Coconut Oil

So, here’s the deal (my family and many of my friends can vouch for this)…we have been using coconut oil for over a year now…and I do mean using it…in everything and on everything!

I don’t remember who in our family had an ailment or what the ailment was BUT being the ‘Research Queen’, as I am affectionately called (I think it is with affection…hmmmm…will think about that later), I took to the internet with a vengeance to find a holistic, homeopathic or natural solution for their ailment.

Thus began my journey with coconut oil.  Lo and behold, a year later it becomes the buzz word in the market place (this happens to me ALL OF THE TIME, seriously)!  If you HAVEN’T heard about coconut oil and seen it appearing on market shelves in the past couple of months, well…I thought I didn’t get out much!  🙂

We were soooo amazed with this miracle drupe’s benefits that we talked about it…a lot…people started asking questions…a lot…so I compiled a ‘one-sheet’ (yep, there goes that ‘teacher-thing’ again) based on our uses/successes to give to people who were interested.  Since people are still asking, here ya go:

Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

The average shelf life is up to 2 years.  It will become a liquid at 76 degrees and will become solid if its temperature is below that.  It can be used as a liquid or a solid and changing back and forth between the two does not affect the quality of the oil at all.

Based on my research, the recommendation for ingestion is up to 3 – 3.5 tablespoons per day; however, this is something that should be done gradually as it will clean out the impurities in your system and if done too rapidly can cause diarrhea.  We started out with 1 teaspoon three times per day for several days and then gradually increased that amount every 3 – 5 days until we worked our way up to the 3 tablespoons every day.

Organic Virgin Gold Coconut Oil 

The oil we use is the best and highest quality coconut oil I have been able to find.  It is also the most nutritious with more antioxidants (clinically proven) but, because it is grown organically at the base of a volcano in the Philippines and is processed the old-fashioned way (by hand using the coconut’s water for purity), it has a strong, unique coconut smell and taste. The taste may also vary slightly from batch to batch.  It can be ingested or applied topically.

Organic Expeller – Pressed Coconut Oil 

This is a high quality refined organic coconut oil.  This particular company does not use chemicals or solvent extracts in the processing.  This is the oil to use when you don’t want much flavor so I use this one for cooking most of the time.  It is bland enough to let the flavors of the other foods come through, and yet, it compliments everything I have cooked with it thus far.  I have done everything from searing/frying meats, to frying okra, sweet potatoes, french fries, adding it to legumes and popping popcorn…yea, everything!  It is the oil I cook with most and my family loves it!

Ways we get our daily-recommended dosage:

• Cooking
• Use on toast, pancakes, waffles  instead of butter
• I love it in my coffee but some people get choked drinking it so be careful…it is hot oil at that point, too
• Use in homemade salad dressings instead of/in combination with olive oil
• Coconut oil from the refrigerator and Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chips-just dip your chocolate chip in soft coconut oil and eat…this tastes like an almond joy and is our dessert most evenings

Topical uses thus far consist of the following:

• Add it to my bath water or apply it while in the shower, then rinse and pat dry
• Arthritis aches and pains – ingesting it helps with this also
• Brown spots
• Bruises
• Cuts/Scrapes
• Moisturizer for lines around my eyes, lips (I apply my make up over it and love the healthy glow – just be careful not to get it in your eyes because it makes your vision blurry for a while)
• Make up remover (Again, it will cause your vision to be blurry momentarily if you get it in your eyes.)
• Mouth ulcers (swish with it)
• Poison oak, ivy…anything that itches
• Sore throat (gargle with it)

Pet Uses:

If you would like to know more about the particular coconut oil we use leave me a comment or contact me (select ‘CONTACT’ at top of webpage) and I will be more than happy to share the information.

Of course, I am no doctor and do not pretend to be.  I have researched via the internet and tried many holistic/natural remedies and coconut oil has worked for me and mine.  I recommend that everyone do their own research for their particular situation to ensure there will be no adverse interactions with their conditions or with any chemicals (medications from physicians) they may be taking.

I hope you find this information helpful.  We will be adding more data/facts as we experience it and would love to hear how you use coconut and how it has helped you.

Blessings, Love and Light…always!

P.S.  The two books in the picture are jammed packed with good info, as well as some recipes :

The Coconut Oil Miracle, Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D.

Virgin Coconut Oil, Brian & Marianita Jader Shilhavy