Coconut oil - the beauty elixir!

While things are still going swimmingly on the sugarfree front, I'm going to undertake a couple of other committments. I'd really like to cut bread, pasta and pastry out too (though not as ruthlessly as I did with refined sugar, one has to be polite at others' houses, it's much easier to refuse dessert than mains!), and I'd also like to gradually increase my coconut oil intake.

According to the research I've found, particularly here at the coconut research centre, coconut oil is a veritable miracle worker. It's so antiviral that its capable of reducing the viral load to negligable levels in people suffering from the most debilitating viruses. It is also antibacterial and anti-fungal, and so a fantastic treatment for systemic candida. In case those credentials haven't impressed you, coconut oil is a FAT EATING OIL!!! That's right folks, you can consume this oil and it will munch away at your stored body fat! And just to be a total show off, it's anti-inflammatory too, therefore great for arthritis and autoimmune disorders. WOW.

The approximate dose required for inflammation and candidiasis, is 3 tablespoons a day. It's advisable to slowly advance to that amount if you'd like to try it, it is after all an oil and many of us who have particularly 'toxed up' livers may feel a little ill otherwise. I'd reccommend starting with a teaspoon and working up.

For particularly virulent viruses up to 6 tablespoons can be taken daily. If you like you can have your viral load tested before you start taking coconut oil, then again after, say, 3 months on the full dose. It would be interesting to make the comparison.

So far I'm up to one tablespoon a day. I notice I eat less of other foods for a few hours after I take it. My body feels nourished enough and doesn't ask for more, which could be a great weight management tool.

The other thing I noticed immediatelly is that it's really hard to swallow pure oil!!! So I've been experimenting with finding other ways to take it. This morining I put it in my smoothie which seemed to work well. Another option is to incorporate it into warm foods like coconut oil based curries, over some warm rice or, my personal preference, warm coconut and chai spiced rice pudding made with xylitol! I'll post the recipe as soon as I've got it down pat.

Coconut oil can be found at health shops, make sure you always buy cold pressed. If you have a great coconut oil story or recipe, please share it in comments!