Thrive Eating Live 2013- Food Combining

Complete Mind and Body’s Christine Lucas puts on a 10 class course called “Thrive Eating Live”.  Christine teaches Dr. Brian Clement of the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida.

At a picturesque seaside home in Marblehead, MA ten participants learned how to make Ricotta Rolls, Zucchini Bisque, and Almond Milk!

Ricotta Rolls

So easy!

Rolls: mandolin zucchini into thin strips

Ricotta: Blend:

• 1 cup soaked macadamia nuts
• 2-4 Tbs lemon juice
• appx. 2 Tbs olive oil
• water as needed

Fill/ Garnish with diced red onion, tomato, olives, and italian seasoning

      These are very similar to SamWise’s Lasagna Rolls!  Christine used a mandolin to get a slightly thicker roll of zucchini.

Next she demonstrated the Zucchini Bisque! (Adapted from Organic Garden Cafe)

“Cream Of” Base

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups blanched almonds
• 1/2 T olive oil
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp herbamare
• pinch salt

1. Bring water to a warm on stove (before boiling)
2. Blend water in almonds and strain through a nut milk bag
3. Return the strained almond milk to the blender and add remaining ingredients

Zucchini Bisque

• 2 cups “Cream Of” base
  
• 3 cups peeled zucchini
• 1/2 cup onion (1/2 large onion or one small onion)
• 1/2-1 clove garlic
• 3 T lemon juice
• zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 tsp dill
• 1/4 tsp celery
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp parsley
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• pinch salt

Vanilla Almond Milk

 

• 1/2 cup soaked almonds
• 2 cups water
• 1 date
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch pink salt

1. Soak almonds 10-12 hours in water, then rinse well
2. Blend all ingredients
3. Strain through a nut milk bag over a big bowl
4. Funnel into a jar

Enjoy! Lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator!

After the delicious potluck dinner and demonstration, Christine showed a viewing of Dr. Brian Clement speak about the aspects of food combining.  Dr. Clement went over how with improper food combining, digestion stops and indigestion begins.  If you eat a melon after a seed or nut, the melon (which gets digested in appx 15 minutes) will sit and ferment waiting behind the nut (which takes 4 hours to digest) creating gas and bloat, discomfort, fatigue, pain, and worst of all- rotting food inside of you! Keep your innerds clear with these guidelines!

The Hippocrates Approach to Optimum Health suggests:

In order to successfully practice food combining, it is necessary to understand which foods belong in each of the groups listed.  The following list will explain in detail the foods belonging to starch, proteins, sweet fruits, starchy vegetables, and acid fruits.

Protein foods; which digest in four hours include: nuts and seeds

Starch foods; which digest in three hours include: potatoes, corn, Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, bean (lima), beets, carrots, Hubbard squash, peas, pumpkin and yams, sprouted grains such as amaranth, millet, quinoa, rye, and teff, sprouted legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, and peas

Low Starch Vegetables; which digest in two and a half hours include:

• Leafy greens: arugula, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, romaine lettuce, cabbage (all varieties), cauliflower, celery, Swiss chard, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, scallions, spinach, watercress
• Fruit vegetables: cucumber, red bell pepper, summer squash, zucchini
• Low starch root vegetables: beets, burdock, carrots, parsnips, radishes, turnips
• Sprouted greens: alfalfa, arugula, buckwheat, cabbage, clover, garlic, kale, mustard, radish

Fruits; which digest on an average in two hours except for melon which is 15 minutes!

• Sweet fruits: banana, date, fig, prune, raisins, dried fruit, mango, persimmons, and papaya
• Sub Acid Fruits: sweet apples, apricot, blackberry, cherries, nectarine, peach, pear, plum, and raspberry
• Acid Fruits: grapefruit, guava, kumquat, lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, pomegranate, sour apples, sour grapes, strawberry, tangerine, and tomatoes

Dr. Herbert M Shelton’s principles of food combining:

• Do not combine starch foods and acids at the same meal
• Do not combine proteins and carbohydrates at the same meal
• Do not combine acids and proteins at the same meal
• Do not combine fats and proteins at the same meal
• Do not combine sweet fruits and proteins at the same meal
• Always eat melons alone

Avocados, onion, and garlic are the only exception to the fruit/vegetable guideline.  They are easily combined with either fruits or vegetables, making them a truly versatile and important food.

