30 Uses for Coconut Oil

 

Coconut oil is one of the most versatile foods. From the kitchen to the bathroom, you can do just about anything with it.

Healthy little tip: In cool weather coconut oil hardens, in warm weather it is more of a liquid, this is normal. It does not need to be refrigerated. Buy raw, organic, and unrefined!

 

 

Kitchen

Coconut oil has a very high boiling point so the oils do not go rancid as easily as other oils when you cook with it. I use coconut oil for just about everything in the kitchen; sautéing,baking, a scoop in my green smoothie or added to hot soups or tea.

 

I keep a jar of organic & unrefined (but not raw) that I use when I am going to be heating the oil for a longer period of time (baking for instance). I’m not as picky about it being raw so that I can save a few dollars because after it’s cooked on high heat it is no longer raw. I do keep a raw oil for everything else, even hot soups & teas, I just add it after it’s cooled off a bit. The temperature needs to be above boiling to kill off the beneficial enzymes and no longer be considered raw, so as long as it’s not boiling, I will throw in the good (raw) stuff.

You can also use coconut oil to condition worn cutting boards!

 

Bathroom

Coconut oil is ideal for skin care. Your skin is an organ and needs nourishing from organic raw foods just as much as your inside organs do. Rub coconut oil on your body after a shower, use for cracked or rough heals, or as a base for a scrub. It appears that it would be too oily but your body soaks it up very quickly. You can use the oil straight from the store or I like to use Annmarie Gianni’s Coconut Oil.

 

When coconut oil is absorbed into your skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother.

Coconut oil is a great tool to keep your hair healthy, shiny and strong. The oil increases circulation in the scalp, supplying nutrients to the hair follicles. Apply the oil starting from the scalp and working it out through to the ends. Massage the head for a few minutes to work the oil well into the follicles, leave it for 1 hour, then shampoo well and condition.

Use it as a makeup remover, a mascara brush cleaner, lip moisturizer or as a shaving cream.

 

Baby & Pets

Coconut oil helps to soothe and heal diaper rash and cradle cap. It can be used with nursing mothers to increase milk flow and to soothe the skin.

 

Massage into dogs skin for dandruff control, relieve joints for arthritis, and add a scoop to their food for digestion & weight control.

 

Immense Benefits

While coconut oil can be used for just about anything on the outside, what it does to our insides is pretty miraculous. Coconut oil aids in digestion, boosts energy and stimulates metabolism. It has been shown to reduce headaches and to release tension in sore muscles. Coconut oil is a perfect healthy fat. It’s a powerful virus-destroyer and antibiotic to add into your diet when you are feeling sick.

 

 

Fast fact:  Coconut oil can be used as a substitute for any oil in the kitchen, used in smoothies, teas and soups. It can be used for your hair, skin, lips, shaving cream, as a makeup remover or to clean makeup brushes. It can be used for dogs, babies and nursing mothers. It boosts energy and metabolism, aids in digestion, reduces headaches and sore muscles and is a tool to fight back against colds as a natural antibiotic and virus killer.

 

Action: Start using coconut oil! If you already use it, pick one new use and try it out! The more coconut oil in your life, the better. Let me know how it goes for you below! 🙂

 

Brenna Ortner is the creator of Healthy Little Bit, a blog that educates & inspires women to live healthy, energetic & fulfilling lives. She is a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (AADP) and guides women to thrive in their bodies. Her coaching style is based on bio-individuality, pleasure eating, and that every little healthy bit counts. You can feel calm and confident, lower or eliminate sugar addictions and find the real energy you’ve been looking for. Together we’ll work to heal the root cause of your health challenges so you can start living a happy life with your body working for you, not against you. Brenna specializes in PMS, mood imbalances, infertility, low libido, low energy, inability to lose weight & menopause.

 

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