Coconut Oil Info and Recipes

Coconut oil has many, many therapeutic benefits. Jett has been getting CO three times a day mixed in with his supplements since he was about 3 months old. I also use it on his diaper area if there is any sort of skin condition present. Babies can certainly benefit from a coconut oil massage.

In addition to providing a steady stream of energy to the brain, CO promotes weight loss, supports thyroid function, protects skin from aging and it also has antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal qualities so it can help with combating illness, tooth decay and yeast issues. Please take a look at these research notes, dosing info, products and recipes for more information on how and why to add coconut oil to your diet. 

Video on Coconut Oil and Alzheimer's Disease
 
This link has a six part YouTube video that explains how coconut oil helps with Alzheimer's: https://sites.google.com/site/superdownsyndrome/alzheimers/coconut-oil-and-ad

Research Notes

Great resource for info on Alzheimer's and Coconut Oil:
http://coconutoil.com/coconut-oil-research-alzheimers/ 

Because coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid, it is processed differently in the body.  It actually increases the body's metabolism and can promote weight loss. See:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/541867-side-effects-of-coconut-oil-to-increase-metabolism/

Learn more about the antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties of the medium chain fatty acids/triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil: http://coconutoil.com/coconut-oil-offers-hope-for-antibiotic-resistant-germs/

Coconut oil is found to prevent tooth decay: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249804.php

Why some fats--like coconut oil--are good for you.
 http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/coconut_oil.htm
This is an excerpt:

General aging, and especially aging of the brain, is increasingly seen as being closely associated with lipid peroxidation.
Several years ago I met an old couple, who were only a few years apart in age, but the wife looked many years younger than her doddering old husband. She was from the Philippines, and she remarked that she always had to cook two meals at the same time, because her husband couldn't adapt to her traditional food. Three times every day, she still prepared her food in coconut oil. Her apparent youth increased my interest in the effects of coconut oil.
In the 1960s, Hartroft and Porta gave an elegant argument for decreasing the ratio of unsaturated oil to saturated oil in the diet (and thus in the tissues). They showed that the "age pigment" is produced in proportion to the ratio of oxidants to antioxidants, multiplied by the ratio of unsaturated oils to saturated oils. More recently, a variety of studies have shown that ultraviolet light induces peroxidation in unsaturated fats, but not saturated fats, and that this occurs in the skin as well as in vitro. Rabbit experiments, and studies of humans, showed that the amount of unsaturated oil in the diet strongly affects the rate at which aged, wrinkled skin develops. The unsaturated fat in the skin is a major target for the aging and carcinogenic effects of ultraviolet light, though not necessarily the only one.
In the 1940s, farmers attempted to use cheap coconut oil for fattening their animals, but they found that it made them lean, active, and hungry. For a few years, an anti-thyroid drug was found to make the livestock get fat while eating less food, but then it was found to be a strong carcinogen, and it also probably produced hypothyroidism in the people who ate the meat. By the late 1940s, it was found that the same anti-thyroid effect, causing animals to get fat without eating much food, could be achieved by using soy beans and corn as feed.
Later, an animal experiment fed diets that were low or high in total fat, and in different groups the fat was provided by pure coconut oil, or a pure unsaturated oil, or by various mixtures of the two oils. At the end of their lives, the animals' obesity increased directly in proportion to the ratio of unsaturated oil to coconut oil in their diet, and was not related to the total amount of fat they had consumed. That is, animals which ate just a little pure unsaturated oil were fat, and animals which ate a lot of coconut oil were lean.
In the 1930s, animals on a diet lacking the unsaturated fatty acids were found to be "hypermetabolic." Eating a "normal" diet, these animals were malnourished, and their skin condition was said to be caused by a "deficiency of essential fatty acids." But other researchers who were studying vitamin B6 recognized the condition as a deficiency of that vitamin. They were able to cause the condition by feeding a fat-free diet, and to cure the condition by feeding a single B vitamin. The hypermetabolic animals simply needed a better diet than the "normal," fat-fed, cancer-prone animals did.
G. W. Crile and his wife found that the metabolic rate of people in Yucatan, where coconut is a staple food, averaged 25% higher than that of people in the United States. In a hot climate, the adaptive tendency is to have a lower metabolic rate, so it is clear that some factor is more than offsetting this expected effect of high environmental temperatures. The people there are lean, and recently it has been observed that the women there have none of the symptoms we commonly associate with menopause.
By 1950, then, it was established that unsaturated fats suppress the metabolic rate, apparently creating hypothyroidism. Over the next few decades, the exact mechanisms of that metabolic damage were studied. Unsaturated fats damage the mitochondria, partly by suppressing the repiratory enzyme, and partly by causing generalized oxidative damage. The more unsaturated the oils are, the more specifically they suppress tissue response to thyroid hormone, and transport of the hormone on the thyroid transport protein.
Plants evolved a variety of toxins designed to protect themselves from "predators," such as grazing animals. Seeds contain a variety of toxins, that seem to be specific for mammalian enzymes, and the seed oils themselves function to block proteolytic digestive enzymes in the stomach. The thyroid hormone is formed in the gland by the action of a proteolytic enzyme, and the unsaturated oils also inhibit that enzyme. Similar proteolytic enzymes involved in clot removal and phagocytosis appear to be similarly inhibited by these oils.
Just as metabolism is "activated" by consumption of coconut oil, which prevents the inhibiting effect of unsaturated oils, other inhibited processes, such as clot removal and phagocytosis, will probably tend to be restored by continuing use of coconut oil.
Brain tissue is very rich in complex forms of fats. The experiment (around 1978) in which pregnant mice were given diets containing either coconut oil or unsaturated oil showed that brain development was superior in the young mice whose mothers ate coconut oil. Because coconut oil supports thyroid function, and thyroid governs brain development, including myelination, the result might simply reflect the difference between normal and hypothyroid individuals. However, in 1980, experimenters demonstrated that young rats fed milk containing soy oil incorporated the oil directly into their brain cells, and had structurally abnormal brain cells as a result. Lipid peroxidation occurs during seizures, and antioxidants such as vitamin E have some anti-seizure activity. Currently, lipid peroxidation is being found to be involved in the nerve cell degeneration of Alzheimer's disease.

