Cooking with Coconut Oil: Never Been Easier

I'm an avid fan of coconut oil. It tastes great and is inexpensive and easy to use. Plus, it's multi-purposeful. I use my coconut oil for cooking and baking, as lotion, as hair oil, as a base for homemade deodorants and in raw food preparation. My favorite trait of coconut oil is that it does not turn into a trans-fat when heated at high temperatures! This makes it ideal for frying and baking. In addition, coconut oil acts as an antifungal, antimicrobial, antibacterial and antiviral. It is also very soothing to our body and skin.

When using coconut oil for stovetop cooking, place about ½ tablespoon in your pan. Allow it to melt on medium heat, then add your ingredients and cook away.

When using it to bake, use the same amount of coconut oil as the amount of oil/butter for which the recipe calls.

In raw foods, a little goes a long way. Use a small amount for moisture and flavoring.

Be sure to choose organic when possible and extra-virgin, unrefined as well. Raw if you can get it. Here my two favorite brands: Nutiva and Artisana.

Make sure you get unrefined, unprocessed, preferably raw, organic coconut oil for the highest quality and benefit.

*Note: Research has found that too much coconut oil may cause stress on your liver. As with everything, use coconut oil in moderation and use a variety of different oils for your cooking and eating.