someone who is hesitant about eating coconut oil, I suggest trying it on the skin first and seeing what it does for the skin. Once people begin to use it topically and see the improvement, they become believers and are more willing to add it to their diets. When used as a skin lotion, food-grade coconut oil is preferred. Oil is readily absorbed through the skin and into the body. It’s almost the same as eating it. So if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.

  Because oils are readily absorbed by the skin, another way to get coconut oil into the body is by applying it to the skin. The only problem with skin application is that you can’t really tell how much oil is actually absorbed, since absorption varies, depending on skin texture and thickness. In addition, too much oil applied to any one area tends to sit on the surface of the skin, where it is easily rubbed off. Therefore, using coconut oil as a lotion or hair conditioner should not be the only way you incorporate it into your lifestyle. Cooking with coconut oil and eating coconut products will also add luster to your skin and hair. But in order to achieve specific beauty benefits, skin and hair application is recommended.

  When we bathe with soap and water, the protective chemical barrier on the skin is washed off, leaving the skin vulnerable to germs that can cause infections. Applying a layer of coconut oil helps to quickly reestablish this barrier. It also lubricates and softens the skin. I recommend you apply a thin layer of oil over most of your body. Don’t use too much, or it will sit on the surface of the skin and rub off on your clothing. Massage the oil into your skin, focusing on areas where the skin is especially dry, red, infected, cut, or bruised. Working the oil into the skin helps increase absorption and speed healing. Massage the oil on the feet and work it between the toes. This is a great way to prevent and even treat foot fungus. Feet are often abused and neglected, causing them to be dry, cracked, and infected. People often tell me how wonderful their feet look after using coconut oil.

  To help control dandruff and improve the appearance of your hair, apply the oil to your scalp and massage it in. Work it into the skin. Let the oil soak into your scalp and hair for a period of time, at least 15 minutes; the longer the better. Then wash it out. If you like, you can apply a small amount of coconut oil to your hair after you get out of the shower. Use only a little. You don’t want your hair to look or feel greasy.

  Don’t be afraid of applying the oil t
o your face. It will help your complexion. Coconut oil acts like an exfoliant and helps remove dead cells, giving the skin a shiny, youthful appearance.

  Coconut oil can help with all types of skin blemishes. I’ve had deep discolorations caused by injuries that were three or four years old fade away within weeks. Acne outbreaks become less troublesome. Wrinkles, growths, and liver spots start to fade. It soothes and speeds the healing of burns, cuts, insect bites, and other injuries. It keeps skin strong and elastic and is an excellent way to heal stretch marks after childbirth. For best results, the expectant mother should massage the oil into the abdomen every day. This should be continued after delivery until the marks are completely gone.

  In chronic conditions, you may or may not see immediate results. The oil aids the body in healing the skin. This usually takes time. Apply it daily, even two or three times a day if necessary. In a matter of weeks you will see the improvement. For best results you should consume the oil as well as apply it to the skin.

  WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE SICK

  In coastal Africa and South and Central America and other tropical areas of the world, people are known to drink coconut or palm kernel oil whenever they become sick. To them, the tropical oils are both a food and a medicine. Coconut oil can be helpful in fighting many common seasonal illnesses. In the case of a virus, which includes the flu, there is no medication that can destroy the organism. Medications given in these circumstances are primarily to relieve symptoms. The body has to mount its own defense, and you simply must wait it out. Even if you have a bacterial infection and are given antibiotics, your body must still fight off the infection. Whether you have a viral or bacterial infection, you’re going to need to eat. You might as well be eating foods prepared in coconut oil. This will provide your body with valuable antimicrobial fatty acids that will aid it in overcoming the illness.