Coconut Oil

A few weeks ago our pastor briefly mentioned that his wife cooks with coconut oil.  My husband thought that was interesting and brought home a jar of it during his next run to the grocery store. When I opened up the jar, I was surprised at the consistency of the coconut oil. I guess I thought it would be liquidy like olive oil, but it was solid. It only had a faint coconut smell, nothing too strong. I used it when I was frying chicken and the flavor is very light. On the back of the jar, it states that it’s good for your hair and skin also. So I decided to do a little research and I fell in LOVE with this stuff! Why? Well… why not? Coconut oil, unlike most if not all other cooking oils, is a medium chain triglyceride, which helps to increase metabolism and is more easily digested.  When used for cooking, it can actually help with weight loss. It’s recommended that a person consume 2-4 tbsp of coconut oil per day, and you may even be able to find it in capsule form to add to your daily supplements.  I have cooked with it, spread it on toast, and even put a tbsp in my oatmeal. YUM! I’ve read that it’s wonderful in a shake, but haven’t tried that yet.

Coconut oil is also wonderful for your skin and hair.  I have very dry skin during the winter, so I decided I’d give it a try.  Some people recommend warming the oil to its liquid state before applying, but I don’t think that’s necessary as it tends to melt at body temperature.  It goes on very smooth and absorbs into the skin fairly quickly. Again, it does have a light scent, but that tends to go away once it’s absorbed into the skin, so you don’t have to worry about smelling like a coconut all day long. The real test for me was on my feet.  My feet tend to get really rough, especially during the winter.  After only 3 days of slathering coconut oil on my feet and then putting socks on right away, my feet became very smooth. Since coconut oil is not at all greasy feeling, light, and absorbs easily into the skin, it’s perfect for massage oil as well. I’ve also massaged coconut oil into my hair and scalp as a pre-conditioner.  I find it’s better to melt it first before applying it.  You can leave it on for just 30 minutes or so, but I’ve left it in my hair overnight, and then washed it in the morning.  The coconut oil will absorb into your hair and acts just like your natural sebum.  This protects your hair from being stripped of its natural oils every time you wash it. The result is silky soft hair. Did I mention that I LOVE this stuff? It’s even said to help with hair loss and thinning hair.  It’s definitely worth a try!

So far, with this one product, I’ve replaced my cooking oil, body lotion, hair conditioner, and massage oil.  And I’ve not even mentioned half the benefits.  I encourage you to google the benefits of coconut oil and you will be AMAZED!  If you decide to give it a try, you should be able to find it at Walmart, fine grocery stores, health food stores, and online.  We purchased Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil at Reasor’s. Let me know what you think.