Coconut Oil and Hypothyroidism
Here's an except from http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Treat-Hypothyroidism-With-Coconut-Oil&id=779425:

Hypothyroidism is a condition in the body that is caused by a reduction in the levels of the thyroid hormone. The thyroid gland is situated in the neck just below the Adam's apple and it is this gland that produces the thyroid hormone which determines the body's metabolism or the rate at which it burns calories.
Sometimes the thyroid gland may produce a quantity of the thyroid hormone much less than that required by the body to function normally and this results in a slower metabolism which shows physical signs manifesting itself in what most people call the symptoms of hypothyroidism.
Coconut oil acts as a catalyst to the metabolic activities of the body. It not only regulates, but the proper dosage will bring to moderation all the functions necessary to burn energy and consume calories. Coconut oil consumption creates a hormonal balance and raises the stamina and energy and also brings about mood stability.
If coupled with a healthy diet and reduced intake of toxins (such as wheat flour, potatoes, refined sugar and other foods that rate high on the glycemic index) then the results will be immediate and physically noticeable. Not only do the symptoms of hypothyroidism disappear but the body will feel fit and rejuvenated in comparison to the state of lethargy that is generally caused by a low hormonal level.

Coconut Oil Protects against Radiation
Dr. Mercola says boron protects, he likes Vitamin D as protection, also turmeric, coconut oil and others.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/14/dairy-farmers-fight-radiation-with-boron.aspx

Using Coconut Oil for Detoxification

http://www.naturepacific.com/contents/en-us/d166_virgin-coconut-oil-detox.html

For products, see the DS Day to Day Store.

I buy the 54 oz container. It's amazing how fast we go through it!
My mother can not stand the flavor of coconut oil. She prefers the Garden of Life brand since it seems to be very mild.
Tropical Traditions and Wilderness Families are great brands and are both are about $65/gallon.

Dosing

Here is a chart from http://wakeup-world.com/2012/03/02/160-uses-for-coconut-oil/ outlining the recommended daily dosage of virgin coconut oil for persons over the age of 12. Coconut oil may be consumed by children under 12 but it is advisable to check with a healthcare practitioner on the proper dosage. Any good naturopath will have the information at the ready. 

At 2 1/2, Jett gets 1 tablespoon a day and weighs under 24 lbs. I just worked my way up from massage to oral ingestion. I saw no negative side effects.

Weight in pounds/kilograms Number of tablespoons of coconut oil daily
 

175+ pounds/ 79+ kilograms = 4 tablespoons
150+ pounds/ 68+ kilograms = 3 1/2 tablespoons 
125+ pounds/ 57+ kilograms = 3 tablespoons 
100+ pounds/ 45+ kilograms = 2 1/2 tablespoons
75+ pounds/ 34+ kilograms = 2 tablespoons
50+ pounds/ 23+ kilograms = 1 1/2 tablespoons
25+ pounds/ 11+ kilograms = 1 tablespoons

According to this article,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/coconut-oil-benefits_b_821453.html you should start very slowly with the dose since coconut oil is detoxing. Too quick of an introduction may also soften the stool.

