Eczema

WHERE TO BUY organic virgin coconut oil.

Or keep reading for more info…

“COCONUT OIL IS THE HEALTHIEST OIL ON EARTH”

Coconut oil is a healthy fat that can help to kick-start your metabolism and assist you in weight loss – it is very different from other fats because it turns into instant energy and isn’t stored in fat cells. (Remember not all fats and calories are alike!) It is a lot like butter, cod liver oil and olive oil when you’re thinking of traditional fats and oils that have been used for thousands of years. Compare them to newer fats and oils like margarine, soy, canola, safflower, corn, sunflower and any of the others that you’ve only heard of in the past few decades, and think of how heart disease, diabetes and other issues are on the increase; whereas people have consumed coconut oil in many parts of the world for centuries. You may not have heard what a healthy fat coconut oil is due to it’s high saturated fat content, but coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids and does not have a negative effect on cholesterol, it actually can help protect your heart. Coconut oil is also rich in lauric acid. Read more at this “new look at coconut oil” link about the benefits of coconut oil and lauric acid and also find out about the latest studies on coconut oil.

photo by Koshyk

This post would go on forever if I tried to cover each topic at length, so here’s what I suggest: Google it! Whatever your issue is, type that in along with “coconut oil” and you’ll find all sorts of research and help. (If you need my help, leave a comment below.)

HOW TO GET MORE COCONUT INTO YOUR DIET

If you’re like me and don’t like the flavor of coconut (unless it’s in smoothies or in my popcorn), it’s trickier getting it into your diet, but usually you can find some recipes you like it in. Just Google “coconut recipes” and you’ll find a ton. If you find one you like, PLEASE leave a comment below and share it with us!

Also, if I’m making a recipe that I know I don’t want the flavor of coconut in, then I’ll use the unflavored, but that’s refined. From what I’ve been able to figure out, this coconut oil is no where near as beneficial as the unrefined virgin coconut oil that I’m talking about in this post, but it’s still better than none at all. See this post for info on where to get that at the best price.

WHERE TO GET THE BEST PRICE AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

More info from Carrie about eczema!
First, if you’re wondering about whether or not I make any money if you end up buying the below products, read #3 at my FAQ post and I’ll answer that question.
Click here for the BEST PRICE on a good brand of organic virgin coconut oil
Ways to get more coconut into your diet – ideas from YOU
I highly recommend this book, Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats, for more information on the benefits of coconut oil, especially as it relates to weight loss, along with some recipes to help you find ways to get more into your diet – and don’t forget to check out my popcorn recipe! Also, see the link below for more on coconut oil and weight loss.
If you suffer from eczema, read the comment section at my cod liver oil post (scroll to the bottom) for more detailed information on that topic.
You can also get the benefits of coconut oil through your skin when applied topically. Unless I’m going right to bed, I like the coconut oil cream on my skin because it soaks in better than the oil. It works well to help heal cuts or painfully dry skin, and is great on my hands after a day of changing diapers and washing a lot – they always heal quicker with this cream. Here’s what I use:
Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Moisturizing Cream – Unscented – 4-oz. I also get this for dry lips:
Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Lip Moisturizer – Unscented. And I really like their coconut oil/tea tree oil soap, which I tried based on Nina Planck’s recommendation. (I love her book, Real Food: What to Eat and Why.) Just do a search at the same link as above (for the cream or lip moisturizer) for “Tropical Traditions soap” and it will come up.
For more interesting reading, especially for you skeptics out there, be sure to scroll down and check out the RELATED LINKS below!

Related Links/Posts:

Think this is all a bunch of bunk? Check out this page full of coconut research links
The fat that makes you thin
Here’s a good overview on coconut oil benefits, and even though this site sells it (makes my radar go up), everything you read here is information found in many other places, this site just happens to explain it the best
Some typical questions and misconceptions on fats and oils
How coconut oil can help your heart!
More here on coconut oil and weight loss
Do diet foods make you fat?
Healthy milk
More info on coconut oil & dieting, along with the recipe that is mentioned in the comments below
Coconut oil lowers cholesterol and improves thyroid function!

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COD LIVER OIL SERIES (See the complete index of posts about CLO)

UPDATE: FOR EVEN MORE NUTRITION, BE SURE TO READ ABOUT A NEW PRODUCT, FERMENTED COD LIVER OIL.