 

 

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Nutty Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup CUPCAKES

My mother is obsessed with my lover, Nutty (short for Peanut Butter).  My mother also loves the Vegan Reeses Cups I make!  So, in honor of my beautiful plant-based Mama’s 59th, Samwise and I concocted a genius treat! Nutball Peanut Butter Cupcakes!

You will need:

• Cupcake tin and liners, either size is fine (we only made 6 Nutball Cupcakes and 24 minis)
• Food Processor S blade

For the Raw Chocolate Cake:

• 3 apples
• 1/2 lemon (squeezed)
• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs Raw Cacao Powder
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (or other raw sweetener like coconut nectar)
• Less than 2 cups of Coconut Flour
• Smiles 🙂

1. Start warming coconut oil and line cupcake pans.  *Do not cut into apples until oil is warmed.  We don’t want them to oxidize and turn brown.
2. Chop apples and throw into food processor!  Squeeze lemon on in!  (If seedy lemon I suggest squeezing through a strainer)
3. Let this go just until smooth
4. Add in coconut oil, cacao powder, and sweetener and let the processor do its thing.
5. Add in coconut flour, and process one last time 🙂 Should be a nice cakey consistency!

  

For the filling and frosting:

• Maple Syrup (or any raw sweetener) to taste
• Peanut butter

The filling has much less sweetener than the frosting.  Use your judgement!  Don’t underestimate yourself!

To assemble the cupcakes:

1. Fill chocolate cake batter up to the top of the liners
2. Scoop out the center
3. Fill the center with your peanut butter filling
4. Cover with more chocolate cake batter
5. Freeze to set for about 15 minutes
6. For the Nutball’s snout: cut a banana to the shape and place on bottom half of cupcake
7. For the Nutball’s ears: cut a medjool date in half and shape to look like ears
8. Cover the cupcake with the sweeter peanut butter frosting mixture and use raisins for eyes, nose and mouth 🙂
9. For the Minis: simply dollop with sweeter frosting mixture and top with a little cacao powder!

Got Dandelions?

The name, an anglicization of the French “dent-de-lion,” or lion’s tooth, refers to the sharply notched edges of the leaves.

These beautiful yellow flowers give much more than their beauty gives them credit for.  Some might even call these guys weeds!  Well, as a matter of  fact, the green spikey looking leaves of the dandelion are quite nutritious!

Dandelion greens are high in vitamins A, B complex, C and D, and minerals including iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc! 

I picked these lovely leaves right from the ground.  They made a wonderful fresh zing to my salad!

Romaine lettuce with some chopped carrots and bell pepper

2 chopped apples

A couple handfulls of raisins

Dandelion Greens!!!

Mom’s version of the amazing Jack Tar Maple Balsamic Dressing ❤ !

Jack Tar is by far the best American tavern you’re going to find!  How can you beat the amazing vegan black bean burger with avocado, onion, and pico with a side of the best sweet potato fries EVER.  Not to mention their vegan thai lettuce wraps- SO BOMB! All of their salads are unbelieveable, as well as the entrees and desserts, let me tell you!  And THEIR PIZZA! $5 pizza before 7:30pm! Kids eat free on Sunday!! How can you beat that!?  Thank you Jack Tar for this salad dressing!

Maple Balsamic Dressing (used on Jack Tar’s Baby Spinach *SO GOOD* salad)

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 medium shallot
• 1 Tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 Tbs dried basil
• 2 cups vegetable and olive oil blend

1. Blend first six ingredients in blender
2. Drizzle oil slowly while blender is on
3. Stop and blend
4. Add salt and pepper (10-15 good shakes)
5. Blend and test with lettuce or spinach

Big Bad Cinnamon Buns with Coconut Peach Creammy Frosting! Oooh Baby!

Wake up slow- and enjoy the sweet cinnamony goodness that it the ooey gooey delicious cinnamon bun!  Can you taste the aroma?! SPOILED

For the Dough:

• 1 cup raw rolled oats
• 1/2-2/3 cup flax seeds (we used brown but golden would have given a nice color contrast!)
• 4-6 shakes of cinnamon
• 1 T vanilla powder
• 3/4 T lacuma
• 1/4 cup pecans
• appx. 10 dates (we didn’t soak but I suggest you soak!)
• 1/2 cup of soaking water (be careful with the water, can always add more!  Just enough to make doughy!

