In the October issue of Women’s Health Magazine, coconut oil was featured as a food that was once considered “taboo,” but is now making a comeback and “when eaten in moderation, some of them may actually help you conquer the scale.” I’ve add it to my diet by using it in my smoothies daily and cooking dinner with it every night.  How do you incorporate it into your diet?

Coconut Oil

“Then: Because it’s high in saturated fat, coconut oil was demonized by dieters.

Now: Turns out, coconut oil is swimming in medium-chain triglycerides, fats that can be metabolized faster than the long-chain variety found in other oils like sunflower.  ‘They’re rarely stored as fat because the body prefers to use them for energy,’ says Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. A 2009 study in Lipids found that supplementing women’s diets with about two tablespoons of coconut oil per day fueled a reduction in abdominal obesity while helping elevate HDL (good) cholesterol levels. (Other studies have confirmed there is no negative impact on LDL cholesterol or blood pressure.)

Bring it back: Because coconut oil is calorie dense – about 120 calories per tablespoon – you still want to watch how much you down. Bowden suggests swapping oils high in omega-6, like corn or vegetable, for virgin or extra-virgin coconut oil.”

– Women’s Health Magazine, October 2011 Issue

– JR