What Eating Just One Ounce of Coconut Oil Per Day Does To Your Weight Over A Period Of Time

"Coconut oil is one of the few foods that can actually be classified as a super food. There is such a hype surrounding the product that it really makes you wonder what the sudden ubiquitous of this tropical plant is all about.

It contains a unique combination of fatty acids with powerful medicinal properties

Coconut oil contains what is known as medium chain fatty triglycerides, which are fatty acids of a medium length. Most are considered to be long-chain in fatty acids, but coconut oil is metabolized differently. They go from the liver to the digestive tract, where they are then used as a quick source of energy.

Places that eat coconut oil are considered to be the healthiest on the planet

Coconut oil is still considered to be an exotic food in our Western Society, primarily consumed by health conscious people. In some parts of the world, however, coconut oil is a dietary staple. In the South Pacific, they eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts, and they are the largest consumers of saturated fat in the world. They also have excellent health, not even a shred of evidence leading to heart disease.

Helps to control weight

One 2009 Study looked at the weight loss link between consumption of coconut oil and found that it reduced abdominal obesity. Coconut is easy to digest, and also protects the body from insulin resistance.

Good Source of Lauric Acid

The lauric acid in coconut oil can kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, and help stave off infections. When the oil is enzymatically digested, it forms a monoglyceride known as Monolaurin. Lauric acid and monolaurin help to kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

They can reduce seizures

A ketogenic diet is a low carb diet that is very high in fat; this leads to increased concentrations in ketone bodies in the blood. For some reason, this type of diet can reduce the rate of seizures in epileptic children.

Ease Digestion

Many people suffer from digestive issues; those people should consider adding coconut oil into their diets. Coconut oil benefits digestive disorders including IBS and microbial stomach bugs. The fatty acids contain antimicrobials that have a soothing effect on bacteria, candida, and even parasites that cause poor digestion.

Helps to Manage Type 2 Diabetes

A recent study done by the Garvin Institute of Medical Research showed that coconut oil helps to protect against insulin resistance, thereby reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Because of the medium chain fatty acids, coconut oil has a higher smoking temperature than most oils. You might find that you like it better than your usual olive oil, especially if you are cooking recipes that require a higher cooking temperature. Olive oil oxidizes when it reaches smoke point causing free radicals.

Slows Fine lines and aging signs

Coconut oil is not just for consumption, but it has many beauty benefits as well! It helps to keep the connective tissue strong, preventing wrinkles and skin sagging. Apply the oil directly to your face to soften the appearance of fine lines or use it daily to give a lovely moisturizing glow!

Kill Your hunger, and make you eat less without trying

One of the best things about coconut oil is that it can reduce hunger. It may be related to the way that fatty acids in it are metabolized, because of the ketone bodies can have an appetite reducing effect."

Sources:

articles.mercola.com

3 Heart-Healthy Ways to Reduce Stress

Around 60 percent of Americans have made it a goal to reduce stress. Those are encouraging statistics. Not only is stress emotionally challenging, but high stress levels can have an impact on the heart by impacting blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

That’s why it’s important to be intentional about finding ways to reduce stress levels. But that’s easier said than done, right? We live in a fast-paced society—and even if you’re not in work-obsessed America, chances are you have other stressors: relationships, family responsibilities, finances or health concerns.

If you’re looking to reduce your stress levels, here are three ways to do so:

1. Breathe deeply

Stress causes breathing to naturally become shallower and quicker. Even if you can’t remove whatever is making you feel stressed, simply breathing deeply can benefit the heart and entire body. Research has shown that what’s known as “pranayamic breathing”—manipulating breath movement—can result in heart health benefits: decreased oxygen consumption, decreased heart rate and decreased blood pressure.

I recommend breathing in through the nose, taking in as much air as you can, and then breathing out through the mouth, expelling as much air as possible. Do this for 10 minutes a day, if you can, but even 10 breaths can help.

2. Get outside

Living in an urban environment like I do makes it difficult to spend time in nature. But research published inEnvironmental Health and Preventive Medicine (EHPM) shows why it’s so important. The study was conducted in 24 forests across Japan, and research participants spent time “forest bathing,” or taking in the atmosphere of the forest. The researchers found that forest bathing promoted lower cortisol levels (the hormone related to stress), pulse rates and blood pressure levels, among other positive health effects.