In a high speed blender, blend the rolled oats into a flour and pour into a large bowl.  Next, grind the flax seeds in the blender into a flax meal flour and pour with oats.  Shake cinnamon into bowl.  Pour this dry mix into food processor.  Add vanilla powder, lacuma, pecans, dates and water.  Be careful with the water, add enough for a nice moist dough, not too dry, not muchy!

For the Sweet Sticky Cinnamony Filling:

• appx. 6 dates (soaked)
• fill up to 3-4 cups with soaked dried turkish apricots and soaked raisins
• use your judgement with the amount of soaking water added, we didn’t soak our dried fruit, so we added a lot of water, maybe add 1/4 cup if necessary?  Should be a nice gooey paste
• 10+ish shakes of cinnoman!

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender- here used vitamix with tamper, maybe food processor would be better to make a nice thick goo?

Flour a cutting board lightly using coconut flour so the dough doesn’t stick.  Then spread out dough into a rectangle.  Next, pour ooey gooey cinnamon deliciousness and spread over the rectangle dough.  With a dish of water close by, slowly roll rectangle, adding water to the outside if it cracks with fingers.  Spread with water as needed.  Once in a roll, let set in freezer for about 30 minutes or in the refrigerator about 45 minutes to an hour before cutting.  While that’s setting, make your icing!

Frosting:

• 1/4ish cups water (preferred fresh coconut water)
• 2/3ish cups coconut flakes (preferred fresh coconut meat)
• 1.5 fresh ripe organic peaches
• pinch of himalayan sea salt
• 1.5 tspish / to taste vanilla extract
• sweetener to taste (maple syrup, coconut nectar, whatever you like!)

Throw it all in the blender and blend, blend, blend!  Chop up the rest of that 1/2  peach and drizzle delisiousness on top!  Everybody has a Sunday 🙂 Even Superheroes!

Savor

What we put in our bodies is extremely important- yes.  Eat as if your life depends on it, because it in fact does!

We must not neglect, however, the way in which we eat.  This presentation by Dr. Lilian Cheung on her book, “Savor” was quite necessary and eye opening to the health professionals at the Massachusetts Medical Society Continuing Education Program this past weekend.

She began by addressing the obesity epidemic in the United States.  Showing us how it is estimated that obesity prevalence will increase by 33% and a 130% increase in severe obesity prevalence over the next 2 decades.

She then began to speak about the way in which we eat today.  As well as addressing studies proving that the more food that is in front of us, the more we eat.  Now is the time to take a deep breath, listen to your body, and savor the pleasure in not just your food, but in every aspect of life.

There are infinite health benefits to mindfulness.  Not only when eating, but in all aspects of life.  Even cleaning, driving, or just listening mindfully can improve your quality of life.  I feel so blessed to have attended this lecture, for now I know how to experience life on a much more pleasurable level.  When eating mindfully, the food is truly appreciated and enjoyed.  When living mindfully, the life is truly appreciated and enjoyed as well :).

 

Trading peanuts for red meat reduces heart disease risk by 30%!

The Expert Vegan: Professional Leaders Of America

Expert vegans not only know how to order at a restaurant, and find the most nutrient dense option.  They can also answer questions upon questions about protein, iron, dairy and honey; the sustainability of their choices, and what is so important about organic?

What the expert vegan might not know, however, is that they are truly professional leaders.

Professional: adj. following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain

Leader: noun. a person that leads

Professional leaders set an example.  Professional leaders go out there and do things the way that they are meant to be done, as role models, specialists, and authorities.

On Friday, May 10, 2013 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, Massachusetts; the Massachusetts Medical Society Continuing Education Program had a number of professional leaders in the medical field present about innovations in technologies, patient information, and much more.  A fascinating array of what the evolution of the medical industry is going to look like, yes, but what I was concerned with was how six out of the eight PhD, MD, candidate, surgeon, professional, yatta yatta yatta in the medical field were overweight and obese.

This might come as a shock to you, seeing as these are professionals in the medical field discussing the importance of prevention of chronic disease and how the prevalence of them has been increasing and looks like it is going to double by 2037.  Oy!

