MK Pantry Staples: Coconut Oil

I hosted my parents over for dinner last week and while I was cooking I heard my mom rummaging through my cabinets and looking in my refrigerator door… “What is umeboshi paste?? What do you use this for?? What else do you have in here that I need to know about!” She found several items that she vowed to put on her next shopping list. I was thinking about this and how many of you must be in the same boat - not knowing what to buy or not knowing what is even out there! So I’m starting a little product segment that will highlight some of my favorite pantry and cooking staples. Maybe you will read about something new as well. ♥

Coconut oil is distinct and complex. You can use in cooking, baking, skincare, haircare, beverages and smoothies… it’s really a must-have item for your Medicine Kitchen. Here are some coconutty facts:

  • Coconut oil contains a very high quantity of lauric acid. This fatty acid has strong anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties. It is thought that in tropical populations, coconut oil had originally protected people from bacterial, viral and fungal infections so common in those regions. Nature’s way of achieving balance! 
  • Lauric acid is also found in high amounts in mother’s milk & coconut oil is often used in baby formulas because of this. These fatty acids are essential for brain health and development. 
  • Highly saturated tropical oils like coconut oil do not contribute to heart disease. In fact, 50% of the fat in your diet needs to be saturated to optimally use calcium for bone health. 
  • Coconut oil is a good fat - one that doesn’t turn into fat in our bodies easily. It also acts more like a carbohydrate in that it can be utilized quickly for energy. 
  • The coconut is sometimes referred to as “nature’s perfect food” due to its combination of healthy fats, proteins, minerals and that all parts can be eaten or used for nourishment. 

I personally use coconut oil when I make curry, eggs, or stir fry veggies. I use a teaspoon in my hot tea some mornings for flavor and fuel. I use it externally for dry skin and as a massage oil, and it makes a great carrier for essential aromatherapy oils. I encourage you to try it - the raw, organic coconut oil has a wonderful flavor and retains all the health benefits listed above. If you really want to understand the myriad wonders of this food, read The Coconut Oil Miracle! 

Low Carb Eating

If you are implementing a low-carbohydrate eating plan in order to lose weight, cut back on refined foods, or regulate your blood sugar levels - this recipe is for you. You can make frittata several different ways, but this is the way I have always found easiest and fastest. Using whatever vegetables you have on hand, do just a quick saute and broil and you’re done in about 10 minutes flat. Now that we have almost finished setting up our chicken coop in the backyard, it’s a matter of weeks before I’ll have freshly laid eggs to use in recipes just like this. Very exciting. Grass-fed-free-range chickens that can forage for their own food tend to produce eggs with higher nutritional content while having less cholesterol, more vitamins, and more omega-3 fatty acids! Eggs are also a “complete protein” food. They have ALL 9 essential amino acids that humans need to sustain life. Perfect for vegetarians and omnivores alike. 

Anytime Frittata:

8 humanely-raised, free-range eggs

splash of organic cream

sea salt and pepper

2-3 stalks kale, ripped to shreds

2-3 large mushrooms, sliced thin

¼ red onion, chopped or sliced thin

olive oil

Set oven to broil. Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet on medium-high heat. You may also want to spray the skillet with oil to coat the edges well beforehand. Saute veggies for 4-5 minutes until softened. Turn heat down to medium. Whisk eggs, cream, salt, pepper in a bowl and pour mixture over veggies, fold in eggs and disperse veggies evenly though egg mixture with spatula a few times. Let cook until eggs begin to set. When you jiggle the pan there may be uncooked egg mixture on the top, but towards the bottom they should not move. Transfer skillet to broiler and cook another 2-3 minutes until eggs puff up and begin to brown on top! Serve warm or at room temp with greens, salad, or vegetables. Low-carb has never been so satisfying! ♥

Health Renovations

I’ve noticed many clients I work with on nutrition are stuck in the past with the foods they eat. It’s time to think about upgrading your eating habits, modernizing your palette. Its time to try some new things, because nutrition has come a LONG way since the 1980s. Let’s get with it! 

One of the surprising things I still see is calorie counting! If you are extremely overweight or obese, calorie counting needs to be part of your regimen for initial weight loss. Cutting down on the amount of caloric intake (esp. with portion sizes) is essential to learn in this case. But if you are like most people - slightly overweight, want to lose the belly fat or cut down 10 to 30 lbs - most likely, calorie counting is not going to be the answer for you! More often than not, there is something going on on a deeper hormonal or biochemical level that is preventing you from losing the extra pounds. This is where you need to focus. It all starts with the kinds of foods you are eating, and what THEY are made of, and how they in turn affect your body chemistry. 

This is a great article that explains some of the current research that points to WHAT you eat having the biggest impact on your weight, as opposed to just the quantity of calories. Read it at the NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/19brody.html?pagewanted=all