Recipes

Here are some recipes using coconut oil... These are also gluten free. 

Coconut Cake

6 eggs
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup coconut milk
2 Tablespoons of Agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon orange /lemon zest
½ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
½ teaspoon sea salt
juice of ½ medium orange or lemon or other

1. Take your eggs out of your refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt coconut oil. 
3. Whisk the eggs, coconut milk, agave, vanilla and orange zest together.
4. Combine coconut flour, baking powder and sea salt. 
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. 
6. Pour coconut oil into batter and mix until all lumps are gone. Stir well or else the eggs cook together in chunks.
7. Pour the batter into your greased pan and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean. 30 minutes for my red silicone bunt pan. Probably can cook in toaster oven since it's not tall. Place the cake on a cooling rack.
8. After the cake has cooled a bit, but is still warm, poke holes all over the top with a fork. Juice the orange /lemon half right over the whole cake, making sure to evenly distribute the juice. I used cherry juice and it turned out well. It was super moist and a little greasy.

Coconut Milk Yogurt

3 14-ounce containers of coconut milk
1/4 cup good quality commercial plain yogurt (or previous home made batch)
1 tablespoons agave
Candy thermometer

1. Bring the coconut milk to ~125 degrees and remove from heat.
2. Cover and cool to about 110 degrees. It is very important that you allow the temperature to drop so as not to kill the bacterial culture you are now ready to introduce.
3. Remove about one-half cup cooled coconut milk and make a paste with one quarter cup of good quality commercial yogurt. The commercial yogurt you use should be unflavored and unsweetened. You could use a starter but why spend the extra bucks? Commercial yogurt works fine. (The goat milk yogurt at Whole Foods has 10 live bacteria in it, so that would be a good one to use.) You can use your home made yogurt as a starter for your next batch.
4. Mix the paste with the remainder of the cooled coconut milk, agave and stir thoroughly.
5. Pour milk into any appropriately sized shallow glass, enamel or stainless steel container, cover and let stand for 24 hours at 100-110 degrees up to a maximum of 29 hours. To keep the correct temperature for the culture, I use a 60 watt bulb in my oven and leave the light on. No other heat is needed. Remember, too high a temperature will kill the bacterial culture; too low of a temperature will prevent the activation of bacterial enzymes.
6. Remove from oven and refrigerate.

Coconut Yogurt Recipe 2

1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3 cups water
2 tbsp honey (optional) {Can't use honey for infant, use 1/2 amount of agave}
starter
gelatin (optional)

1. Simmer coconut, water and honey for 5-15 minutes. 
2. Remove from heat, cool for ~ 5-15 minutes. 
3. Place in blender/food processor and carefully blend the mixture for 10-30 seconds (don't burn yourself!)
4. Strain coconut milk through a coarse (large)hole mesh strainer/sieve.
5. Next, run coconut milk through a fine (small) hole mesh strainer/sieve and ensure that all pulp has been removed. If necessary, run coconut milk through the strainer lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth.
6. Put coconut milk in a pot and heat to ~180°F. 
7. Remove from heat and cool to about room temperature 20-25 °C (64-77 °F).
8. When cool, add starter and place coconut milk in yogurt maker. 
9. When the temperature reaches 100°F, begin timing the yogurt for 8-12 hours.
10. Five minutes before removing the yogurt from the yogurt maker you can dissolve one packet of gelatin in ~1/8 cup water (or reserved coconut milk) and then mix this gently into the coconut yogurt. 
11. Chill approximately 8 hours and enjoy.

Notes:

Amount of yogurt starter.
For GiProstart: ~1/8 tsp for 1 quart/1 litre of coconut milk

For thicker coconut milk add extra coconut per amount water (eg. 2
cups coconut to 3 cups water)

You can let the coconut yogurt ferment about 10 hours. It does not need to ferment for 24 hours since there is no lactose. If you use extra honey you may be able to let it go a little longer, but when I let it run longer than 12 hours I didn't see any noticeable change in the acidity level so I stick with 2-3 tbsp of honey for ~ 2 cups of coconut milk.

After the first straining, add fresh water to the coconut pulp, simmer for 5 minutes then strain this second batch through the strainers. It is thinner than the first batch, so you might not want to use it for coconut yogurt, but for a sort of cream when making chai tea. The coconut pulp is then discarded or can be composted.