Another note I might add- I just finished a semester taking in information from a nutrition professor speaking about obesity left and right who is physically unable to walk across the room without becoming flushed and out of breath.  Yup, you guessed it vegan expert.  My nutrition professional leader of NUTR 315 is in fact obese.

Do you think these doctors, and professors realize that they are part of this problem?  Now don’t get me wrong- these people are brilliant and do deserve to be respected as such. Isn’t it unfortunate that the way our lives these days results in even the elite and educated falling into the s.a.d. lifestyle that is the Standard American Diet.  It is truly quite a feat to break free from habit, and undergo behavior change. As educated professionals, leaders, and scholars, one would think that they would be able, by now, to maintain their beautiful machinery.

Fact: A plant-based diet prevents, treats and REVERSES almost all chronic diseases.

It is so astonishing to me.  They don’t realize that they are walking role models of human existence in America.  I don’t know about you, but from all that I know and have seen as far as health trends goes; I would rather take health advice from a vegan than a cardiologist.

You have all the tools.  You’ve seen “Forks Over Knives”, and read numerous cookbooks, blogs, and articles.  Maybe you’ve even dabbled with Dr. Doug Graham and David Wolfe on raw? FullyRaw Kristina on YouTube? Julieanna Hever, the Plant-Based Dietitian?  Whatever vegan level your at; know you are on the path to becoming one of the most powerful heroes of America.  A true professional leader.

Blueberry Cupcakes with Cinnamon Crumble

I said the same thing when I took a bite!  WHAT?!

Everyone needs a graduate from Living Light Culinary Institute! Chef and Holistic Health Counselor Sam Romano and my lovely longtime friend Maddy Banderier made these magnificient treats together!  They are so fun to eat! Because they were so fun to make!

Blueberry Cupcakes

• 3 cups peeled and chopped apples (we didn’t peel)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 cup raw honey or agave (or coconut nectar!)
• 1/2 cup raw coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of Himalayan salt
• 2 cups raw coconut flour
• 3/4 cup dried blueberries

Place the chopped apples in your food processor fit with the S-blade and process until smooth.  Immediately add the lemon juice and process to prevent browning.  Add the coconut nectar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, nutmeg, and salt and process again until well combined.  Finally, add the coconut flour and process until completely combined.  Scrape into a large bowl and fold in the dried blueberries.  Fill your cupcake liners, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top and press firmly to form their shape.

Cinnamon Crumble

• 3 cups shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup raw honey or agave (or coconut nectar!)
• 1/4 cup raw coconut oil
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Place all ingredients in food processor fit with the S-blade.  Pulse to combine into a crumbly mixture.  Divide equally among your cupcakes and press into the tops of each.  Freeze 2 hours to firm.  Once firm, pop the cupcakes out of their liners. Smile on the inside of your mouth! 😀

  I was always afraid of using coconut oil, for once when I used it, it didn’t spread out and the dessert had little chunks of hard coconut in it.  Warm up your coconut to a more liquidy, creamy texture before incorporating it into your delicacies.  This particular brand, compared to the Barleens, was pretty solid.  One trick is to heat up some water and place the entire jar in the water to soften the coconut.  This isn’t cooking it, just warming it 🙂

3 Ingredient Superfood Brownies!

If you like fresh, moist, luxurious, chocolatey brownies; there’s no way you won’t like these.

These are so fudgey and satisfying!  The raw version of the gourmet Ghiradelli, pleasing everyones pleasure seeking palate!

• Food Processor and Square Brownie Pan
• 1lb raw walnuts
• 1lb medjool dates (soaked for a minimum of 20 minutes)
• 1/3-1/2 cup raw cacao powder
• Save sweet date soaking water to add for moistness!

1. Process walnuts in food processor until fine
2. Add in dates (pitted and soaked) and cacao powder and process until smooth
3. Slowly add sweet water as the food processor is running to ensure perfect texture
4. With wet fingers to easily smooth without stick, press brownie batter into pan
5. Sprinkle with cacao powder (or coconut or chopped nuts!)
6. Eat whenever! Store in the refrigerator!

Would be delicious with added in walnut chunks, raisins, coconut, any chopped nut or dried fruit would be divine!  Check out this Black Forest Cherry Brownie variation!!

Love or hate Valentine’s Day, everyone loves brownies. Yes, even the vegan and the gluten intolerant. And the elite athlete. That’s why I have created the most decadent, moist, ooey-gooey treat that is surprisingly healthy.  Yup – registered dietitian, student approved! Here are the ingredients you need.

