More Uses For Coconut Oil

One of the ways I'm eating healthier is choosing healthy fats.  Remember, good fats are not the enemy of our bodies - bad fats are.  We actually need to have healthy fats to orchestrate the absorption of vitamins and minerals.  Good fats are the vehicles that the vitamins and minerals ride around in (yes, I'm a visual person). 

Besides Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and Organic Butter, I also use Organic Coconut Oil.  The more I use it the more I discover it's benefits. 

In recent weeks, I've been depending on my Virgin organic coconut oil a lot.  Due to the immuno-suppressants I must  take after my kidney transplant, my body is experiencing some unpleasant side effects.  The coconut oil has been a life saver, helping to counteract  those side-effects and helping my body recover. 

My skin and hair were getting dry and brittle.  I've been rubbing the coconut oil on my skin twice a day and on my hair once a day.  A little goes a long way and I make sure to rub it in thoroughly so I don't look like a greased pig. My skin is staying hydrated longer than when I just used an expensive cream.   My large surgical  incision is healing very nicely with the coconut oil keeping the skin supple as it grows back together. 

Some of the medications I am taking to prevent organ rejection cause my skin to become red and inflamed on my face and neck.  In fact, every morning I resemble someone with hives.  After washing my face with warm water and a soft washcloth, I gently rub the coconut oil onto my face and wait for it to work.  Within 1/2 hour, my face has calmed down and I can use my mineral make-up with no problems. 

My doctors are giving me IV infusions every 2 weeks to prevent me from getting a common virus called Cytomeglovirus that affects transplant patients in a bad way.  Well, guess what Coconut oil fights against?  Yup, CMV (cytomeglovirus).  Cool, huh?

My blood work shows that I'm a bit low on magnesium.  Instead of taking a magnesium supplement, which can cause diarrhea, I've opted to eat foods higher in magnesium until the levels rise.  The Coconut Oil, I believe, is helping get the magnesium from the food to where it needs to go in my body (remember the visual above?).

I found out from one of the nurses at the transplant clinic that I'm one of the only patients they have who doesn't take a blood pressure medication.  I believe the lauric acid in the oil is helping me maintain a normal blood pressure as I had normal blood pressure before the transplant but the immuno-suppressants tend to cause the BP to rise.

I'm not the only one benefiting from this tropical oil's goodness.  Hubs got a tick bite that was starting to swell and get red.  I pulled out the coconut oil and after 2 applications, the swelling and redness was gone and the tick bite is healing nicely.  We, of course, are watching it carefully for signs of Lyme disease, but all looks good.  Yesterday, Hubs developed some eczema redness after working outside in the heat and humidity and after a shower and coconut oil, his skin was back to normal.  I'm tellin' ya - it's good stuff.

In my quest to live a more healthy lifestyle, I've also discovered that I can also live a more simple and frugal life as well.  Simple, because I can use this one item for several different uses.  Frugal, because this single item generally costs less than the total of  multiple items purchased for different uses.

If you've started using Coconut Oil, please leave a comment and let us know how you've been benefiting.  If you've had a bad experience, let us know about that too.

If you're interested in learning more about Coconut Oil, here's a place to start.

Note:  I have no training in the medical field.  I have made a personal decision to use Coconut oil in my diet and I'm excited to share my experience with you.  Please research this topic for yourself and seek medical counsel before trying it yourself.