Coconut oil is just about the most impressive ‘super food’ I have ever come across through my vast travels around the web. When you explore into the deeper recesses of the Internet, you can find people advising you to do pretty much literally everything under the sun for a range of purported health benefits (try putting this banana in your eye, it will cure your diarrhoea etc. etc.) – and this can sometimes have the unfortunate effect of making one jaded. I now tend to role my eyes when I see any kind of ‘miracle cure’, but to be fair there are a couple of instances where the food in question is deserving of its attention… and coconut oil is an example of just such a food.
You see, coconut oil is a fantastic choice of supplement if you’re looking to lose weight, increase brain power, boost energy and preserve muscle… but it’s also a great product to use in all manner of other ways. When you see just how many ways you can use coconut oil to improve your health, you’ll probably agree that it’s an awesome thing to keep in your home. Read on and we’ll look at six amazing uses for the stuff and make a believer of you…
1) Eating…
While coconut oil is great for many things, it’s not great tasting. In fact swallowing a spoonful of it can pretty much make you want to instantly heave. That said, you can add it to all sorts of stuff including a protein shake or a cup of coffee and that way it goes down a lot smoother.
But why eat coconut oil at all? Well for starters, it’s a fantastic source of energy. That’s because coconut oil contains what are known as ‘MCTs’ or ‘Medium Chain Triglycerides’. These are fats that are formed in a specific way that makes them get quickly sent to the liver (without getting stored as fat) where they stimulate the production of ‘ketones’ – a different source of energy which is particularly good for boosting the brain and for providing you with an immediate ‘surge’ of energy. It’s excellent for long distance running for instance.
On top of this, coconut oil has been shown to help increase the amount of available omega 3 fatty acids in the crucial areas of the brain. Although it doesn’t actually contain omega 3 itself, it appears to help us to make use of it, making it great for brain health.
Not persuaded yet? Then consider that coconut oil also contains lauric acid, which contains with MCTs can help to boost metabolism in order to increase fat loss.
2) Cooking With
If you want to cook with a type of oil that’s actually good for your health, then coconut oil is ideal. It’s a little expensive, but if you’re making something for guests or you’re out of other cooking oils it’s a great alternative.
3) Getting Glossy Hair
Want to give your hair an instant and impressive glossy look? Then how about running some coconut oil through your hair… You only need the very tiniest bit seeing as it goes such a long way (this makes it very affordable too), but it can make your hair look very healthy and is much more effective than numerous expensive conditioners claiming to do the same thing.
4) Shaving With
Coconut oil can also be used as shaving oil for the face or body. And being so slippery it will really help the blade to glide across your skin, while at the same time nourishing it as you go.
5) Moisturising With
And if you’re not shaving you can still use coconut oil to rub into your skin. This is not only great smelling (some people actually use it to make deodorant!), but it’s also highly nourishing and will give you baby-soft skin. It can also make a natural chapstick and can be used to give great massages (as any oil can).
6) Rinsing Your Mouth With
‘Oil pulling’ is a bit of a health fad that involves swilling the mouth with oil in order to ‘draw out’ bacteria and toxins. While there’s no evidence to suggest this will happen, you can use various oils as alternatives to mouthwash and they’re generally considered to be pretty effective at killing bacteria. Don’t go too overboard with this, as brushing your teeth and flossing is still the best way to a clean mouth… but if you occasionally fancy a deep clean then it won’t hurt!
So there you go, a whole bunch of ways that you can use coconut oil to improve your health and just to make life that little bit better. If you don’t have some in your cupboard then you should think about rectifying that right away!