Help with coconut oil...

[AnnaV]

I'm hoping someone can advise me on what type of coconut oil is best used for diet supplementation. I would rather not cook with it but would like add it to drinks or just take a spoonful or two daily. I want to use it mainly for appetite suppression but will gladly take the other benefits that people speak of. I'm just so unclear on what kind to get.

I did a search of the forums here and the terms "coconut oil" generated 300 pages of threads....

Help. Please?

Thanks!

[AnnaV]

Hmm, I found this doing a google search. Does it jive with what you coconut oil experts on here do?

Experts say the best coconut oil you can buy is organic virgin coconut oil (VCO). This is coconut oil that has been squeezed out of the best coconut meat without high heat treatments. There are coconut oils that have been taken from copra (older lower quality dried coconut meat). This is then cooked, refined and bleached. These commercial coconut oils have little or no coconut taste, and have lost some of the health benefits. Good virgin coconut oil will have a smooth mild coconut flavor. Definitely avoid any coconut oil that has been hydrogenated so it will be solid at room temperature. Hydrogenated oil is always very bad for you, even if it was coconut oil to start with.

VCO will be solid at a temperature of about 76 degrees F (30 degrees C) and becomes a liquid at about 77 degrees F (31 degrees C). Solid coconut oil is sometimes called coconut butter, but it is the same thing. It is measured and used the same, whether it is an oil or a solid. Coconut oil is very stable and can be kept at room temperature, no refrigeration needed. If refrigerated, it becomes very hard.

Some companies say their product is extra virgin coconut oil, but unlike olive oil, there really is no difference between virgin coconut oil and extra virgin. There are several methods of cold-pressing the coconuts for oil, but they are all very similar.

Coconut oil can be safely used for all your cooking purposes. You can bake with it, sauté with it, and even deep fry with it. It gives a delicious taste to the things you cook. You can also use shredded and chipped coconut meat, coconut cream or coconut milk in your cooking and in healthy smoothies. All these coconut products have coconut oil in them, and are just a few more ways to get your daily coconut oil.

Experts recommend you eat two to four tablespoons of coconut oil daily. If you are experiencing health problems, or you need to lose a lot of weight, add more to your diet.

Can I just consume VCO on it's own? Is it gross? I tried that with olive oil and made myself gag into the next week.

[AnnaV]

bump... heading to the health food store here shortly, am hoping someone will weigh in.

[dawnyama]

It really depends...didn't want that did you? I take my coconut oil by the spoon--trying for 4 TBL per day, but sometimes don't get the 4th in. I take the virgin coconut oil (Tropical Traditions brand) but the spoon. I don't like the taste of bark, it was too greasy and smelled funny; didn't even try in my coffee; didn't like how it solidified in my protein shakes and couldn't handle coconut tasting eggs. So by the spoon is fine by me. However, in order to get some oil in my family I buy the expeller pressed. That way they have no idea that when they eat the brownies that I make they are getting in coconut oil. They just love how much moister everything is. So, if you want the taste buy the virgin, if you don't like coconuts get the expeller pressed. If you want the most beneficial expeller pressed go with a brand that you have researched and trust will give you the best quality. I hope this helps and doesn't confuse you.

[AnnaV]

Thank you! It doesn't confuse me, thanks for sharing your experience. I'm just concerned about gagging if I take it by the spoonful. Well, I suppose I could try it - not like it's going to kill me!

Otherwise I will just use it in cooking, etc. I just don't do too much of it anymore!

[dawnyama]

The gagging thing is something I still do. I have been taking my coconut oil for about 7 years LOL. Some days it bothers me, some days it doesn't. Just depends. Maybe you can do smaller spoonfuls. I take it by the Tablespoon. You do have to work your way up, say a tsp at first. I would make sure the coconut oil is in its liquid state while ingesting--makes it go down better for me. I don't like chunks.

[AnnaV]

LOL! Great, now I'm REALLY looking forward to this!

[caroljshaw]

I add EVCO to my low carb cocoa. Can't even taste it. Sometimes I mix it with a tablespoon of peanut butter. It's very yummy. I don't have any problem getting it down.

[WATCH-ME-SHRINK]

I've tried four brands, and my favorite by far is Nutiva. It's EVCO. Netrition carries it.

[AnnaV]

Oh thanks so much!

[glennjones]

I just started using the CO myself anf got the Nutiva as well...I really like it in my coffee with cream..love the taste of coconut anyway. Am not sure how eating the CO will help me with my LC in the long run but after reading all the threads on the subject I am willing to try.

[AnnaV]

I love coconut too. I used to make those cream cheese & peanut butter balls rolled in shredded coconut for a nice LC treat. I'm looking forward to adding this to my diet but the thought of drinking something with the consistency of oil makes me squeamish. I love the idea of adding it to PB, not sure I can add it to coffee though - I could never handle the taste of flavored coffee.