Cacao powder

Not to be confused with conventional over-processed cocoa, cacao is milled at a low temperature to protect the nutrients and flavor. It is a top source of antioxidants and contains an abundance of magnesium, iron, polyphenols, flavonols, antioxidants, theobromine (a stimulating alkaloid chemical) and omega fatty acids.   Cacao also naturally contains caffeine that acts as a stimulant that could keep you up at night or help energize your workout. Caffeine and theobromine can be beneficial. Caffeine has been shown to have neuroprotective effects, reducing risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.  Theobromine has been shown to dilate (widen) blood vessels, which can help lower blood pressure and widen bronchial tubes, making breathing easier and suppressing a bad cough. These stimulants may cause adverse effects such as sleeplessness, jitters or anxiety. Did you know theobromine is the reason why chocolate is poisonous to dogs? Some people get headaches from chocolate, likely caused by the theobromine and caffeine. A great alternative to cacao, that doesn’t have the stimulating effects, is carob powder. Carob is naturally sweeter and lower in fat than cocoa, with fiber and calcium.

Walnuts

Looks like a brain, must be brain food. Walnuts have been shown to improve memory and cognitive function.  They are high in protein, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids (the ones to increase! #fishoil) and other trace minerals. Compared with other nuts, walnuts are unique because they contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and are the only nut with a significant amount of alpha-linolenic acid. Walnuts are cholesterol free with plenty of folate, thiamin, vitamin E, vitamin B7 (biotin helps strengthen hair) and vitamin B6, as well as minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus and iron.

Essential fatty acids? Our body needs omega-3 and omega-6 oils to function and we can’t make them on our own. They have to be obtained from our diet. Our body needs two critical omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid, called EPA, and docosahexaenoic or DHA. Walnuts contains a precursor omega-3, called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which the body converts to EPA and DHA. Low omega-3 intake has been linked to depression and decline in cognitive function. Leafy greens, spirulina (algae), hemp seeds, chia seeds and flax seeds are also sources of omega-3 fatty acids!

Dates

Dates are sodium free, fat-free, cholesterol free and a great source of fiber and natural energy! They have easily digestible simple carbohydrates that are the perfect pre and post workout fuel. Dried fruit, like dates, are recommended post workout to replenish glycogen stores. With both insoluble and soluble fiber, dates are great to keep you feeling full, help lower cholesterol and make your bowel movements regular. They are an excellent source of potassium as well as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese and copper.  Most supermarkets stock fresh dates in the produce section and keep dried dates near raisins.  If dates dry out, they can be plumped by soaking in a little warm water.

Enjoy! Store in the refrigerator for about a week.

Sunspot and Nature’s Pharm Demonstrations!

On Friday, May 3, 2013 I gave my first demonstration at Sunspot Natural Market!  Here, my friends Amanda Coons and Grace Bagshaw digging it 😉 ! I prepared and sampled the Simply Divine Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake, it was so much fun!  There’s nothing I love more than connecting with people, hearing their stories- enlightening each other!  I met so many wonderful people!  I also ended up traveling with Derek Weaver, a Sunspot employee (and a fair of many other trades), to Nature’s Pharm, another natural store in the Lafayette area.  I could not get enough demoing, absolutely love it!  Hope I do it the rest of my life!

Sunspot:

Nature’s Pharm:

At both demonstrations, I spoke a lot about the raw foods diet and the ingredients I used.

Why Raw Vegan? It takes 80% of one’s energy to digest cooked food, whereas it takes only 20% of one’s energy to digest raw food.  Why? The life in the food helps the bodies enzymes breakdown and absorb all that the food has to offer.  Cooking denatures proteins; inactivating enzymes.  When the enzymes in the food are still alive, it is much more easily metabolized.  Hence why after eating this cheesecake, you could go for a run!  Whereas after eating regular cheesecake, you’d probably be more down to sit and digest, watch tv, or take a nap.

