See What Coconut Oil Does to Your Weight

What Eating Just One Ounce of Coconut Oil

Does to Your Weight

Yes, utilizing coconut oil in your diet can help you lose weight.

 

Not so long ago coconut oil was not favored by health advocates due to its high saturated fat content, but it has since been deemed healthier and in fact, can successfully help people shed a few pounds.

Coconut oil may be comprised of 90% saturated fat, but scientists state that its fat is largely made up of lauric acid, which is a medium-chain saturated fatty acid (MCT) that actually has a better effect on the heart than the other saturated fats.

 

Coconut Oil Boosts Metabolism

When it comes to weight loss, metabolism is a big deal, so the faster you can get your metabolism going, the more calories your body will burn.

Coconut oil is considered “thermogenic”, which essentially means that when you eat it, it tends to increase the amount of fat burning going on in your body more so than the other oils that you could be consuming.

Coconut Oil and Weight Loss – The Studies

Study #1

participants taking 1 to 2 tablespoons (one ounce) of medium chain fats (found in coconut oil) burned an extra 120 calories per day. This is good news for those who are counting calories in order to lose weight.

Study #2

In another study, 31 overweight men and women who were trying to lose weight were given a spoonful of coconut or olive oil each day for four months to see what oil, if any, would help with weight loss. The women consumed a bit over 1 tablespoon and the men consumed about two tablespoons (one ounce)

The study revealed that after four months, those who consumed the coconut oil lost an average of 7 pounds, but those who consumed olive oil lost only 3 pounds. The scientists believed that the difference was that the metabolism of those who consumed the coconut oil increased much more than those who consumed olive oil.

 

How to Use Coconut Oil for Weight Loss

There are essentially two types of coconut oil — virgin and refined.

• Virgin coconut oil (VCO), is made by pressing fresh coconut meat, milk or milk residue.
• Refined, or RBD, oil is made from the coconut copra or dried kernel and may be chemically treated.

Choose virgin coconut oil because it is prepared with no chemicals in the process.

In order to help you lose some weight, coconut oil can be used in several ways in the kitchen. These include:

Nut butters

With nuts being so healthy for your body, consider preparing nut butter for good health and weight loss. To prepare this, grind two cups of cashews or almonds with two tablespoons of coconut oil until the mixture is smooth and buttery. You can throw in some honey, ground coffee, cinnamon,  to add more flavor. Feel free to use nut butter on toast, English muffins, or bagels for a delicious and healthy breakfast.

 

Oil Replacement:

Coconut oil can be used to substitute other oils (as well as butter) in nearly all  recipes. Replace your other oil by using a 1:1 ratio.

 

Smoothies

You can add coconut oil to your smoothies or other beverages, such as your morning coffee.

Adding Coconut Oil to your Daily Diet – General Guidelines

You might reach for your jar of coconut oil and see that it has solidified. This is because coconut oil usually solidifies at 76 degrees Fahrenheit. It is completely safe to use coconut oil in its solid state but if you want to use coconut oil to replace you normal oil, you can dip the jar into a hot water bath before using it.

The best time to consume coconut oil is about a half an hour before mealtimes, as coconut oil has satiating effects that makes you feel fuller, thus helping in weight loss.

If you want to consume coconut oil by the tablespoon, the recommendation is to take up to 3 tablespoons daily per adult.

What About the Calories

It is important to be aware that coconut oil is fat – it contains 9 calories per gram. Therefore if you consume a fixed amount of calories, you need to take into consideration the added calorie intake of the coconut oil.

But, most people don’t count calories and in these cases,

adding coconut oil to your diet will reduce your appetite and probably make you eat less of other foods instead.

Instead of adding coconut oil on top of your other cooking fats, try to replace some of your other cooking fats with coconut oil.

Hope You find this helpful!

Be Encouraged

Karen Rae