Any time outside is beneficial, even if you don’t have a forest nearby. I enjoy walking my dogs in the morning—getting fresh air, seeing the trees and greenery, and just getting moving. Cycling is another way I spend ample time outside, and I get to enjoy views of the ocean, palm trees and other beautiful scenery outside. Just being outside helps me feel less stressed, and any amount of stress reduction supports heart health.

3. Move your body

Exercise is so central to my life that it’s hard to remember how I felt before I worked movement into my schedule. But I do know that I just feel better—and a lot of that likely has to do with exercise helping reduce my stress levels.

Exercise increases “feel-good” hormones called endorphins and can boost mood and reduce anxiety. Being active also gets you away from the things that are stressing you out—and, for some people, provides time to mentally work through problems. Plus, exercise increases overall health and heart function, two things anyone can benefit from.

You can’t control what happens in life, but you can control how you deal with it. Reducing stress levels can help make difficult situations easier to handle. And by keeping your stress levels in check, you’ll benefit your heart and body—and feel better in the process.

What do you do to reduce stress levels?

[1] http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2012/impact.aspx?item=2
[2] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306987706001666
[3] http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9#page-1

Why is Water Important?

Drinking plenty of water is an important part of maintaining a healthy weight and a nutritious diet.

Water plays an essential role in helping your body process nutrients, maintain normal circulation and

keep the proper balance of fluids.

REPLACE WHAT YOU LOSE

After each 30-minute workout, drink two 8 oz. glasses of water to replenish your fluids. If you find you become thirsty while working out, consider using a sports bottle to help you stay hydrated while you exercise. Because of their calorie content, soft drinks and fruit juices are not good choices for replacing lost fluids if you are trying to lose weight or manage your weight. You might try adding just a splash of fruit juice or a slice of lemon or lime to a glass of water if you don’t like the taste of plain water.

HOW MUCH WATER IS ENOUGH?

As a general guideline, try to drink six to eight 8 oz. glasses of water a day. If you exercise, you will probably need to drink more to replenish the water lost through sweating. You can usually trust your sense of thirst to let you know when you need to drink. Your sense of thirst, combined with simply paying attention to how many glasses of water you’ve had in a day, can help you to keep your body hydrated.

WHEN WATER ISN’T ENOUGH

The next time you’re thirsty, it could be smart to think before you drink. While “you are what you eat,” the phrase is more accurately “you are what you drink.” Our bodies are about 60 percent water, and while watery foods can help meet our needs, most of our daily water needs are met from the fluids we drink. Aside from plain water, consumers are faced with a dizzying array of juices, juice drinks, vitamin-fortified waters, sports drinks, energy drinks and teas–making it difficult to choose the best beverage to help meet fluid needs. For the average person who exercises moderately, plain water is a perfectly good choice. But many people prefer drinks with a little flavor, and tastier fluids may encourage consumption. And as exercise duration and intensity increase, it’s important to not only replace fluid losses, but to replace body salts–such as sodium and potassium–that are lost with sweating.

When evaluating beverages, a good place to start is by reading the nutrition facts label. For instance,

sodas or fruit drinks are often high in calories and sugar, and low on nutrients. Not only can these empty calories pile on the pounds, the high-sugar concentration in sodas and fruit drinks can actually slow down the rate at which the body absorbs fluid. If you see high-fructose corn syrup at the top of the ingredient list, you may want to pass. Sugars other than fructose, in lower concentrations, are much better absorbed. Some energy drinks have a combination of caffeine and sugar, designed to give you a quick spike in energy. But if you aren’t used to consuming caffeinated drinks, these could make you jittery or upset your stomach.

So what should you look for? It’s a good idea to check labels for electrolytes, such as sodium and

potassium, which are salts that your body loses when you perspire. In addition to replacing losses,

electrolytes can also add some flavor, which will encourage you to drink more. Also, look for drinks with less than 100 calories per 8 oz. serving. Higher calories means a higher sugar concentration; you also don’t want to drink back the calories you just burned on the treadmill.

While too much sugar can be a problem, a little bit of carbohydrate in beverages can help to maintain blood sugar while you are exercising. Also, a mixture of several forms of carbohydrate in the drink helps to get carbohydrate into working muscle better than just one carbohydrate source. A drink such as one made with Herbalife’s H3O® Fitness Drink mix could be a good choice because it contains the right amount of readily absorbed carbohydrates, no caffeine, and the essential electrolytes people lose when they perspire. It comes in a powder that mixes easily with water, and is available either in a canister or in convenient single-serve “stick packs” that can be thrown in a bag or pocket and mixed in any water bottle.