This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Favorites Friday: Coconut Oil

Eating coconut oil may have many benefits to you health. Smearing it on your face makes you feel like a tropical princess/prince with glowing skin.

by Erin at SlimSavers.com

Sunday, I made bread using coconut oil. Wednesday, I fried up some banana bread french toast (made with coconut oil) in some coconut oil. Last night, I washed my face with….coconut oil. Today, I might put it in my hair.

I *heart* coconut oil. Can you tell?

Find out what's happening in Plum-Oakmontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

I came upon my discovery of coconut oil while researching “real” foods and such. Almost all of the blogs that focus on organics, naturals, and real food say something fantastic about coconut oil. Being me, I followed up with more “medical” and “scientific” information and, of course, there’ great debate as to the benefits and backfires of coconut oil.

The facts: Coconut oil comes from coconuts. It’s heat stable, suitable for cooking at high temperature, and has a shelf life of about two years.

Find out what's happening in Plum-Oakmontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Maybe some facts: I’ve read that eating coconut oil won’t aggravate that pesky high cholesterol I’m trying to beat down, assists in speeding up the metabolism because of the type of fat (medium-chain fatty acid) it contains, helps your immune system, and may help keep the diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease away (which both, along with high cholesterol, run in my family). I’ve read many other things that coconut oil can cure/alleviate from hemorrhoids to HIV. Sooooo…as with everything, you make up your own mind with your own research, I believe what I believe and you can, too! Let me tell you how coconut oil is used in mi casa. Remember, I’m a newbie coconut oil user, so tell me how you use it?

Baking

I substitute coconut oil for whatever oil is called for in the cookie, bread, cake, etc. I’m baking. I does NOT add a coconut flavor (even though it smells deliciously of coconuts right our of the jar). Depending on how it’s stored, coconut oil can be a solid or liquid. Mine is solid (because our house is set at 65 degrees!), but it’s easily melt-able if the liquid form is needed/preferred.

Beauty

I put an itty bitty bit on my face last night with water and my skin is so smooth this morning! I’ve read you can mix that tiny bit with some baking soda (another favorite of mine) and give your self a little scrub-a-dub-dub. Ahhhh, nice. Coconut oil is just coconut oil so you’re not putting chemicals and other junk on that beautiful face of yours. Like I said, my face is so silky smooth hours after I put he oil on it. It can help with dry skin, rough patches, and, I hear, make you hair silky smooth and shinny. I’ll let you know about that…

Read more at SlimSavers.com.

Erin and Joline, both health and wellness junkies, spent many years pinning down the truths about eating healthy and inexpensively. Both feel the it’s-too-expensive-to-eat-healthy excuse is untrue and infuriating.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?