[fawn]

Originally Posted by WATCH-ME-SHRINK

I've tried four brands, and my favorite by far is Nutiva. It's EVCO. Netrition carries it.

ditto!

[jacksmixedtape]

Somebody needs to sticky a coconut oil thread. There are at least 3 new threads every week on it.

[AnnaV]

Originally Posted by AllieCat0817

If you are willing to read some of the 300 threads you found in your search I promise you will find your answers!!!

I don't know about you but not many people have the kind of time to search through 300 threads - the first page being mostly challenges - before they head to buy something.

But thanks for your helpful advice anyway.

[jacksmixedtape]

Ninth thread down on the search page:
Coconut Oil - extra virgin or no?

[Prozak]

I find the taste of EVCO a little overpowering... so I use it on my skin (reminiscent of banana boat suntan lotion)

I use the regular coconut oil (not EV or V) and it has no taste for the majority of the stuff that goes in my mouth (besides I use it a lot for cooking and it is cheaper than the EVCO).

I know people who cannot STAND coconut, so I would only recommend the CO for the health benefits AND skin care.

I hope this helps!

[AnnaV]

Originally Posted by Prozak

I find the taste of EVCO a little overpowering... so I use it on my skin (reminiscent of banana boat suntan lotion)

I use the regular coconut oil (not EV or V) and it has no taste for the majority of the stuff that goes in my mouth (besides I use it a lot for cooking and it is cheaper than the EVCO).

I know people who cannot STAND coconut, so I would only recommend the CO for the health benefits AND skin care.

I hope this helps!

It does, thank you very much. I know nothing about coconut oil - except that it's an oil (duh) and is supposed to be good for you - so sifting through threads written by people discussing the oil, recipes and the like with other people who already know about it doesn't help much. But this does, so thanks again.

[AnnaV]

Originally Posted by jacksmixedtape

Ninth thread down on the search page:
Coconut Oil - extra virgin or no?

Ninth thread on the page for me is "Deb's Mid Year Resolution" and it would have been something else this morning because this thread now shows up but thanks anyway.

[Bejeweled]

Originally Posted by AnnaV

I don't know about you but not many people have the kind of time to search through 300 threads - the first page being mostly challenges - before they head to buy something.

But thanks for your helpful advice anyway.

Ditto. What is the point of this forum if people can only ask questions that haven't been asked before? That attitude is sure to drive people away.

[AnnaV]

Originally Posted by Bejeweled

Ditto. What is the point of this forum if people can only ask questions that haven't been asked before? That attitude is sure to drive people away.

Actually it was 300 PAGES of threads....

Maybe a sticky on coconut oil WOULD be helpful so the questions of people not exactly in the know won't irritate everyone else.

[jacksmixedtape]

Originally Posted by Bejeweled

Ditto. What is the point of this forum if people can only ask questions that haven't been asked before? That attitude is sure to drive people away.

What is the point of the search function if we all just repeat ourselves endlessly when a topic comes up? You can only type out the same info about coconut oil so many times before you get sick of talking about it, LOL. I swear it comes up twice a week, and you're just repeating the same info you did in another five posts, which seems like a waste of time and energy.

I apologize that the OP encountered a couple of suggestions to use the search function, as it is nothing personal. You just happened to be the 92303290th person to ask. Hopefully it will point others interested in CO in the right direction. Good luck finding a type of CO you can enjoy. It is worth it!

[AnnaV]

I tried to do a search for coconut oil and as I mentioned before I came up with 300 pages of threads - most of the first ones were people's challenges and journeys in LC and were multi page.

It's great if you have the time to filter through all of that to get an answer to a simple question but not everyone does. And a really great tip for using this forum (I would know, I've been here since 2000) is to ignore the threads that irritate you.

[jacksmixedtape]

You are right. I should not have mentioned the search function, even though it has proved invaluable to me on my lc journey. We are all individuals!

Again, best wishes with the CO supplmentation. Nutiva brand from netrition is quality stuff!

[AnnaV]

I agree that the search function is helpful which is why I went there first but with something that is discussed so frequently (as became apparent to me after I searched) it's really tough to find what you're looking for. That's also why I went to Google to find out more info. Sorting through conversations for the specific info you're looking for can be very challenging.

Thanks for letting me know what your preference is.

[Bejeweled]

Honestly, if you are sick of responding to the same thing then DON'T!! Skip over the repeat threads. There are always going to be newbies coming in, and not everyone knows how to get around on the internet. I am a web designer, so I am quite familiar with people who don't know a lick about the internet and can barely figure out how to register and make a post. Let alone use the search function. You just never know. I think it is rude to keep comign into threads and tell people to use the search feature. Maybe the mods should just lock this forum and not allow any more new posts, and make it so people can only search? Someone would be crying about that, too.

Maybe there needs to be a "Fawn shake" or "coconut oil' forum here?