10 Healthy Reasons to use Coconut Oil

1. All Fats Are Not Created Equal

Coconut oil contains short term medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs), which is a "healthy" form saturated fat compared to trans fat. Trans fatty acid consumption is linked with heart problems, depression and increased cholesterol levels. What does consuming MCFA fats in coconut oil mean for your body? Our body metabolises these fats in the liver, immediately coverting this into energy (fuel for the brain and muscle function) rather than it being stored as fat.

2. Helps Controls Weight

One 2009 study looked at the weight loss link between women's consumption of coconut oil and found that it reduces abdominal obesity. Researchers discovered coconut oil is easy to digest and also protects the body from insulin resistance. To try coconut oil for weight loss start by adding one teaspoon to your diet and gradually work your way up to four teaspoons per day.

3. Eases Digestion

If you suffer from poor digestion or tummy bloating try adding coconut oil to your diet. Coconut oil has been found to benefit digestive disorders including irritable bowel syndrome and microbial related tummy bugs. Fatty acids in coconut oil contain anti microbial properties, which have a soothing affect on bacteria, candida, or parasites that cause poor digestion.

4. Manage type 2 Diabetes

A recent study by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research found that coconut oil protects against insulin resistance, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. MCFA fats are small enough to be absorbed into the cells where they're quickly converted to energy. It is this process that not only reduces the amount of fat we pack into storage, but improves insulin sensitivity.

5. Supports Immunity

Coconut oil is made up of healthy fats lauric acid, caprylic acid and capric acid which contain antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral prosperities to boost the immune system. Lauric acid contains the highest concentration of MCFA fatty acids, approximately 75 per cent. The body turn this fat into monolaurin which is claimed to help heal viruses such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, helicobacter pylori and candida.

6. Boost Metabolism

A study reported in the Journal of Nutrition found that coconut oil boosts metabolism. Researchers found that participants who consumed two tablespoons of coconut oil per day burned more kilojoules than those who consumed less. A speedy metabolism helps boost the body's immune system and keep weight off.

7. Slows Fine Lines

Coconut is not just for your cooking – it's a wonderfully hydrating treat for skin too. It keeps the skin's connective tissues strong, which prevents sagging and wrinkles. Apply coconut oil directly to your skin to soften the appearance of fine lines or use it daily on your face and body for a healthy glow. Be sure you use virgin coconut oil with no additives.

8. Cooks In High Temperatures

Because coconut oil is a medium-chain saturated fatty acid, it gives it a higher smoking temperature than most polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils. If you're preparing recipes that require high temperatures you should consider coconut oil for this type of cooking. Unlike olive oil which will oxidise at high temperatures, creating free radicals.

9. Stops Sugar Cravings

Instead of reaching for the lollie jar for an afternoon sweet hit, try eating a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil to beat sugar cravings. This is because good quality fat is more satiating than carbs, so if you cut down on sugar you will feel less 'ravenous'.

Most of us do not realize but constant hunger is a major clue that your body is not being fed correctly.  With the proper amounts of fats and protein, you can fuel your energy reserves properly, and come off the sugar roller coaster that many of us are on.

10. Coconut Oil Makes Delicious Desserts

Try this recipe for a nutritious high protein, gluten and dairy free coconut treat.

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1 cup of almonds or walnuts (soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight)

5 organic dates soaked in hot water to soften (or raw honey to taste)

3 tablespoons of raw cocoa powder

Shredded coconut (check it contains no preservatives)

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Roll into small bite size balls and roll into shredded coconut. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set.

Keep your brain healthy

A recent study has minted a new diet that may significantly reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay ( MIND ) diet encourages regular consumption of 10 brain healthy food groups, which include green leafy vegetables, nuts, berries and whole grains, and limited consumption of five unhealthy food groups, which include fried or fast food and pastries ans sweets.  

Rush University Medical Center researchers studied the food intake of 923 people between the ages of 58 and 98 and scored how closely the participants' food intake matched the MIND diet, the Mediterranean diet or the DASH diet.  Next, they measured the incidence of Alzheimer's over and average follow-up of 4.5 years.
  
Th conclusion?
Those who followed one of the three diets had a lower risk of Alzheimer's. 
Those who moderately adhered to the MIND diet saw a 35% lower risk of the disease while those who moderately adhered to the Mediterranean or DASH diets had no reduced risk, giving the MIND diet the top spot.  