You won’t believe all the ways a daily dose of Cod liver oil can help you. Many pages could be written on this topic, but lest you fall asleep on me, I’ll give you the shortened version, and if you don’t even want to know that much (or you’re already convinced), just skip to the links below for:

Part 2 - Cod liver oil: tips for getting it down
Part 3 – Cod liver oil: what to buy, where to buy it, and how much to take
This is part 1 – Do we really need to take it?

Until the late 1940’s most Americans took this superfood every day. However, these days the typical American diet is full of foods that provide plenty of omega-6 essential fatty acids (found in vegetable oils, packaged foods, and more…), but not enough of the omega-3 essential fatty acids – DHA & EPA (found in cod liver oil, egg yolks from properly fed hens, organ meats from grass-fed animals, and some fish.) According to wikipedia.org, our diets typically have “omega-6 to omega-3 ratios in excess of 10 to 1, some as high as 30 to 1. The optimal ratio is thought to be 4 to 1 or lower.”

“Essential fatty acid ratios”…who cares?!

This all sounds like mumbo jumbo until you understand that when these ratios are off, studies are increasingly showing that it can affect many areas of our health. Even the American Heart Association, (who in my opinion don’t always give the best advice), say on their site, “Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart of healthy people, and those at high risk of — or who have — cardiovascular disease.”

Not just for your heart

However, the omega-3’s in cod liver oil aren’t just for heart health. Read the related sites below for more details.

If you have a specific ailment and you are wondering how cod liver oil can help you, do an internet search and see what you can find.

It could make a huge difference for you

In some cases you may notice a big difference when taking cod liver oil, in other cases you may notice benefits slowly over time as you also implement other treatments and dietary changes. (Be in contact with a good naturopath or a doctor you trust who is open to looking at the whole picture, not just drug therapies.)

Why not just take flax seed or plain fish oil?

As explained above, one of the biggest reasons cod liver oil is so beneficial to us is because of the omega-3’s it contains, but if you take a good brand (see link to part 3 below), you’ll also be getting the very important A & D vitamins, and this is why cod liver oil is a better choice for omega-3’s than just incorporating flax seed into your diet. (More on why you shouldn’t get too much flax.)

Also, plain fish oil (liquid or capsules) usually doesn’t have vitamins A & D (or it won’t have them in the correct ratios) as the fermented cod liver oil.

Lastly, as Nina Planck says in her book, Real Food: What to Eat and Why, “The body can make EPA and DHA from flaxseed oil, but the conversion is uncertain and imperfect. It bears repeating: fish is vastly superior to plant sources of omega-3 fats.”

Enough omega 3’s in cod liver oil?

Keep in mind that omega 3 amounts in cod liver oil, while significant, still need to be a part of a diet including omega 3 foods as well: fish, grass fed beef and dairy, etc.

Too much vitamin A?

Doctors may advise against high amounts of vitamin A in your diet and tell you not to take a daily supplement like cod liver oil for that reason. But one thing important to know is that the KIND of vitamin A makes a big difference. Read more here about the importance of proper ratios of vitamin A & D in cod liver oil.

Read about why vitamin A is so important, and another article about vitamin A benefits.

Sunlight and vitamin D

Read all about the benefits of vitamin D in your diet or from the sun.

(Read more about the bad rap sunshine has gotten.)

Important note about vitamin D and possible toxicity:

One thing to remember – as much as we need enough vitamin D, like anything, some say it’s possible to get too much as well, and sites like Dr. Mercola encourage you to get tested if you’re in the sun a lot. But according to this Vitamin D Council site, it’s very uncommon to get too much vitamin D. If you get a LOT of sun and are concerned, read here to find out more about testing your vitamin D levels. Also, read this about who should be extra careful about the amounts of vitamin D they take.

One more important thing:

When you’re taking good quality cod liver oil, you also need to be sure you’re getting enough calcium in your diet. Vitamin D regulates the amount in your blood, and if it’s not there, it will deplete it from your bones. As explained in the book, “Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats“, “make sure your diet contains adequate calcium and magnesium with plentiful whole dairy products, bone broths and lightly cooked green vegetables along with certain nutrient-dense animal products such as butter, organ meats and shellfish. These will provide a calcium- and magnesium-rich diet as well as the fat-soluble vitamins necessary for their absorption.”

That’s not all!

This was a just quick overview on how powerful and important cod liver oil is and why we need to make it a daily habit. Read the other parts of the series below to find out more…

Part 2 – Cod liver oil: tips for getting it down

Part 3 – Cod liver oil: what to buy and where to buy it and how much to take

Answers to common CLO questions Find out how much you should take.