Consider the many and surprising uses for Coconut Oil

A client of mine was excited about how our session had opened and relaxed her hips so much that she was looking forward to going home to make love with her husband. She then grumbled about menopausal changes in hormone levels making the foreplay on-ramp a little difficult. I asked her if she knew about coconut oil as a personal lubricant (she didn’t) and I briefly gave her the run down, including the tip about adding stevia drops to give it flavor. Several hours later I got a text saying: “Coconut oil!!! Who knew?! My husband thanks you, too!”

Coconut oil is a fabulous high-heat cooking oil and has far more applications for healthy cooking, beauty, and general household use than you may be aware of.  Studies have show that coconut oil improves digestion, balances blood sugar, increases HDL /decreases LDL cholesterol, and improves Alzheimer’s symptoms.  It’s great as a skin moisturizer – straight, nothing else added – hair detangler, deodorant, etc.

As always, use organic any time you can get it.  Small jars from the health food store can be so costly that you only use it sparingly. I now buy large tubs of organic coconut oil from Costco so I can feel free to use generously.

So many uses!

• blend it into coffee
• shine leather coats and shoes
• lubricate stuck zippers
• make homemade deodorant out if it
• Put it in smoothies
• roast vegetables with it
• do oil pulling (here’s a personal account, to give you a sense of what it’s like)

…the list of uses is long.  In fact, Dr. Axe’s list of 77 coconut oil uses will give you plenty of ideas.

Years ago I wanted to switch away from the harsh, aluminum-containing deodorants available commercially.  I tried many deodorants from the health food store, most of which didn’t work very well.  Here’s my recipe for homemade deodorant using coconut oil:

   Effective & Healthy Homemade Deodorant:

•     5 Tb coconut oil (virgin, organic is best)
•     1/4 c. baking soda
•     1/4 c. cornstarch
•     10-20 drops essential oil  (for fragrance and anti-microbial properties; DoTerra Elevation, melaleuca, lavender, Breathe, and Whisper are my favorites to mix in.)

Mix ingredients together and scoop into a screw-top jar.  (You can re-purpose a screw-top lip gloss pot to make a travel-sized one.) I use a wooden ice cream spoon (or a finger) to apply it right after a shower.  At first I noticed white marks on my clothes from the baking soda but I learned to dress without letting any fabric touch the deodorant and it’s not an issue anymore.

If you don’t already have some on hand, buy a jar and start experimenting with it. You will find that coconut oil is often better than butter or olive oil in your cooking (almost always better than oil blends canola or branded “vegetable” oil), plus and has abundant, simple and clean uses for your skin, body and home.

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#coconutoil    #homemadedeodorant    #cocolube