Bottom line: Stay with your clean diet by eating lots of dark leafy greens, nuts and berries, but if the disease runs in your family, it might be worthwhile to try the MIND diet. 

Article Thanks to Clean Eating Magazine June 2015

Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Anti-Cancer?

A new Study indicates that adding extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) to your diet may be just what the doctor should order. Long known for its heart-healthy benefits, EVOO may even have cancer killing properties thanks to an antioxidant compound it contains call oleocanthal. Though scientists have known that oleocanthal killed some cancer cells without harming the good cells, no one really understood how it happened - until now. It turns out that oleocanthal "targets" cancer cells by rupturing and then killing off the lysosomes of cancer cells (where the cells store waste) within 30 minutes to an hour. However, noncarcerous cells are spared from such actions, suggesting that oleocanthal can eventually be used medicinally to prevent disease because of the targeted damage it exerts.  The findings also leave some helpful takeaways for clean eaters. Study co-author Paul Beslin, PhD, "Sample the oil. The more it stings you throat, the higher in oleocanthal it is."

Article from Clean Eating Magazine - June 2015

Seeds to avoid when extracting fruits

Bad Seeds:
Cyanide can be found in the following seeds if you keep them in your extractor. 

Apple Seeds
Apricot Pits
Cherry Pits
Plum Pits
Peach Pits

Foods to buy Organic - "The Dirty Dozen plus More"

The Dirty Dozen

You can buy local. You can buy organic. And you can buy seasonal. But what does each label mean? And—when it comes to your health and the health of your family—what should you really focus on?

Many seasonal summertime fruits and vegetables are also on a list called the Dirty Dozen. The Dirty Dozen is a list compiled by the Environmental Working Group. It includes 12 fruits and vegetables that have been tested to have the most pesticide residues.

The Dirty Dozen are:

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Cherry tomatoes
4. Cucumbers
5. Grapes
6. Hot peppers
7. Nectarines, imported
8. Peaches
9. Potatoes
10. Spinach
11. Strawberries
12. Sweet bell peppers

The list has since been expanded to include kale, collard greens, and summer squash in the Dirty Dozen Plus.

Leona explains that when it comes to the Dirty Dozen, “You really want to emphasize organic fruits. This is the time to get them organic, they are available and the price is reasonable.”

And the best time to take advantage of farmer’s markets—which sell local, seasonal, and organic produce—is during the summer.

Additives Found in U.S. Foods but Banned in Other Countires

1. Artificial Food Dye: Makes your food pretty but inhibits nerve-cell development.

Found in: Practically everything we eat: cake mixes, sports drinks, cheese, candy, and even MACARONI AND CHEESE.

Why it’s dangerous: Artificial dyes are made from chemicals derived from PETROLEUM, which is also used to make gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt, and tar! Artificial dyes have been linked to brain cancer, nerve-cell deterioration, and hyperactivity, just to name a few.

Where it’s banned: Norway, Finland, Austria, France, and the United Kingdom

2. Olestra (or Olean): Lowers calorie counts while causing vitamin depletion and anal leakage.

Found in: Fat-free potato chips, corn chips, and French fries.

Why it’s dangerous: Created by Procter & Gamble as a substitute for cooking oil, Olestra robs your body of its ability to absorb vitamins. Fun side effects include cramps and leaky bowels.

Where it’s banned: The U.K. and Canada.

3. Brominated Vegetable Oil: Makes food dye stick to liquid, but also may cause birth defects and major organ damage.

Found in: Sports drinks and citrus-flavored sodas.

Why it’s dangerous: Bromine is a chemical used to stop CARPETS FROM CATCHING ON FIRE, so you can see why drinking it may not be the best idea. BVO is linked to major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems, schizophrenia, and hearing loss.

Where it’s banned: In over 100 countries.

4. Potassium Bromate (or bromated flour): Great for impatient bakers, bad for your kidneys and nervous system.

Found in: Wraps, rolls, bread crumbs, bagel chips, flat breads.

Why it’s dangerous: Derived from the same harmful chemical as brominated vegetable oil, brominated flour is used to decrease baking time and reduce costs. Only problem is, it’s linked to kidney damage, cancer, and nervous system damage.

Where it’s banned: Europe, Canada, and China.

5. Azodicarbonamide: Bleaches flour, plastic, and induces asthma as an added bonus.

Found in: Breads, frozen dinners, boxed pasta mixes, and packaged baked goods.

