Coconut Oil (No It's Not Poison)

Last week, there was an article making its rounds claiming that coconut oil is basically poison (I'm choosing NOT to link to it so that it doesn't get more traction that it deserves).

I'm guessing you can guess my opinion on the matter which is that the sensationalist headline is complete BS.

We have been fighting this "saturated fat and cholesterol will kill you" battle for far too many years, and every so often, an article or study pops up like this claiming that one food or another will kill you.

Unfortunately, this just simply isn't true.

I just finished a fascinating book on this very subject called Put Your Heart in Your Mouth. In it, the author discusses the true causes of heart disease, the ones that have been covered up for so many years. It is truly inflammation caused by environmental toxins (cleaning and personal care products especially, hence why I love my partnership with Beautycounter, as well as doTerra essential oils), sugar, gluten, vegetable oils, trans fats, and refined/processed foods. This state of chronic inflammation "scrapes" at the inner lining of our arteries, causing more damage and inflammation.

Cholesterol, which makes up every cell in our body and is necessary for numerous functions, comes to the rescue as a "band-aid" to cover the inflammation to promote healing. However, we don't see cholesterol as a helper; rather, we view it as a villain because it is always at the scene of the "crime." It's like saying the firefighters are the reasons fires start because they are always at wherever there is a fire.

Coconut oil is a whole, natural food that you can basically find in nature. Can you find Crisco in nature? Can you find canola oil in nature? No, which is why this article about coconut oil being poison is complete garbage.

Does this mean we should eat a jar of coconut oil a day? No. This means that coconut oil is a great cooking fat to use for high heat cooking, as well as for minor skin issues and such. It's about striking a balance, because in all honestly, ANY food in excess could be poisonous, if you really think about it.

My bottom line: eat the coconut oil and ignore the sensationalist headlines. They are looking for one thing only: views, clicks, likes, and shares. Don't promote them and give them what they want.

xoxo Olivia