Its time to share a little secret weapon of mine when it comes to health and beauty. I’m slightly obsessed with coconuts, and for more reasons than one. Seven to be exact, but I’m sure this list could be even longer. To me, being healthy in every part of your life if crucial to feeling and looking your best. Here are seven reasons why you should love coconuts as much as I do:
Who needs sugar? When I first told a friend about eating coconuts like crazy one week, they looked at me a bit confused. “What do you mean, like a whole coconut?” Well, yes. I buy a whole coconut at my local grocery store about 2-3 times a week, put it in the fridge to get cold, then drop it on the pavement outside a few times, and boom, it cracks and splits in half! I then use a butter knife to scoop it out of its shell. You can obviously do it other ways in case you want to drink the water inside of it, but dropping it on the pavement is just fun!
Removes make-up. Coconut oil is a staple in my pantry and vanity. I take a small amount of it and rub it all over my eyes. The oil works like magic and all my stubborn black make-up comes right off. Wipe with a cloth and rinse face!
Get the good fat. Coconut oil contains short-term, medium-chain fatty acids… which means our body metabolizes this fat in our liver and turns it into energy! Don’t we all need a little more fuel for our body and mind?
Skin saviour. A couple times a week I will switch up my usual face cream and slather coconut oil all over my face (you might remember my DIY Coconut Oil Facial Scrub). It might feel a bit greasy at first, but it give five minutes to completely soak into your skin and give you a natural, healthy glow. You also end up smelling like a delicious coconut; my boyfriend can’t get enough!
A better butter. I love cooking with coconut oil and tend to use it mostly when I roast vegetables or make a stir-fry with quinoa. However, my favourite way to use coconut oil in the kitchen is when I make dessert as the perfect substitute for butter. When the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of butter, I usually just swap it for coconut oil. Or when it tells me to butter the pan, I butter it with coconut oil. It’s the perfect alternative and baked goods still come out just as moist!
Break it down. Coconut oil is amazing for bloating and poor digestion. The fatty acids in coconut oil have a soothing affect on bacteria, which helps break down the foods in your tummy. Careful, don’t get carried away with eating too many coconuts!
Don’t forget the hair. It’s just as amazing for your hair as it is for you skin. I have a really dry scalp, and usually at this time of year my head gets extremely itchy and irritated from the sun. I mix coconut oil with just a teaspoon of warm water and apply it to my scalp at night; I then wash and rinse my hair in the morning!
*Make sure to buy virgin coconut oil as it has not been refined, bleached or deodorized. Look for it in a glass jar instead of plastic.