Health Awareness Coconut Bliss

Coconuts seem to be one of the many hip things to eat these days, and with good reason Coconut & Coconut Oil are packed full with useful things our bodies can use, such as:

1. Coconut Oil Contains a Unique Combination of Fatty Acids With Powerful Medicinal Properties: coconut oil doesn’t contain your average run-of-the-mill saturated fats like you would find in cheese or steak.No, they contain so-called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length.Most of the fatty acids in the diet are long-chain fatty acids, but the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are metabolized differently.They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source energy or turned into so-called ketone bodies, which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.

2. Populations That Eat a LOT of Coconut Are Among The Healthiest People on The Planet:Coconut is kind of an “exotic” food in the Western world, primarily consumed by health conscious people.However, in some parts of the world, coconut is a dietary staple that people have thrived on for many generations.The best example of such a population is the Tokelauans, which live in the South Pacific.They eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts and are the biggest consumers of saturated fat in the world.These people are in excellent health, with no evidence of heart disease.Another example of a population that eats a lot of coconut and remains in excellent health is the Kitavans.

3. Coconut Oil Can Increase Your Energy Expenditure, Helping You Burn More Fat: Obesity is currently one of the biggest health problems in the world.While some people think obesity is only a matter of calories, others (myself included) believe that the sources of those calories are critical too.It is a fact that different foods affect our bodies and hormones in different ways. In this regard, a calorie is NOT a calorie.The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil can increase energy expenditure compared to the same amount of calories from longer chain fats.One study found that 15-30 grams of MCTs per day increased 24 hour energy expenditure by 5%, totaling about 120 calories per day.

4. The Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Are Turned into Ketones, Which Can Reduce Seizures:A so-called ketogenic (very low carb, very high fat) diet is currently being studied to treat various disorders.The best known therapeutic application of this diet is treating drug-resistant epilepsy in children.This diet involves eating very little carbohydrates and large amounts of fat, leading to greatly increased concentrations of ketone bodies in the blood.For some reason, this diet can dramatically reduce the rate of seizures in epileptic children, even those who haven’t had success with multiple different types of drugs.Because the MCTs in coconut oil get shipped to the liver and turned into ketone bodies, they are often used in epileptic patients to induce ketosis while allowing for a bit more carbs in the diet.

5. Coconut Oil Can Improve Blood Cholesterol Levels and May Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease:Coconut oil is loaded with saturated fats, which actually do not harm the blood lipid profile like previously thought.Saturated fats raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and change the LDL cholesterol to a benign subtype. In one study in 40 women, coconut oil reduced Total and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL compared to soybean oil. There are also rat studies showing that coconut oil reduces triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, increases HDL and improves blood coagulation factors and antioxidant status.This improvement in cardiovascular risk factors should theoretically lead to a reduced risk of heart disease over the long term.

This month we are all about health awareness, but that doesn't mean you can't have your cake and eat it too. And to do that we have a delicious Coconut & Lemon Ball Bliss recipe for you all!

Don't these look delicious? With just five ingredients these are a perfect way to add a delicious snack for a healthy living choice! 

Makes approx. 15 balls. Calories per ball: 151.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded coconut + extra 

• ½ cup almonds 

• 2-3 tbsp honey or rice malt syrup (to taste) 

• 2 tbsp coconut oil 

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Directions: 

• Place all ingredients into the food processor and blend for 1 minute.

• Roll into small balls around the size of a 10c piece.

• Roll in extra coconut.

• Place on a lined tray and chill in the fridge until firm.