Coconut Oil

[Unmanagable]

Just wondering if any of you use coconut oil for anything.

I learned of the many uses a few months ago and have made, used, and liked:

• Using it as a body and face moisturizer (i made a coconut oil/peppermint oil version that helps repel insects and mosquitos (smells great and is really refreshing on your skin), and a coconut oil/grapefuit oil version)
• Toothpaste (I know, it sounds gross and takes some getting used to, but damn if it doesn't work like a charm - better than the store bought!!)
• As a replacement for butter, crisco, and some other oils in recipes - (use the processed kind if you don't want the coconut flavor in your food)

A friend of mine's mother has alzheimers and they said they've seen an improvement in her memory since she started using it. I think she eats a tablespoon a day on toast, etc.

I'm quite impressed with what I've used it for so far!! I thought some folks may enjoy checking it out.

Here's a link that lists 160 uses and other helpful info:
http://wakeup-world.com/2012/03/02/1...r-coconut-oil/

Another link that explains some of the health benefits in more detail:
http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-...conut-oil.html

Now I can't stop singing, "You put the lime in the coconut......."

Enjoy!

[BR549]

Hahaha! I'm going to be singing that song now too!

I use coconut oil all the time, actually. I've used it for oil pulling (takes some getting used to, but coconut oil to me is the easiest to use), hair conditioning, skin conditioner/massage oil, to cook with and I also use a bit of it on salads. I'm not a fan of hot beverages, especially tea. I will say, that a bit in a cup of tea is wonderful.

When I first looked into coconut oil, I ran across an article (or maybe it was a book--can't remember) that discussed the health benefits of coconut oil. Apparently farmers in the 1940's thought that if they supplemented their cow feed with cheap coconut oil, they could fatten them up inexpensively and save money. What they found was that the cows actually lost weight and became hungrier and more active . I don't really know how true this is, but I do know that there are claims that adding coconut oil to your diet can promote weight loss. Fact or fiction? I don't really know.

I make sure that I buy the (organic) virgin coconut oil, as the refined doesn't have as many of the (supposed) health benefits, not to mention I'm not crazy about how many refined oils are expressed. Different brands use different methods to extract the oil. This can make a difference in how strong of a coconut flavor the oil has.

Be careful when purchasing refined coconut oil. Many brands can be distilled using chemicals like lye or solvents. Some are made from rancid by coconut/oil products. These are bleached and deodorized to make them more palatable. There are some good brands of refined coconut oils on the market. You have to do a bit of research to find which ones are good. A good coconut oil, refined or virgin isn't cheap, but I use so little of it at a time that it will keep for a while.

[Loonette]

After having read about the health benefits of coconut oil, I became convinced it was a good thing to have. I started buying it in the largest, most economic container they had at the grocery stores, but it was always so expensive. I hunted around for a cheaper deal.

I've been buying organic coconut oil by the gallon bucket for the past year. In fact, right now, I've got four gallons on their way to me in the mail from an organic food dealer here in BC. I love the stuff.

I eat it in my oatmeal (bulk quick oats to which I add Celtic sea salt, cinnamon, stevia, and a little soy milk). I have at least one bowl of that per day, but usually two, with about a tablespoon of coconut oil in it.

At least once a day, I open up the coconut oil bucket, which I keep on my counter, and scoop out a little spoonful just for straight eating. Yum! I love the stuff.

I also use a bit of coconut oil in my cast iron pan for frying eggs. Like BR549 mentions, it is NOT cheap, so I use just enough to prevent the eggs from sticking to the pan, and no more.

By the way, BR549, I absolutely LOVE your username! Hee-Haw!!!

[Loonette]

Oh yeah, and I forgot to say I use it instead of butter. Like, when I'm making toast for my kids (I avoid wheat, otherwise I'd do it on my own toast, too!), I spread coconut oil on it and sprinkle a little Celtic sea salt on top. They've come to expect it instead of butter, and it never has that awful rancid taste butter often gets when it's been sitting for over a couple weeks or so.

[spunkysmum]

Hmm, this is a recent thread I see, yet I missed it and didn't see it until I searched "coconut oil."

I have been aware of the benefits of coconut oil for some time now. I use it as a facial moisturizer and have meant for a long time to start taking it internally regularly, it's just one of those things I haven't got around to yet. But I started today, so we'll see. I got the unrefined virgin stuff from the health food store. I've had it around for a while. My main reason in taking it is that I strongly suspect that I have a yeast overgrowth problem for years now that affects my digestive system among other things, and coconut oil contains some substances that are supposed to be strong killers of yeast.

