Yes, you can.
I know, I know. You just read that the American Heart Association says that you can’t.
But I prefer to base my recommendations on science, so let’s get real.
WHAT REALLY CAUSES HEART DISEASE
The study by the AHA that is making the news is NOT NEW. It is a review of a previous study that already offered some pretty racy suggestions concerning our diets.
But let’s talk about what we DO know concerning cholesterol and heart disease for a moment, the supposed impetus behind this study review.
The TRUTH is that cholesterol does NOT cause heart disease! Guess what does? Supercharged levels of sugar and an overabundance of refined carbohydrates (sugar) in your diet. Not only does it lower your HDL levels, but also causes insulin resistance and other issues.
Even more shocking is that low cholesterol INCREASES your changes of death. All this time we’ve been avoiding egg yolks and butter when the evidence now shows that we NEED the cholesterol. All of this hubbub our arteries being clogged from excess cholesterol when the truth is that the artery issue isn’t fat from cholesterol at all!
Now, let’s take a minute to talk about hormones. Did you know that cholesterol is necessary for our body to properly produce hormones? Everything from progesterone and estrogen to cortisol and testosterone rely on sufficient levels of cholesterol for its production. We build our hormones from LDL, so cutting it out of your diet is a bad move. In addition, our brain, spinal cord, and nerves all rely on cholesterol for their stability and make-up.
So, go ahead eat your butter. It’s way better than GMO versions like margarine and vegetable oils.Plus it doesn’t include high levels of lineolic acid as found in vegetable oils – these contain too much Omega-6 fatty acids, found to increase the incidence of breast cancer and other health issues.
THE BAD RAP OF SATURATED FAT
But what about saturated fat? Surely that is bad for our hearts!
The Answer is No.
Studies have shown that saturated fat doesn’t cause heart disease at all. Inflammation does. In fact, there was no correlation between eating saturated fat and the long-believed results of death, heart disease, stroke, or Type-2 diabetes. None! Chronic inflammation of the arteries exacerbates issues throughout the body.
But even more shocking – guess what slowed the progression of atherosclerosis? Eating saturated fats! We need saturated fats in our diets – fatty acids are used for cell membranes, enhance our immune system, and protect our liver from toxins.
And do you know what made it worse? Eating carbs and polyunsaturated fat like those found in the recommended vegetable oils (safflower, corn, olive) in place of consuming coconut oil. Guess what has less polyunsaturated fat that those vegetable oils? LARD.
IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS
And one more scary fact for you. Round-up, a popular pesticide used in the U.S., contains high levels of glyphosate…the same thing found in extremely high levels in U.S. soybeans. Think you are safe from soybeans? Guess what your margarine, salad dressing, and mayonnaise is made from? Guess what they put in animal feed for everything from chickens to cattle (and then we eat the protein)? Guess what is hidden in cookies, cakes, pies, crackers, and bread?
The study completely ignored the benefits of natural oils like coconut oil and grass-fed butter. It also ignores the fact that fat is protective. As I have always said, eating an 80% plant-based diet supplemented with animal protein and healthy fats will always benefit your body more than anything they can synthetically produce.
It’s time for a paradigm shift. With heart disease being the number one cause of death in the United States, I think it’s time we had better take a good, hard look in our cabinets. Time for a purge.
And, for heaven’s sake, eat your coconut oil! But be sure that it is the right kind – not all coconut oils are made the same. You want Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil extracted from coconut meat if you plan to consume it.
BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL CONSUMPTION
Here are the cold, hard facts about coconut oil:
– anti-inflammatory (helps to prevent heart disease)
– anti-microbial
– anti-fungal
– balances blood sugar
– helps you lose weight by raising HDL levels due to lauric acid content
– stable at a high heat for cooking with high smoke point
– boosts energy
– adds creaminess to foods and even hot drinks like coffee
– helps to maintain bone health
– evidence for cardioprotective benefits
– great for oil-pulling to reduce gingivitis and mouth issues
– improves brain health, with evidence shows it may help improve Alzheimer’s disease
– balances hormones by supporting thyroid and adrenals
– supports healthy metabolism
– balances blood sugar by encouraging insulin secretion
– balances cholesterol
– provides digestive support – destroy harmful bacteria & promotes growth of healthy bacteria
– even shown to improve quality of life for those in late-stages of breast cancer
– supports healthy lipid levels during menopause
THE BOTTOM LINE
Even the AHA suggests that 2 tablespoons of coconut each day wouldn’t be terrible for some people. At least they recognize that much.
What they aren’t recognizing is that an individualized approach to health and wellness always works the best for us because we are all so different. There is no one easy fix. Saying that one thing is bad for everyone better come with some hardcore research or I’m not buying it. And neither are many of my colleagues.
So, I will be over here with my organic coconut oil to sauté my veggies, cream up and make my smoothies healthier, boost my immune system, improve my cardiovascular health, keep my gut healthy, improve my oral hygiene, and balance my hormones.
And I hope you will, too.
P.S. Don’t forget that oil-pulling is one of the best-kept detox secrets out there! Check out my blog here to read all about how you can easily detox your system in 20 minutes per day.
P.P.S. Filling your body with the right fuels has an incredible impact on your energy. Learn some of my other techniques for boosting your energy naturally with my “Top 10 Energy-Boosting Remedies” Guide. You can download it here free:
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