Coconut Oil and Coconut Nectar? At this point in my life, I do not use oils and sweeteners.  I have become very satisfied with the natural sweetness in fruit and don’t think that oils are necessary or beneficial in the diet.  However, if I were to make a gourmet raw vegan dessert, the oil and the sweetener that I would use would be coconut oil and coconut nectar.  I have read a lot about the benefits from both of these products, and they clearly trump other oils and sweeteners.  The coconut oil, which I read a long time ago was the only oil that, when cooked, does not create free radicals, has medium long chain saturated acids which decrease cholesterol overall, yet increasing HDL (the good cholesterol).  It also has benefits to the skin and immune system, as it is antibacterial, and antiviral.  Coconut nectar, the truly enzymatically alive sweetener, is alkaline, low on the glycemic index, and low in fructose.  Coconut nectar has 17 alive amino acids, as well as a host of minerals and vitamins B and C.

Simply Divine Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake

In preparation for my first demonstration at Sunspot Natural Market, I practiced making this amazing recipe!!  I (living in a sorority, using a tiny kitchenette that I have clearly successfully taken over 😉 ) don’t own measuring cups!  Just goes to show- you really can’t go wrong with raw foods!! You sold yet?! No? I guess you haven’t tried this!

Crust

• 1/2 lb raw walnuts (soaked overnight) Vitamin E- Brain
• 1 C medjool dates (soaked minutes) Antioxidants- Anti Aging
• 2 T shredded coconut (optional) Lauric Acid- Anti Aging

Mix in food processor and then form into pie pan.

Filling

• 1 lb raw cashews (soaked 2 hours) Magnesium- Stress Relief
• 1/2 C raw agave Inulin- Cardiovascular (I used coconut nectar)
• 3/4 C coconut oil Lauric Acid – Anti-Aging
• 1/2 C water Oxygen- Cell Respiration
• 1 t vanilla extract Vanilloid- Aphrodisiac
• 1/2 t himalayan salt Electrolytes- Nerves
• 1/2 C chopped strawberries Antioxidants– Anti-Aging

Blend and pour into pie crust.

Topping

• 1/4 C raw agave Inulin- Cardiovascular (I used coconut nectar)
• 1/2 C coconut oil Lauric Acid- Anti Aging
• 1/2 C raw cacao powder Magnesium- Stress Relief

Hand mix and pour on top.

Garnish with fresh berries!

Crust:

Filling: (could use high speed blender if you have one)

Topping (could have just stirred by hand, would have been easy)

From “Natural Vibrant Health Raw Food” By, Kendell Reichhart, Holistic Health Counselor & Nutritional Consultant and Brian Hetrich, Certified Nutritional Counselor

The following benefits may be derived from coconut products such as young coconut flesh, coconut cream, and coconut oil:

• They improve digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and amino acids
• They are valuale to the immune system as they contain healthy antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial saturated fatty acids, helping to naturally fight off viruses, bacteria, and fungal overgrowth
• They improve the absorption of the right kinds of calcium and magnesium ions
• They consist of 90+ percent raw saturated fat- a rare and important building block of every cell in the human body.  Unlike long-chain saturated animal fats (that have been associated with creating poor health), the saturated fat in coconut oil is in the form of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs).  MCFAs support the immune system, the thyroid gland, the nervous system, the skin, and provide fast energy.
• They contain powerful antioxidants in the form of raw saturated fats and oils.  Coconut oil contains the most lauric acid (a powerful antiviral substance) of any plant source.
• They help the body use the essential fatty acids (omega-3, omega-6) and other fatty acids and phospholipids (e.g. choline, lecithin, etc.) more efficiently.  You can and should take coconut oil at the same time as omega-3 fatty acids or superfoods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as hempseed, marine phytoplankton powder, AFA, algae, etc. Coconut oil and omega-3 fatty acids are twice as effective when taken together as when alone.
• They help regulate and support healthy hormone production
• They are a nutritional precursor to the anti-aging hormone compound known as pregnenolone
• They increase the speed of the thyroid, thus allowing the body to drop excess weight and accumulated toxins.  Contrary to some previously held beliefs, coconut cannot be stored in the body as fat, it actually needs to be burned up on the spot, which helps fire up our excess fat burning metabolism immediately.
• They help displace toxic hydrogenated trans-fatty acids (partially hydrogenated soybean oil)
• They restore natural saturated fat levels to the skin, subcutaneous fat layers, and to the individual cell membranes.  The saturated fats in coconut products are also vital for the health of growing nervous systems in children.

“Superfoods” By David Wolfe