Summer Health with Coconut Oil

June 5, 2010

Written by Traci

Summer Health with Coconut Oil

I love summertime.  The beach, being outdoors, and the energizing sun are all reasons why I live in Florida.  With all the heat summer brings Coconut Oil is wonderful for cooling the body inside and out.

Benefits of Coconut Oil

• Antioxidant – Fights free radicals providing anti-aging benefits and helping to reduce damage from the sun
• Cooling and soothing for sunburns
• Helps maintain a healthy balance of intestinal flora
• A great hair conditioner
• Good for sensitive skin and doesn’t clog pores
• Anti fungal
• Rich in lauric acid that supports the bodies immune system

Buying Coconut Oil

It is important to buy unrefined, cold pressed, virgin coconut oil to obtain all the amazing health benefits coconut oil provides.  In my experience it is relatively easy to find cold pressed coconut oil, but a little more challenging to find unrefined.  Look on the package, if it doesn’t state either way, it is probably refined.  Refining a natural product like coconut oil usually requires heat which strips the inherent health benefits and changes the chemistry.

Recipe for Oatmeal Cookies

• 3/4 C. Coconut Oil
• 1 1/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 C. milk
• 1 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1 C. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3 C. oats
• 1 C. raisins (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine and beat on medium speed in a large bowl:  coconut oil, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla.
3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl, then mix into the creamed mixture at low speed until just blended.
4. Add raisins then drop rounded tablespoon size dough onto cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly brown.  Cool for 2 minutes before removing.

Some Great Resources

On our website we sell unrefined, cold pressed, virgin coconut oil.  We also have several products made with coconut oil including a Coconut Body Balm that is a great moisturizer especially after a day in the sun.  There’s also a Coconut Orange Salt Scrub that’s exfoliates the skin with a fresh coconut and orange aroma perfect for summer.  And our best selling Coconut Orange Lip Balm.

Here’s a link to a more articles on the internal health benefits of Coconut Oil with some great articles on research in tropical islands where native people have been consuming coconut oil as part of their daily diet for centuries.  “The Health Benefits of Virgin Coconut Oil”.

A great book that I recommend is Coconut Oil: For Health and Beauty by Cynthia and Laura Holzapfel.  Lots of science and recipes!

Do you use coconut oil?  What are your experiences with coconut oil?