Coconut Oil & Heart Health

It’s safe to say that this past year has been unlike any other we’ve ever experienced. At the epicenter of all the turmoil has been health. Almost lost in the mix is the fact that February is American Heart Month. Did you know according to a 2019 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and one of the causes is poor diet/obesity, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, tobacco use, high cholesterol, Diabetes, and alcohol use.

One of the several reasons why we revere coconut oil is because of its health benefits. Based on research and heart health experts, Coconut oil is being recognized as a superfood. Coconut oil contains natural saturated fats that increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels in your body. They may also help turn LDL (bad) cholesterol into a less harmful form. By increasing HDL, many experts, including American Heart Association believe that coconut oil may boost heart health and help reduce heart disease risk.

In honor of American Heart Month, here is a heart healthy recipe that you can snack on for days and not feel guilty! 

Triple Coconut Granola

 Ingredients:

  • 4 cups of old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup slivered almonds or nuts of choice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ cup melted Kelapo coconut oil
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup large, unsweetened coconut flakes
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • Optional: ⅔ cup dried fruit, chopped if large

 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Using a big mixing bowl, incorporate the oats, almonds, cinnamon, salt and ground ginger with a silicone or rubber spatula, stir to combine.
  3. Next, add the Kelapo coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Thoroughly stir until every oat is lightly and evenly coated. Then, with your spatula, scrape the contents of the bowl on your prepared pan, and spread the granola into an even layer.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven, add both the coconut flakes and shredded coconut, and stir it all together.
  5. Put the pan back into the oven until the coconut is lightly golden for around 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure to allow the granola to cool completely on the pan as it will gain its crispiness.
  6. It’s important to keep the granola in an airtight container, like a freezer bag (if you’re adding dried fruit, add it now). This granola will stay fresh at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months and enjoy!

We hope you love the Triple Coconut Granola as much as we do! There are plenty of other recipes that support heart health, but ultimately, it’s up to you to not become another statistic.

 

Sources:

  1. https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/heart-disease-statistics/
  2. https://www.heart.org/en
  3. https://beneficialblends.com/
  4. https://cookieandkate.com/triple-coconut-granola-recipe/

 

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