Why I go Coo-Coo for Coconut Oil

In my last post I mentioned I came across the documentary Fat Head because of my interest in coconut oil. I actually found out about coconut oil because of my intense research on Candida (or yeast) and how it can cause problems with our health.  But I had no idea exactly how good this product is. You can learn about all the other wonderful benefits here.

I can't and won't say all the claims they make on the above website are true, because I haven't researched every single one. However, I can tell you what I know to be true for me. Some claims seem a little far-fetched to me, but, for the most part, coconut oil is considered to be one of the best and healthiest fats we can eat.

Since I've made a habit of adding coconut oil to my diet, whether by cooking with it, applying it topically or straight up eating it (yeah, I know, I thought it was gross too) I've noticed a lot of improvements in my overall health. I eat 1 tbs of coconut oil and wash it down with my morning coffee. It took some getting use to, but now I don't even think about it. I take another tablespoon with my evening coffee, but many people chose 3 or 4 tablespoons a day.

Here are some of my expereinces:

Skin -- my rosacea cleared up (full disclosure--that picture isn't me). Now, I can't claim that's strictly from the coconut oil, nor does any

website. All I can say for sure is, since I added it to my diet, my condition is all but gone. Also, I've read in many places that CO is good for dry skin. I've had a patch of dry skin on my wrist for years. I've applied CO to it, but to be honest, it didn't really see much of a difference. It does work as a nice moisturizer on my face though. Use very sparingly as it can get oily if you use too much.

Hair -- I have very long hair (this picture--also not me:) I've used a smidgen of CO rubbed
between my palms and applied it very lightly to my dry hair and it feels awesome. I haven't tried any hair products with CO yet, but I plan to. Have dry scalp? Massage a small amount of CO onto your scalp about a half hour before showering until it clears up. 

Weight loss -- I can't say if this has helped me lose more weight or not, but I can say it helps bring my daily intake of fat percentage up for the day (I'll address this in my next post) and I've lost weight. so come to your own conclusion.

Digestion -- CO has helped tremendously with the acid reflux I used to suffer. Now, sure, you could say, "but, Maggie, isn't it possible the acid reflux is gone because you're eating right?" Yup, but even when I'm not eating right, the acid reflux hasn't come back.

Overall feeling -- CO gives me energy. Of course, that also comes from eating right, but if I want a boost, I eat a tablespoon and I'm good to go.

These are just a few benefits from CO. Please remember, not all coconut oils are alike. You can't just pick up any ole jar at your nearby grocery store. My favorite is Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. In my opinion, it tastes the best and seems to be the most highly regarded.  But be forewarned, that comes with a price. Nature's Way is another good brand.  You may be able to find other, less expensive brands, but make sure they're cold-pressed, virgin CO.

If you have any questions, just leave them in the comments' section and I'll do my best to answer them.

Until next time, my friends, eat healthy and happy writing!

~Maggie

Low-Carb, High Fat are Not Naughty Words

I'm a romance writer, and as a published author that means book signings, public appearances and getting my picture taken--a lot! And I hate getting my picture taken.

One of the reasons-- I'm not photogenic. Seriously, I'm not. I'm a fairly attractive woman, some might even say pretty (thanks, Mom!) but the camera hates me. It always has, no matter what my dress size is. That photo here? Took me over 30 tries to get a halfway decent picture of me that actually looked like me.

Another reason I hate having my picture taken--I'm fat. Yup, I said it. I'm fat. No, this is not a new revelation, although I've found some people think if they say something about it, it might 'enlighten' me into losing weight. Like they told me something I didn't know and I'm going to take their words to heart and immediately jump on the treadmill.

Newsflash--that rarely happens. There are a lot of other myths surrounding fat people, but I won't get into that now. I'm not here to whine. I made my own bed, so now I have to sleep in it.

Here's my story:

Ever since an accident when I was 19 that laid me up for months, I've had a weight problem. In between having five children, I was up and down the scale so much, I nicknamed mine the seesaw. But about 6 years ago, that seesaw sank right into the ground and stayed that way. I was at my highest weight ever. I was miserable, my back hurt all the time, my joints ached constantly, I had moderate rosacea and I always felt sick. And the worst--a form of acid reflux that had bile rise into my throat while I slept. I would wake up gasping for air.  It burned, it was painful and more often than not, I inhaled the bile and burned my trachea. It would take about an hour of coughing and chugging down milk for the unpleasantness to stop enough so I could sleep.

Eventually, I joined Jenny Craig.

