Coconut Oil- Is it really BAD for you? Get the answer here!

Coconut Oil, Good or Bad? This question comes up in every workshop I give so I thought I would let you all know the deal with coconut oil. I use coconut oil in many recipes and often people question why I do. They ask-"Isn't it a saturated fat and aren't those "bad" for you?, Won't it make me fat?, Coconut oil! Are you crazy?" and other things like that. Here are the facts to this amazing oil that is great for cooking, spreading on toast (recipes below) and enjoying in moderation:

• Yes, coconut oil is a saturated fat. It contains medium chain fats which are easily digested and go directly into cells to be burned as fuel. I takes very little liver strength to digest it. In other words your body likes it and can use it to make energy and burn stored fat! That's a good thing.
• No, coconut oil does not go directly to your hips, thighs and butt. Coconut oils contain the most amount of energy and the least amount of calories of any oil.
• Yes, coconut oil is great for increasing metabolism as it helps to support your thyroid gland (your body's regulator of metabolism).
• Yes, coconut is good for your digestive system as it helps to destroy candidiasis. It has antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Your body likes that too!
• Coconut oil helps to build hormones, especially progesterone and testosterone, which help increase levels of feel good neurotransmitters. We all like to feel good!
• In many indigenous cultures coconut trees are known as The Tree of Life. Can't beat that.
• Coconut oil must be organic, cold pressed, non-deodorized and extra virgin in order to be healthy for you. It is the other forms of highly processed coconut oil that are harmful to you and they taste bad. Coconut oil should taste like coconuts! It should be smooth, creamy and clear when melted. There should be no burnt after taste. For excellent coconut oil check out Crystal Coconut and Real Raw Food. Other good brands that do not use heat and press the coconuts within 1-3 hours of picking are Bali Sun and Artisana.

Coconut oil is great for cooking on medium heat, baking healthy treats, spreading on toast with a bit of cinnamon and mixing with raw cacao and agave nectar. Yum! Try these recipes too. Raw Power Snacks ¾ cup tahini nut butter ¼ cup coconut oil 1 handful raisins, finely chopped 1 handful seeds (hemp seeds add protein and omega-3 fats) 1 handful ground flax seeds 3 handfuls shredded coconut 1 tbsp raw cacao nibs

• Mix all ingredients, you can add more oats if it is too sticky.
• Press into a pan and cool for two hours.
• Cut and wrap individually.
• You can add other nuts, seeds, dried fruit or use your imagination to make these treats to your liking. Organic dried fruit is preferred as it is free of preservatives such as sulphites.

Powerful Bars ¾ cup coconut oil ½ cup sucanat sugar or honey 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups spelt flour 1 cup steel cut oats ½ cup hemp seeds 1 tbsp teff 1 tbsp baking powder a pinch of salt 1 cup chocolate chips ½ cup raisins ½ cup dried cranberries

• Preheat oven to 350°F.If the coconut oil is hard, put it in an oven proof bowl and put it in the oven while the oven is heating. Heat the coconut oil until it melted.
• Mix coconut oil honey and sucanat until blended in a large mixing bowl.
• Add flour, oats, hemp seeds, teff, salt and baking powder into the bowl and mix well.Stir in chocolate chips, raisins and cranberries.
• Lightly oil a baking pan (lasagna pan size) and dump mixture into it. Smooth out evenly.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely (if you can) before cutting them into squares and removing from the pan.

Enjoy guilt free!