The Miracles of Coconut Oil

I have been using Coconut Oil (raw, certified organic) for some time now. I apply it topically and also ingest it. People get scared hearing about me actually eating it; they worry that it's a saturated fat and will somehow adversely affect my cholesterol, weight, heart and general health. The amazing thing is that coconut oil actually helps with all of that.

Topically I am quite liberal with it, applying it all over the body to smooth and heal my skin. (I often supplement my coconut oil with cacao butter which is also very healing -- I must say, I'm a pretty good smelling woman. ;) ) When "on plan" I also ingest approximately 1 - 3 tablespoons a day, usually pouring it into orange juice or incorporating it into a fruit smoothie.

I have extremely sensitive skin. The older I get, for whatever reason, the more intolerant I become to medicines, foods, lotions, perfumes, dyes, detergents. I have a long standing (and usually dormant) rash of indeterminate origin on my left calf which becomes inflamed any time I come into contact with something aggravating to my body, which, in this day and age, is more frequent than I like. Coconut oil is one of the only things that not only soothes this rash but also eliminates it. (Magnesium oil has been utterly essential as well. I will write more about that in the future.)

I'm from Hawaii. I'm also an Irish white girl. Back when I was a kid living on Maui and Oahu, nobody used sunscreen; ah those innocent times when women looked sixty by the age of 35. Anyway, given location and ethnicity, I burned to the point of blistering more times than I care to recall. Nonetheless, I have good skin. In fact I have great skin for my age (certainly according to my doctors), and I have absolutely no doubt that it's because I use products like organic coconut oil. I am not over-stating the effect it's had on my life. It's part of a health and beauty regimen to which I'm diligent, and I think it really shows.

I see other women my age, some a decade or more younger. At times I can't believe how old they look; how dried out; how wrinkled. Not me, though, and I'm being real. There's moisture in my skin and it's smooth. It's healthy.

And it's not just about my skin. Again, coconut oil is good for overall health. For example I also have Hashimoto's thyroiditis which results in hypothyroidism, or a slow/sluggish thyroid. The thyroid, as you may or may not know, regulates metabolism, so when it's sluggish it's a real quality of life issue. Before being diagnosed I was literally bed ridden 80% of the time. I remember my young child drawing a picture for me --- a picture of me --- and in it the bed was actually a part of my body. She couldn't differentiate between the mattress and me --- shocking!

I was fatigued, losing hair, gaining weight (no matter how little I ate or hard I worked out) as well as experiencing a whole host of other symptoms. The coconut oil has helped with all of this. I still take thyroid medication but also supplement with the oil and nascent iodine. The results have been nothing short of miraculous. I no longer take naps. I no longer feel fatigued. I no longer have brittle hair and red, dry skin; I have shed all extra weight and feel healthier at this age than I did twenty years ago. I also feel I look better now than then, hands down.

Many things contribute to my current state, to be sure. I am not claiming to be the picture of health, but I am saying that certain things have helped immensely even when I haven't taken the best care of myself. I am interested in eating for beauty and organic skin care; my library is stocked with books about diet, nutrition and herbs used for beauty and vibrancy. I don't do all that I need to do all the time, but I do enough.

Coconut oil is integral to my approach and I recommend it strongly.

To review the specific product I use, click image:

Also potentially of interest: The Coconut Oil Miracle (Previously published as The Healing Miracle of Coconut Oil)