Coconut Oil is a wonderful healthy food that has been shown to increase metabolism and assist in burning unwanted fat off your body. It is a wonderful superfood, that has been around for centuries and a great addition to any fat burning meal plan.
Unfortunately, some people have a really hard time believing that coconut oil is not “fattening” or “dangerous”. Including many in the health industry, but thankfully that’s all changing.
We have all been falsely led to believe that fat. Especially saturated fats, are the cause of our weight gain and health problems. This is only partially true. There are some fats like hydrogenated oils and vegetable oils can contribute to heart disease, and weight gain. But good fats, such as coconut oil, butter and olive oil, are actually great fats for our bodies. Just consider how much healthier people were in the late 1800’s and very early 1900’s. Heart disease was almost unheard of over a hundred years ago.
Let’s put some of these bizarre MYTHS about coconut oil to bed right now, once and for all.
Myth 1 – Coconut Oil contains a lot of fat so it must be fattening.
Truth – Not all fat makes you fat (I want to get this printed on a t-shirt). Certain fats do cause you to put on weight, but other good fats will actually burn unwanted fat off your body, and accelerate your metabolism.
Myth 2 – Coconut Oil contains almost all saturated fat so it must be bad for you.
Truth – Saturated Fat is not the cause of heart disease, weight gain and high cholesterol. It has been falsely accused, and it is SUGAR that is Enemy Number One.
(To read more details about how fats can be healthy and the history of dietary fats, read my post Butter: Good Fat or Bad?)
Myth 3 – Coconut Oil should be avoided by those who are at risk for heart disease
Truth – The fat in coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils you can consume (yes, even for those with heart disease). It is rich in lauric acid, approx 50% of the fatty acid content. Which is well known for its anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties (lauric acid is also contained in cow’s milk). Also it contains no trans fat. The saturated fat in coconut oil is different, in that it is of the medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) variety. The body digests MCFA’s more easily and sends these fats directly to the liver where they are immediately converted into energy. Also the brain loves to use MCFA’s. Now isn’t that great? A fat that is used to make energy instead of storing it on our bodies.
Recently in this update Coconut oil is being used by some people to treat their elderly relative for Alzheimer’s disease, see this UK newspaper report.
I highly recommend everyone use unrefined, organic coconut oil for their cooking. About a single table spoon is more than enough for most cooking. You can even use it raw if you like as I think, it tastes amazing! I usually have about 2-3 total table spoons per day which is a perfect amount for a fat burning eating plan.
If you have a hard time finding coconut oil in your local supermarket, Available here for readers in the U.S.A: http://wildfamilynaturals.com
Now go right ahead and start enjoying your coconut oil and reap the fat burning effects right away.
Why not see what Mike Geary has to offer on such foods whilst dieting in his fat loss program.