Coconutty

(take 2 … something funky has been happening to my wordpress sites lately. the post got all wonky on me and the comments are gone…sorry for all who commented before. technology!)

Since I got sick in 2006, and discovered I was struggling with an overgrowth of Candida, I've been trying to eat and live healthier. Not only for myself, but also for my children and husband. We all could stand to be healthier and live better lives.

One of the changes we made was our fruit smoothie drinks. We no longer juice the fiber out of our drinks. We blend them in our vita-mix, but the most important change has been the addition of greens to our fruit drinks. The entire family cannot get enough of the super tasty green smoothies. And I feel really good knowing my children and husband are getting kale and spinach and other greens they'd otherwise not eat.

I'm now making healthy homemade soups in the vita mix, homemade popsicles with greens and fruit, and soon will tackle healthy breads made with different types of grains/flours I've never used before.

In addition to the above, I'm also changing the way I cook foods. Or should I say, what I cook them with. Instead of the typical oils we used to use while cooking, I now use organic coconut oil. Not only does it taste really good, it's also good for you. I use it to help keep the yeast overgrowth under control, or to get it back under control when I've slipped off the yeast diet.

More info about coconut oil:

Nearly 50% of the fatty acid in natural coconut oil is lauric acid, which converts to the fatty acid monolaurin in the body. Lauric acid has adverse effects on a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, yeast, fungi, and enveloped viruses. It destroys the lipid membrane of such enveloped viruses as HIV, measles, Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), influenza and cytomegalovirus (CMV). Its usefulness in treating AIDS is currently under investigation. It is a main component of human breast milk and helps protect children from illness during infancy.

Capric acid, which comprises another 7% of coconut oil fat content, also stimulates anti-microbial activity.

In other words: not only does coconut oil not cause heart problems, it is good for you. To quote Dr. Mary Enig: "The research over four decades concerning coconut oil in the diet and heart disease is quite clear: coconut oil has been shown to be beneficial."(See endnote 4.)

Coconut oil is a "functional food," defined as a food that "provides a health benefit over and beyond the basic nutrients."(See endnote 5.) It is an immune-system enhancer.

source: thaifoodandtravel

I use coconut with every meal now. I cook our eggs with it, our turkey burgers, our chicken… even my cauliflower pancakes. There's something so physically and mentally satisfying about knowing you're eating foods, and oils, and drinks that are nutritious to your body.

Tropical Traditions has great quality coconut oil, if you're interested in cooking/using this oil I recommend buying from them. They've got a great deal going on right now..buy one 16 ounce jar of coconut oil and get two 16 ounce jars free! They're offering this until August 16th. That is an amazing deal! If I didn't already have a 32 ounce jar from them (and two other smaller jars from the store) I would take them up on that offer.

Resources I recommend:

Tropical Traditions – organic coconut oil.

Vita Mix Blender – the blender I use every day.

Green Smoothies – recipes children and adults will love.

Go raw – raw food recipes for kids.

Whole Approach – more about a yeast overgrowth.

It's been a two year journey of understanding our bodies and why/what we need to be healthy. There have been moments of complete overwhelm, and admittedly there have been times when I've slipped back into old habits. I simply take it one step at a time, one day at a time. Learning how to eat right is a process…be patient with yourself and take your time in making new healthy eating habits.