I'm sure it's no shock to anyone that the Jenny Craig system can be expensive, but I wasn't going to put a price tag on my health. I could afford it, so I was going to do it. The food was pretty damn good, even if they didn't have a lot to choose from for me. That's not their fault, I'm very picky about my food--and I don't like peppers. It seemed everything had peppers in it.

Anyway, the food was good, the desserts were yummy, and except for the time between lunch and dinner, I was never really hungry. My counselor was compassionate and very knowledgeable. I lost a LOT of weight and my back stopped hurting. My joints still ached and the energy I was expecting didn't show up, but I looked better even though I had a ways to go.

The problem? I was sick all the time. Constant fatigue, to the point I couldn't make it through the day without a nap (as a writer, this didn't shock anyone) I couldn't go through a week without getting either a sinus headache or migraine, sometimes both at the same time. Ever have that?I have. It sucks.  It got to the point where my kids were shocked to see me at my laptop in the afternoon since I would usually be in bed and only reappeared in time to make dinner. But at least I was doing well on Jenny Craig.

Then the recession hit.

As the wife of a business owner, a contracting business no less, the recession hit us hard. Money got tight and suddenly, I couldn't afford Jenny Craig anymore. I was on my own.

So what does an overweight person do when no longer on a food plan? Go back to old habits, of course. Within half-a-year, I'd gained back 15 lbs. I tried eating healthy by many doctors', nutritionists' and even our own government's standards. Low fat, high carb. Lean meats, lots of grains, and the least amount of fat you can achieve.

Fast forward 6 months, I was still sick, and only about 5 lbs lighter because I couldn't stick to any diet. At least with Jenny Craig I had accountability. Having a personal counselor was great and facing that scale with her right next to me kept me on the straight and narrow.

On a side note, it was at this time I was doing research on coconut oil and all it's fabulous benefits, but I'll save that for another post. I bring it up now because it was my interest in coconut oil that prompted my oldest son to direct me to a documentary called Fat Head. He'd seen it listed on Netflix's "watch instantly" queue and thought I'd be interested because they mention coconut oil.

So I watched it. And the movie changed my life.

I won't go into all the details now, but I will say it lead me toward low-carb, medium-protein, high-fat eating. Not exactly cheap, but still cheaper than Jenny Craig. I signed up on the Atkins website, read the forums and dove right in.

The first few days were fine. Eating like this definitely keeps you satisfied. But after about a week, I suffered from what's commonly known as "Atkins Flu." My head felt like it might explode, I was nauseous and my joints were screaming. But I carried on, having read about this on the forums and even expected it to happen. There are things you can do to alleviate the symptoms--like drink lots and lots of water and sip beef broth.

Then I woke up after about 3 days and I felt fantastic! All of a sudden I could get through the day without feeling so tired I had to sleep. No more headaches that lasted for days. No more joint pain. I was doing housework that I'd normally ask my kids to help me with. And best of all, no more acid reflex! I could sleep through the night. All this with still a ton of weight to lose--okay, I don't weigh a ton, it's a metaphor, so hush.

In western medicine, there is no cure for rosacea, and mine was disappearing! However, that could be from the coconut oil I've incorporated into my diet.

So for years I was doing everything "right." Trying to lose weight, listening to the so-called "experts" and the whole time I was making my health worse. Now, I eat eggs, bacon, fatty meats, butter--all good things that have been vilified by the medical community.  This is not a no-carb diet, but a selective carb diet. You don't need a lot for "brain food" as the experts lead you to believe. You get brain food from healthy fats, but even so, the small amount of carbs you do need can be obtained through eating vegetables. Avocado, for instance, is an excellent choice for both fat and carbs.

I still struggle, but I've begun to think of this as a lifestyle and not a diet. It's not about the weight loss anymore, although that is important, but feeling good and being healthy. When I eat right, I feel great, when I don't, the headaches, especially, come back with a vengeance, as does the acid reflex. Not fun.

If you're interested, I strongly suggest watching the documentary Fat Head.  The narrator and star, Tom Naughton, explains everything so much better than I could and he's funny! Personally, I could've done without the beginning commentary against the movie Super Size Me, but I understand why he chose to add it. You could probably find the movie on YouTube, but, since Tom does a blog (linked above), research and spreads the word all for free, I chose to buy his DVD to support the great work he's doing. I watch it whenever I need a kick back into eating right.

So that's my story. join me on occasion as I continue my journey on writing a best-selling romance novel, researching healthy nutrition and maintaining the low-carb lifestyle.

Until next time, my friends, eat healthy and happy writing!

~Maggie