Have You Heard of the Amazing Benefits of Coconut Oil?

My cat sat on my lap (no, this is not the beginning of a Dr Seuss book!) recently and started licking my hand — front, back and fingers.

Why?  I had just rubbed coconut oil on them.

It was the first time she had come into contact with me just after I had done it and it still hadn’t absorbed fully into my skin.

I immediately Googled to see if cats could eat coconut oil and here’s what I found after reading several articles:

• Most animals (both cats and dogs) can safely eat coconut oil, in fact it helps to aid digestion.
• It has lauric acid (over 40% making it the riches natural source on Earth) and it is a good fat (saturated) for animals to consume as it mimics the animal fat they would be eating in the wild and not necessarily getting in their domestic diet.  Therefore you can mix about a teaspoon a day in with their food (and if they are fussy eaters, they tend to lap it up if you mix with coconut oil!).
• You can rub it into their fur — it gives a beautiful sheen and apparently protects against ticks and fleas too!
• It also can be used for any dry skin issues.

For more in-depth information about how to use coconut oil for your pet, please click on this Wellness Mama article link, ‘Benefits of Coconut Oil for Pets’.

Great News for Pet Owners but What About People?

Did you know that coconut oil has numerous benefits for humans too?  In fact, so many that I’m going to cut straight to the chase and name my top favourite uses for this magical white, pasty wonder!

Benefits for you include:

1. One of the best oils to use for frying food as it doesn’t lose its nutritional value when heated (and it tastes great).  Obviously eat any oil in moderation though.  Read more about heating coconut oil HERE.
2. Great for your skin!  I use it all the time on my body and face.  Especially after you’ve just had a bath or shower — it locks in all the moisture.
3. Ladies — this stuff is the best make up remover of all time!  If it gets into your eyes it doesn’t sting or blur, in fact, it leaves your eyes feeling refreshed.  It even takes of water-proof mascara with ease!
4. It is also a terrific massage oil and spreads beautifully.  And yes, it also is a safe lubricant too!  In fact, it’s been known to treat Candida, so it’s safe to use on those nether regions, ladies.  It has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and soothing qualities.
5. I use it as an underarm deodorant as well, mixing it with a bit of baking soda (to neutralize odour) and essential lavender oil (or whatever you want to smell like).  However, test this out on your skin first as it may cause a rash (I think it’s the baking soda that does that).
6. I haven’t tried it yet as a toothpaste but I’m going to as soon as I run out.  Again mix coconut oil with baking soda.
7. Another great thing to do with coconut oil is to ‘oil pull’ — an ancient folk remedy for oral health.  You basically put a teaspoon of coconut oil in your mouth and swish around for 20 minutes.  It apparently gets rid of toxins and also whitens teeth.  I have done this several times and it certainly leaves your mouth feeling clean and fresh.  Very important — never swallow the oil after you oil pull as it contains toxins.  Spit it out in the garden or bin and not down the drain as it solidifies.  Read more about oil pulling HERE.
8. I also recently read that if you suffer from low blood-sugar and want a quick pick-me-up, you can pop a teaspoon of coconut oil for a sustainable energy boost.
9. I have also just made the switch from butter to coconut oil on my bread.  I, fortunately, love the taste of it whilst others may not.  Coconut oil doesn’t go rancid like butter either — so you can leave it out without worrying.
10. Coconut oil is great at treating scrapes and cuts because of its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.
11. I also read that you can use it instead of wood polish.  You should test the area first but I have and it works well.  It apparently can be used to treat leather, etc as well (haven’t tried that though).
12. It conditions hair.  Put a bit from mid-way to tip and leave on for about an hour, then wash well.
13. I believe you can make great chocolate treats with coconut oil too although I haven’t tried that out yet.  However, a friend of mine made me some and they were delicious!  You just have to keep it in the fridge to keep it solid.
14. It also helps to reduce pain.  If you have an area on your body that hurts (back-ache, headache, etc) — rub some coconut oil in the area and it soothes the pain.  I tried this when I detoxed and initially it did nothing because my pain was extremely severe but when the pain became more manageable I would apply coconut oil and it really did help with mild pain.

Right, so that’s it from my side!  I know I’ve probably left out loads of other great stuff so it’s up to you to leave your comments in the box below and tell us how you use coconut oil.

Here are some other great articles that really go into detail about the healthful aspects of coconut oil, so, please read them too:

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

The 50 Latest Coconut Oil Benefits Backed by Science

Other articles you may find interesting:

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7 Genius Epiphanies to Reset Your Life to

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