Coconut Bread

¾ cup sifted Organic Coconut Flour
½ cup Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or butter, melted
6 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

 

1. Blend together eggs, butter, honey and salt. 
2. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk thoroughly into batter until there are no lumps. 
3. Pour into greased 9x5x3 inch or smaller loaf pan and bake at 175C (350F) for 40 minutes. 
4. Remove from pan and cool on rack. 

 
Pancakes

2 eggs
2 tablespoons Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or butter, melted
2 tablespoons coconut milk or whole milk
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sifted Organic Coconut Flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder

1. Blend together eggs, oil, coconut milk, sugar and salt. 
2. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and thoroughly mix into batter. 
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a skillet. 
4. Spoon batter onto hot skillet making pancakes about 2 ½ to 3 inches in diameter. Batter will be thick, but will flatten out when cooking. Makes about 8 pancakes. 

Pecan Pancakes
Make Pancakes as directed above and add ½ cup of chopped pecans. 

Blueberry Pancakes
Make Pancakes as directed and, after mixing in the coconut milk, fold in ½ cup of dry fresh blueberries. 

Banana Nut Bread

1 ripe banana, mashed
8 eggs
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sifted Organic Coconut Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

1. Blend together mashed banana, eggs, coconut milk, sugar, salt, vanilla and almond extracts. 
2. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk thoroughly into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in nuts. 
3. Pour into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and bake at 175C (350F) for 60 minutes. 
4. Remove from pan and cool on rack. 

Honey Muffins
This is a basic coconut flour muffin recipe you can use to make a variety of muffins.

3 eggs
2 tablespoons Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or butter, melted
2 tablespoons coconut milk or whole milk
3 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup sifted Organic Coconut Flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder

1. Blend together eggs, butter, coconut milk, honey, salt and vanilla. 
2. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and thoroughly mix into batter until there are no lumps. 
3. Pour batter into greased muffin cups. 
4. Bake at 205C (400F) for 15 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.

Brownies

1/3 cup Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or butter, melted
½ cup cocoa powder
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sifted Organic Coconut Flour
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

1. In a saucepan at low heat, blend together butter and cocoa powder. 
2. Remove from heat and let cool. 
3. In a bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. 
4. Stir in cocoa mixture. 
5. Whisk coconut flour into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in nuts. 
6. Pour batter into a greased 11x7x2 or 8x8x2 inch pan. 
7. Bake at 175C (350F) for 30-35 minutes. 

Maple Pecan Cake

½ cup Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or butter, melted
½ cup coconut milk
12 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 cup sifted Organic Coconut Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup pecans, finely chopped

1. Blend together butter, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, salt and maple flavoring. 
2. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. 
3. Pour batter into a greased 11x7x2 inch or 9x9x2 inch pan. Fold nuts into batter. 
4. Bake at 175C (350F) for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. 
5. Cool and cover with maple frosting. 

Crepes

2 tablespoons sifted Organic Coconut Flour
2 tablespoons Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup whole milk

1. Blend together eggs, oil, sugar and salt. 
2. Thoroughly mix in coconut flour. 
3. Stir in coconut milk. 
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a small skillet. 
5. Pour a quarter of the batter into the skillet; immediately rotate skillet until a thin even layer of batter covers the bottom of the skillet. Crepe should be about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. 
6. Cook until batter is bubbly and cooked around the edges. Turn and cook other side. 
7. Cover one side of crepes with your choice of chopped fruits, nuts or jelly. Roll up and sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream. Makes 4 crepes. 

Drop Biscuits

1/3 cup sifted Organic Coconut Flour
¼ cup Organic Virgin Coconut Oil or butter, melted
4 eggs
¼ cup honey
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder

1. Blend together eggs, butter, honey and salt. 
2. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. 
3. Drop batter by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. 
4. Bake at 205 Degree C (400F) for 14 to 15 minutes. Makes 8 biscuits.

Super easy & healthy chocolate frosting or chocolate pie filling:

Chocolate Mousse
Just double the recipe for chocolate pie.
Makes about 2 cups

2 small ripe avocados
1/2 -3/4 C Light Agave Nectar
1/4 C raw cocoa powder (or carob, if you prefer)
2 T coconut butter or oil
1 T alcohol-free vanilla
dash of sea salt
dash of cinnamon (optional)

Preparation:
Place everything in an emulsion blender or high-powered blender or food processor and blend (on high) until very smooth. 

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