I've always wanted to incorporate more coconut oil into my diet, but I've had trouble doing so before. I was never really sure what the heck I was supposed to do with it. I was also concerned that the flavor would be overwhelming.
First off, I just want to say that the coconut oil was packaged beautifully in a very sturdy box. I was impressed as soon as I opened the box.
They also sent me a copy of their book, Virgin Coconut Oil. In it is the rather harrowing account of how they brought virgin coconut oil to the United States (they were the first exporter in the Philippines to do so).
There's information on how their coconut oil is different from the refined products in stores, on the way they continue to use traditional methods to harvest it, and on coconut's antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties -- which should pique the interest of anyone on SCD!
They also assured me that their coconut oil is 100 percent coconut and thus suitable for SCDers. They also provided me with a link to other specifically gluten free products. Please feel free to contact them regarding any further product information -- they have been very communicative!
The book also has lots of first-person accounts on the many ways coconut oil has benefited people, and there are a ton of recipes in the back.
I have to say, I enjoyed my trial period. Here are some of the ways I ended up using coconut oil:
Cooking: I tried coconut oil in a few Indian skillet meals that already called for coconut milk. It added a sweeter flavor, without adding additional carbs from sugar or honey.
I do not like the smell of coconut oil when it first heats up, but I did try scrambling some eggs in it as well. I sprinkled a bit of salt and cloves on them. Cinnamon would be good too along with a bit of honey. They taste like french toast eggs!
Cradle cap: My son is six years old and still has cradle cap. It's not too surprising -- he has gut dysbiosis, and cradle cap is fungal in nature. I've treated my son's head for a while with coconut oil, and guess what? Refined oils do not work on it at all. I tried the Tropical Traditions coconut oil and it worked fine. So it's definitely up to snuff in that regard.
Eating it straight: I decided to try eating it straight from the spoon, as others have reported doing. I was pleased to notice that the coconut flavor was pronounced, and there was a definite sweetness to it. It tasted surprisingly good this way.
Body moisturizer: My son has always had extremely dry skin. I tried the coconut oil on myself first, and I was pleased to note that the coconut smell was not completely overwhelming, and it faded within a few hours even further. If you are careful and don't use too much oil, it absorbs quickly. I was surprised at how little I needed.
Face moisturizer: Whoa, nelly. A very teeny bit goes a long, long, long way. Please keep this in mind.
Hair conditioner: I tried a small amount in the shower and ended up with an incredibly slippery tub. Use with care!
Here's a little video interview with Brian Shilhavy, CEO of Tropical Traditions:
You can visit the Tropical Traditions site and check out their other products too. They have sales all the time! I want to try their coconut cream next -- I hear you can use the coconut cream to make very inexpensive coconut milk.
How to get your free book!
Tropical Traditions has a Referral Program, so if you place an order with them as a first-time customer, please select “Referred by a friend” and in the box that says “How did you hear of us?” enter my sponsor ID number, which is 5376580. By telling Tropical Traditions that I referred you, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy with your first order!
Hope you give it a try! I'm really glad I did, and I will definitely be ordering from them again soon!
5 comments:
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I love their coconut oil! I use it for cooking, baking, and as a hair and skin moisturizer. On my list of things to do is try and make a mayo with it. I hate how EVOO tastes bitter once it's blended and I don't want to buy the milder vegetable oils.
I've tried the coconut flour on their site too and it's really good. I want to try the honey but it's pretty pricey. I'm afraid that all the honey in the grocery store is cut with illegal chinese honey or corn syrup. What kind of honey do you use?
Hi Ang,
I get the honey bears at Costco in packs of three. They are the Busy Bee brand and they say 100 percent honey on the bottle.
The raw honey through Tropical Traditions is not filtered, so it's not SCD legal. The pollen that is left in the honey can be very irritating to people with damaged digestion.
Glad to hear good things about the coconut flour! I want to try that, and the flakes too.
Thanks for stopping by! I'm getting addicted to the coconut oil, that's for sure. :)
Susan
How does Tropical Traditions compare to Nutiva Organic EV Coconut Oil? I usually by Nutiva for $50 a gallon. Which is usually much cheaper than Tropical Traditions. Do you think that it is any better?
I don't know about the Nutiva because I have not tried their product. I see it's not made from dried copra, so I'd say it's probably comparable.
If you want to give it a try though, Tropical Traditions has a frequent buyer club as well as TONS of sales. At one point the jars of coconut oil were buy one get two free! If you sign up for their newsletter and/or Twitter, you will find out about all of the sales.
I will say that I had another jar of organic coconut oil in my cupboard from the Philippines and the Tropical Traditions oil tasted better to me.
thanks for writing such article like this. it really help a lot of people to ba aware about the virgin coconut oil.
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