Dr. Daryl’s 10 Favorite Ways to Use Coconut

 

 

The coconut is one of the most versatile foods on the planet, and also one of the best for you!

It can do all of these amazing things for your body:

• Stave off infection due to 3 fatty acids that are antimicrobial and disinfectant
• Alkalize your body, with coconut being one of the most alkaline ingredients on earth.
• Keep your brain sharp and even have a therapeutic effect on brain disorders like Alzheimer’s.
• There’s a correlation between populations that eat a lot of coconut oil and prevention of heart disease.
• Increase your energy levels due to its Medium Chain Triglycerides, or “good for you fats.”
• Prevent fungal and bacterial infections thanks to lauric acid, which can even kill Staph and yeast!
• Slow the aging process because of antioxidants.
• Improves digestion by lining the stomach and intestines with healthy, inflammation-reducing fats.

But one of the most amazing things about coconut is that it’s not just one food, and it’s not even just a food!

It can be used for all sorts of things and today, we’re going to cover my top 10 favorite uses for coconut, so let’s get started.

1. Coconut Oil Pulling

Have you heard of oil pulling? It’s a traditional, Ayurvedic way to clean, antibacterialize, and detoxify your teeth and gums using coconut oil. It’s highly effective at curing tooth decay, gingivitis, and bad breath, as well as preventing cavities.

Dental research is now connecting the health of your teeth and gums to the health of your body, but ancient Indian cultures were way ahead of us on this. They used oil pulling to promote dental health and you can do the same.

Here’s how to oil pull:

1. First thing in the morning before you drink or eat anything, put 1 or 2 tablespoons of cold-pressed coconut oil in your mouth.
2. Swish for 10 to 20 minutes, being careful not to swallow any of the oil.
3. Spit the oil out into the trash because it can clog the sink as it resumes room temperature.
4. Rinse your mouth with warm water. Add sea salt for extra alkalizing, antimicrobial effects.
5. Brush your teeth as usual.

2. Smoothie Booster

If you’ve ever tried any of my alkaline smoothie recipes, you know how big of a fan I am of adding coconut oil to just about every smoothie.

Why? It’s a healthy fat, so it keeps you fuller longer and also gives you all of those great fat benefits I listed above.

It’s super alkalizing, so it neutralizes the more sugar-filled fruits you might want to add to your smoothie. And it’s antimicrobial, antifungal properties keep that sugar from turning into candida in your digestive track.

Here are a few of my favorite smoothie recipes with coconut oil:

• Summery Coco Loco Smoothie
• Blueberry Morning Blast Alkaline Smoothie
• Winter Greens Smoothie

3. Rich, Natural Moisturizer

One of the best ways to use coconut oil is not in the kitchen – it’s in the shower. It makes a great moisturizer with none of the chemicals of so many lotions you can buy for that purpose.

It melts quickly as soon as you start to apply it to your skin, and with the steam of the shower, it locks moisture into your pores. Apply it as the last thing you do in the shower so any excess can rinse off before you towel dry.

Bonus uses: Coconut oil can be used to remove makeup, dirt, and daily environmental toxins from the face. It can also be used as a substitute for shaving gel, which actually has the effect of stripping moisture out of your skin.

4. Butter Replacement in Baking

Whether you’re making homemade granola, your own Ezekiel bread, or just about any other baked good at home, coconut oil can be a substitute for butter. Not only does it have similar melting properties, it also adds a subtle sweetness that allows you to use less sugar in your recipes. Give this a try even if you aren’t a fan of the taste of coconut – I promise you won’t miss the butter in your favorite recipes.

5. Baby Ointment

When our son was a baby, we kept a jar of organic coconut oil on his changing table. Rather than turn to chemical-filled creams, we always used coconut oil as our first defense against baby skin issues like diaper rash, cradle cap, and dry skin. In fact, we still use it today anytime his skin is looking a little dry.

6. Cooking Oil Replacement

If you’ve never tried substituting coconut oil for olive oil, grapeseed oil, or those nasty vegetable and canola oils that are partially hydrogenated, I urge you to give it a try when you’re cooking dinner tonight.

Coconut oil holds the highest smoke point of any of the oils, and this prevents the oil from going rancid and turning into a trans-fatty acid which you must avoid at all costs!

Lots of savory recipes benefit from the subtle sweetness of coconut oil. It adds a depth of flavor that I think you’re really going to love. Here are a few recipes to try:

• Gut Healing Zucchini and Basil Soup
• Wild Salmon and Veggie Curry
• Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

 

7. All Around Skin Healer

 

Cracked heals? Dry cuticles? Peeling lips or skin? Mild fungal infection? Irritated skin? Coconut oil heals them all. In fact, it’s the first thing I turn to when something on my skin is bothering me.

 

Trust me, you can spend a fortune on potions and lotions for every specific ailment, or you can keep a big container of coconut oil in the bathroom and give it a try for any and all skin issues.

 

8. Essential Oil Carrier

 

I love using the power of essential oils in our home and on our skin as remedies for all kinds of things. Many times when you’re applying essential oils topically to the skin, you need a carrier oil, or an oil you can dilute the strength of the essential oil in because on its own, it’s too powerful.

 

Organic coconut oil makes the perfect carrier oil because of both its consistency and its own benefits that your body will get right along with those of the essential oils you’re mixing in.

 

9. Alkaline Dessert Maker

 

As you know, I used to have a serious sweet tooth. These days, I’ve curbed my cravings for sugar, but I often still like to treat myself with a little bit of nutritious, alkaline sweetness at the end of a long day.

 

Coconut oil is perfect for turning nutrient-filled fruits into delicious desserts, like and Ginger Cinnamon Fruit with Sweet Tahini Dip.

 

10. Organic Protein Powder Superfood

 

When we set out to make our own protein powder, I wanted to use the best ingredients we could find. We blended the 3 core alkaline proteins with coconut oil to create the finest organic protein powder you can buy with none of the fillers or artificial ACIDIC ingredients most brands use.

 

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