Why it’s dangerous: Used to bleach both flour and FOAMED PLASTIC (yoga mats and the soles of sneakers), azodicarbonamide has been known to induce asthma.

Where it’s banned: Australia, the U.K., and most European countries.

6. BHA & BHT: Waxy preservatives linked to cancer and tumors.

Found in: Cereal, nut mixes, gum, butter, meat, dehydrated potatoes.

Why it’s dangerous: Used to keep food from becoming rancid, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are known to cause cancer in rats. And we’re next!

Where it’s banned: The U.K., Japan, and many other European countries.

7. Synthetic Growth Hormones rBGH and rBST: Harmful to cows and linked to increasing tumor development in humans

Found in: Milk and dairy products.

Why it’s dangerous: Growth hormones are bad for cows and people, potentially causing infertility, weakened muscle growth, and a whole array of cancers.

Where it’s banned: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and the EU.

8. Arsenic: Basically this will slowly kill you if you ingest enough of it.

Found in: Poultry.

Why it’s dangerous: Used in chicken feed to make meat appear pinker and fresher, arsenic is POISON, which will kill you if you ingest enough.

Where it’s banned: The European Union.

Source: From the book 'Rich Food, Poor Food' by Dr. Jayson Calton and Mira Calton

Immune System Part 2

Disorders of the immune system

Because it fights to ward off disease and infections every day, the immune system plays an essential role in protecting our health. It is involved in every thing from repairing a paper cut to killing life-threatening parasites. Every illness, injury, and threat to the body requires an immune response in order to heal.

When compromised, however, the immune system may lead in bacteria and viruses, which cause conditions like coals and flus.. If overworked, protective immune responses may even harm the body – causing issues like chronic inflammation and autoimmune disease, which occur when the immune system attacks healthy body tissues. The development of cancer is also links to a compromised immune system.

Common viral and bacterial infections

the immune system is the body’s first line of protection against viruses like the common cold and influenza, as well as bacterial infections like pneumonia, salmonella, urinary tract infection, and ear infection. While some of these conditions can eventually sort themselves out, others can be quite serious and demand medical attention.

Inflammation

inflammation is part of our normal immune response. When the body is harmed, it says lymph and white blood cells through the lymphatic system to flood the area of concern. This fluid uses chemical reactions to separate and remove the harmful substances, restoring the cells back to their normal state.

While brief periods of inflammation – known as acute inflammation – work to heal the body, inflammation that extends for long periods of time or chronic inflammation puts a strain on the circulatory and immune systems, damages body tissues, and destroys cells. Chronic inflammation can be attributed to a diet high in processed foods and/or to food sensitivities and allergies. Chronic inflammation makes the body more prone to contracting other illnesses that may cause autoimmune diseases – health problems that occur when the immune system attacks healthy tissues in the body. 

Autoimmune diseases include celiac disease (gluten), cirrhosis of the liver, Crohn’s disease, lupus, anemia, psoriasis, arthritis, and type I diabetes among others. Eating properly can drastically reduce and reverse chronic inflammation, while eating processed foods can cause its development.

Cancer occurs when mutated cells reproduce uncontrollably, forming malignancies tumors that can invade and eventually take over other parts of the body. There are over 100 types of cancer, and the disease can occur in virtually any body part.

The risk of developing cancer depends on both genetics and your surrounding environment. Having a family history of the disease, smoking, being exposed to radiation, and eating a poor diet all increase a person’s risk of cancer. However, much evidence suggests that eating natural, high nutritious foods can swing even the most at risk individuals back to the other side of the spectrum.

Free radicals and antioxidants

The theory that links the presence of free radicals in the body to an increased cancer risk is gaining support in both medical and holistic healing circles. Free radicals are molecules taken in from the environment that lack an electron. This missing electron makes the free radical molecule unstable and prone to stealing electrons from other surrounding atoms. When ingested, free radicals steal electrons from the Adams of healthy cells. This process has been cited as a cause of premature aging and a host of illnesses and diseases including cancer.

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. They do this by donating one of their own electrons to the free radical, so the free radical stops looking for an electron to steal. Antioxidants remain stable, even after they give an electron to a free radical. Certain nutrients, like vitamin C and E are particularly good for protecting the body against destructive free radicals. The best way to ensure you are getting a sufficient intake of antioxidants is by eating a balanced diet can of at least eight servings of fruits and vegetables per day.