You know what's funny, my late kitty Diablo went crazy for coconut oil, but the bleached, refined, deodorized stuff. I couldn't understand it because to me it neither tastes nor smells like anything at all, yet if it was nearby he'd sniff it out and devour it. One day I had massaged it into my scalp to combat itch and flakiness and he got up on the bed and started licking it out of my hair. But, when I found out that this form of coconut oil wasn't as beneficial as the unrefined virgin kind, I got that kind instead - and he didn't react to it at all. Wasn't even interested. Weird.

[Luvmybully]

Yes, I give it to my dog every single day. I use it to make a paste for her diatomaceous earth, because she eats raw meat and it's hard to mix DE with it.

She gets NOTHING processed. NO chemicals. No vaccines, flea or heartworm meds.

Her coat got even more super soft and shiny since starting the coconut oil.

I eat junk food and highly processed stuff way more than I should, but I am very careful about what goes into/onto my dog.

[spunkysmum]

Originally Posted by Luvmybully

Yes, I give it to my dog every single day. I use it to make a paste for her diatomaceous earth, because she eats raw meat and it's hard to mix DE with it.

She gets NOTHING processed. NO chemicals. No vaccines, flea or heartworm meds.

Her coat got even more super soft and shiny since starting the coconut oil.

I eat junk food and highly processed stuff way more than I should, but I am very careful about what goes into/onto my dog.

What is the benefit of the diatomaceous earth for the dog? I know that it can be used to get rid of fleas naturally and non-toxic-ly but what does it do when taken internally?

I use natural/alternative medicine to treat cats due to the financial impracticality of taking strays and barn cats to the vet all the time and I'm always interested in new info.

[salleh]

My favorite scent is Monoi Tiare Tahiti .....coconut oil scented with gardinias.....found it in Hawaii, in 1969 .....and a friend up in Sonoma always had it in her bathroom ...and then I found it on goold ole ebay , and have my first bottle since .....well it's been a long long time .....

It is the mostgorgeous smalling stuff ever ......and it really is from Tahiti



and now .......earwourm !!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy2U6...FABD83E6656617

[Unmanagable]

That was awesome, salleh!!!

[Luvmybully]

Originally Posted by spunkysmum

What is the benefit of the diatomaceous earth for the dog? I know that it can be used to get rid of fleas naturally and non-toxic-ly but what does it do when taken internally?

I use natural/alternative medicine to treat cats due to the financial impracticality of taking strays and barn cats to the vet all the time and I'm always interested in new info.

DE when eaten gets rid of intestinal parasites with no side effects, to help keep their immune system working optimally.

I want my Audrey's immune system to be at it's peak so it can fight off heartworm microfilariae before they get to her heart.

DE externally can be used to kill fleas. It is not an instantly working thing and it does NOT deter them.

You can't use essential oils on cats, so I don't know any really effective topical flea repellents, but we give our outside cat Flea Free and even living in hot humid NC, he still doesn't have fleas. http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/flea_free.html

[spunkysmum]

Originally Posted by Luvmybully

DE when eaten gets rid of intestinal parasites with no side effects, to help keep their immune system working optimally.

I want my Audrey's immune system to be at it's peak so it can fight off heartworm microfilariae before they get to her heart.

DE externally can be used to kill fleas. It is not an instantly working thing and it does NOT deter them.

You can't use essential oils on cats, so I don't know any really effective topical flea repellents, but we give our outside cat Flea Free and even living in hot humid NC, he still doesn't have fleas. http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/flea_free.html

Thanks - your post got me to wondering and I went ahead and did some googling. I found the info pretty fascinating and I intend to print a lot of it out to show my boyfriend, who runs a small dairy farm. Flies are a huge problem right now and those fly sprays are so noxious. And outdoor cats almost always have intestinal parasites, so the cats out there could really use a cheap effective parasite remedy.

I did have to send an email to the people at the site - I see your link is from the same one - complaining that the text couldn't be read unless highlighted. It was pale pink on my computer.

[iluvdvinci]

I already take a fish oil supplement, and am interested in also taking coconut oil. A friend whose mom has dementia says she's noticed an improvement in her mom's cognition. My friend has started taking it herself and says her memory is improving. It also helped calm my dad's 'essential tremor'. How much should I take? I want to take it to improve my memory.

[spunkysmum]

Originally Posted by iluvdvinci

I already take a fish oil supplement, and am interested in also taking coconut oil. A friend whose mom has dementia says she's noticed an improvement in her mom's cognition. My friend has started taking it herself and says her memory is improving. It also helped calm my dad's 'essential tremor'. How much should I take? I want to take it to improve my memory.

You could start with a spoonful a day and work up I guess.