5 surprising ways to use coconut oil

Before we jump into today’s post, I’d like to talk about money for a second. Some of the links in this post are so-called affiliate links. You are most likely familiar with this already, but let me explain quickly for those of you who aren’t. If you happen to order some of the mentioned products in this post or other posts through the provided links, Amazon or other affiliate partners will pay me 3-7% commission. Of course for you as a buyer the price of the product stays the same as for everyone else shopping at Amazon. So far I „earned” a total of 3 € through the linked products in the sidebar to the right. But Amazon only pays me if and when I actually cross the 100 € line. Nothing to get rich with I guess. But maybe at some point this will cover the running costs for this blog. I just wanted to be open about the links I provide on this space. Because in the end it should be your choice, who get’s a share of your currency spent. Now let’s move on to today’s post.

While a pot of rice is happily steaming away on my cooker in light of my next kitchen experiment, let me offer you another peak into my pantry. You’ve probably noticed my love for unusual ingredients: Asofetida, nettles, bee pollen, you name it. Today’s starlet is on the exotic side as well, but I’m sure you’re more familiar with this one: Hi there coconut oil! 

Sometime last year dozens of recipes seemingly surfaced at the same time, proclaiming the latest superfood. In turn, my tastebuds were literally begging me to introduce them to this beauty. Though a quick glance at the price tag left my right eye twitching. Coconut oil comes at a price, but I eventually gave in. And I must admit, it is worth every penny or let me say kuruş (the Turkish cent).

Ever since I got hold of my first jar of coconut oil I try to incorporate it in everything I cook, including this sweet parsnip bread. But there is more to it: Pan, baking tin, skin and morning coffee, coconut oil comes in handy with almost anything food, beauty and body-related. That’s why today, I would like to share with you my 5 favorite ways of putting coconut oil to good use:

5 surprising ways to use coconut oil

1. Cooking and baking with coconut oil
Coconut oil has a higher smoke point than let’s say olive oil. That’s why it’s the perfect choice for frying your veggies. Muffins and cakes made with coconut oil turn out moist and full of flavor. it even raises plain old scrambled eggs to another level.
Tip: Are you in your elimination phase right now and already bored by the limited number of safe ingredients? Adding coconut oil to your dishes is an easy and fructose free way to enhance their flavor and make them more interesting.

2. Oil pulling with coconut oil
Are you the sort of person, who goes looking for natural remedies online, when sudden tooth pain hits you? Well I am. While researching this particular problem two years ago, I found loads of advice such as chewing on cloves. But there was one method in particular that caught my attention: Oil pulling. People mentioned whiter teeth, healthier gums and a better health condition overall! Wow! Who doesn’t want a piece of that? I was sold and embarked on my oil pulling journey the next morning. Two weeks later the pounding pain had stopped and ever since I’m a loyal oil puller. Not convinced yet? Just imagine teeth as smooth as glass.

Who said natural medicine shouldn’t be part of the school curriculum?! – Tweet that

How does oil pulling work?
First thing after you get up in the morning, take a tablespoon of cold-pressed sesame or coconut oil and gently swish it around in your mouth for about 15 minutes. Don’t swallow. In the beginning you might not be able to do it for more than 5 minutes, but it gets easier, trust me. When the time is up, dispose of oil in a paper towel and then into the trash. If you spit the coconut oil into your sink it could clog up your pipes as it cools down and hardens. For more information head over to the Body Book Blog.

3. Treating your sunburn with coconut oil
Home, sand still lingering between my toes, my face glowing with joy. I spent the whole day at the beach and haven’t felt this good in a while. But the feeling only lasts until I enter the shower, the hot water meeting my even hotter skin. It burns. Now that my eyes are no longer blinded by the sun, I become aware of the signaling color of my skin. Immediately after the shower I treat it with a generous amount of coconut oil and once more just before I head to bed to catch some z’s, while dreaming of exotic beaches and fresh coconut water. And when I wake up the next day, I find my skin glowing in a beautiful golden tan, no traces of burnt skin, but a bottle of SPF 50 sun lotion already tucked into my beach bag. Better safe than sorry.

4. Remove makeup with coconut oil
The more I focus on healing my body by making better food choices, the more I become aware of all the weird substances I confront my body with on a daily basis. Take the beauty products I use for example. I now increasingly choose coconut oil over aggressive tonics to remove traces of makeup, when I use makeup that is. This looks similiar like in this video. What are your recommendations for all natural beauty products?

5. The daily cup of coffee: Filter coffee with coconut oil

Still craving the sugar that used to go hand in hand with your favorite latté? Here’s a chance to finally make a clean cut. Enter bulletproof coffee. A tablespoon of butter and coconut oil, each added to a run-of-the-mill filter coffee and blended for another 20 seconds until it turns frothy and voilà, there’s your creamy and slightly coconutty cup of coffee. To me the mere thought of it was equally amazing and disgusting to not at least give it a shot. My verdict: I had the smoothest lips ever, didn’t feel hungry for hours and had found myself a new morning routine in the process. I mean, who doesn’t like some peace of mind for a couple of hours without worrying about the next fructose friendly meal? I for my part will be sure to wear that bulletproof-vest more often from now on.

Those were my top five favorite ways to use coconut oil. How about you? Which of these things are you eager to try? Which is your favorite brand of coconut oil? What other nifty little things to you use coconut oil for or with?