The many benefits of coconut oil and how we use it

Today we’re sharing the many benefits and how we use coconut oil.  Coconut oil has become one of the go-to products in our household.  There are so many ways to use coconut oil and we keep finding more ways to use this incredible oil.

Coconut oil made it’s debut in our household a few years ago and slowly made it’s way into many of our favorite recipes. Coconut oil then started to compete with the commonly used oils such as vegetable, canola, olive, and avocado oil.  We now use coconut oil solely or largely for most cooking and baking in our household.  We also use it for many health products and beauty products and we continue to find more ways to employ this amazing oil.

Coconut oil has anti-bacterial properties as it contains lauric acid which when digested forms a substance called monolaurin.  Both lauric acid and monolaurin can kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi. 

Coconut oil can raise the good HDL cholesterol in your body to improve metabolic health and lower risk of heart disease.  Coconut oil is high in healthy saturated fats known as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs).  When you eat these types of fats, they go straight to the liver, where they are used as a quick source of energy or turned into ketones.  Ketones can have powerful benefits for the brain and are being studied as treatment for epilepsy, alzheimer’s and other health conditions. 

Coconut oil has many other uses that don’t involve consumption.  You can use it to improve the health or appearance of skin or hair.  You can also use it to treat dry skin by improving the moisture content of skin.  It has sun protective properties blocking about 20% of the sun’s UV rays.  In addition, you can use coconut oil like a mouthwash in a process called oil pulling. Oil pulling can kill harmful bacteria, improve dental health and reduce bad breath.

The ways we use coconut oil

1. Add coconut oil to rice. After it sits for at least 12 hours it lowers its calorie count by as a much as 60%.  And reheating the rice won’t increase the calories. 
2. Make sugar scrub. Add ½ cup of coconut oil to 1 ½ cups of sugar along with any other scents or essentials oils for an amazing sugar scrub.
3. As an eye makeup remover.  Rub a pea-sized amount of coconut oil between your fingers.  Apply to eyes and gently massage to remove makeup.  Then wipe away with a warm washcloth.
4. Use coconut oil for dry scalp conditions, dandruff and cradle cap in babies.
5. Replace all other oils, butter, and fats in your baking and other recipes.
6. Use coconut oil for frying or sautéing foods.

We encourage you to do your own research.  You can find many reputable sources which share the benefits and uses of coconut oil.  We’d love to hear how you use coconut oil. Let us know in the comments below.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting Sunup to Sundown!  We’ll be back soon with another recipe or update regarding our garden or our journey to becoming more self-reliant.