Health and Wellness Blog

I have been wondering lately if coconut oil would be a good oil to replace my other cooking oils with, and also whether to use on my skin. There is so much information out there about the health benefits of coconut oil, it supposedly being "the world's healthiest oil." I have tried it on my skin, and find that it is a great natural moisturizer that can do a great job of replacing some or all of your lotions and potions, but it is best used on the body and hair, not the face, as it may clog pores…

It is also best used at night as your body moisturizer, as it has a very greasy feeling, and does not seem to "soak" into the skin like the chemical-ladden prepared moisturizers sold in your drugstore do. It also works great as a lip healer..

You can read more about the skin uses here:

Enough about skin… Now on to Cooking:

From all the reading I have done on whether it is a healthier oil to cook with, it seems to me that main stream practitioners do not seem to think that you should be replacing your heart healthier extra virgin olive oil for coconut oil just yet, until more solid research is done. However, the more natural and alternative health practioners say the opposite, that you should drop your regular oils and switch completely to coconut oil! It's totally up to you which camp you fall into. Do your own reading and decide for yourself, along with consulting your doctor if you are worried about calories and cholesterol levels before you make any changes…

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/ask-a-health-expert/coconut-oil-for-cooking-is-it-good-or-bad-for-you/article4683703/

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/coconut-oil-and-health

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-healthy-diet/NU00196

http://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/locations/austin/medical-services/cardiology/heart-healthy-tips

 Try some library reading too:

(image courtesty of foodmatters.tv)