Coconut Oil

[morgan]

Good health food shops I think. I had a look recently, but the jars of it I saw were quite solid. Don't know if that is a temperature/winter related thing? I may look further and ask about the actual virgin coconut oil.

I use Virgin coconut oil everyday.

I oil pull with it, and also use it as a moisturiser and hair treatment.

I sometimes cook with it too.

It is solid in the colder weather, but becomes liquid as summer approaches. You can melt it easily by putting the jar in hot water. As a moisturiser it melts on contact with the skin.

Somewhat off topic, but are there benefits using it for oil pulling over cold pressed sunflower oil? I have been using this the whole time, but am not too keen on the taste - but at least it is way better than extra virgin olive oil

[~Anne~]

I've been checking out this coconut oil theory and it seems that is might just be good for you. The only places that sell it though is Health Food shops which is a bummer as they hike the price up. The cheapest container was more then $10 and it was only the size of a peanut butter jar.

I think I will check the web and see if I can get it cheaper. I think it would be great as a cooking oil too. Thai coconut chicken sounds great!

[cashew]

Sorry this is also off topic but pure virgin coconut oil has a slight altered taste when cooked. Maybe it will be good to drizzle it after you have cooked your dishes, rather than stir-fry with them. Virgin Coconut oil starts to turn rancid at about 32deg or so. I guess it will be a good idea to store the bottle in a cool place during summer.

[~Anne~]

Sorry this is also off topic but pure virgin coconut oil has a slight altered taste when cooked. Maybe it will be good to drizzle it after you have cooked your dishes, rather than stir-fry with them. Virgin Coconut oil starts to turn rancid at about 32deg or so. I guess it will be a good idea to store the bottle in a cool place during summer.

Really? The brochure I picked up for 'Niulife Extra Virgin Coconut Oil' actually states;

"Coconut oil has no cholesterol, no trans-fats and is lower in calories than all other fats and oils. It is the premium high-heat cooking oil, enhancing the flavour of many foods."

In another part of the brochure it states;

"The healthiest cooking oil - free of trans fats and not damaged by heast as other oils are"

[ashka1]

A friend of mine suggested the Virgin coconut oil. They add cold pressed Flax oil, coconut oil and I think the third was cold pressed olive oil to their dogs feed and they have the best coats and no skin problems any more.

I have considered trying it. Interesting

[cashew]

Sorry this is also off topic but pure virgin coconut oil has a slight altered taste when cooked. Maybe it will be good to drizzle it after you have cooked your dishes, rather than stir-fry with them. Virgin Coconut oil starts to turn rancid at about 32deg or so. I guess it will be a good idea to store the bottle in a cool place during summer.

Really? ;) The brochure I picked up for 'Niulife Extra Virgin Coconut Oil' actually states;

"Coconut oil has no cholesterol, no trans-fats and is lower in calories than all other fats and oils. It is the premium high-heat cooking oil, enhancing the flavour of many foods."

In another part of the brochure it states;

"The healthiest cooking oil - free of trans fats and not damaged by heast as other oils are"

I think what I meant was that the oil breaks down at 32deg. The goodness of a cold-pressed oil (and we pay premium for that) is that there is no heat alteration. Once we apply heat to oils, the oil breaks down and the goodness in the virgin cold pressed is literally poofed away. Normal Coconut oil is a common high-heat oil for cooking but for virgin coconut oils, I would think that we want to preserve them in their unaltered states---virgin and cold pressed Cold-pressed oils are so much more expensive to buy compared to normal oils so I think it is a "waste" to buy oils cold-pressed, then use them to cook. That's the scrooge in me If I am not wrong, Omegas in oils are destroyed by heat rapidly.