5 Reasons to Switch to Coconut Oil

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Coconut oil has soared in popularity in recent years – so much so, that many health-conscious people have to have it to hand in their kitchens at all times.

What is Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil is extracted from the flesh or ‘meat’ of a coconut. It can be used in cooking, as well as in skincare.

This type of oil has a high saturated fat content, but it is also believed to be rich in healthy fats, making it popular among those following a keto diet.

coconuts close-up

1. Coconut Oil: A Healthier Cooking Oil?

Coconut oil naturally contains MCTs, or medium-chain triglycerides, which are a type of fatty acid that your body is unable to produce by itself.

MCTs can help to provide you with a quick source of energy, meaning they may help to support weight loss and fitness by boosting your metabolism. Coconut oil can actually help your body to burn fat, rather than adding to its fat levels, making it ideal to use on a ketogenic diet.

Medium-chain triglycerides also have natural antibacterial properties, which means they could have benefits for your gut health. Learn more about caring for your gut health.

2. A Delicious, Distinctive Flavour

Coconut oil has a gorgeous distinctive flavour that makes it a great ingredient for both cooking with and cooking in. Coconut oil can work in both savoury and sweet dishes, where it can add a touch of extra flavour without masking the overall taste.

Virgin coconut oil is the purest type of coconut oil, which means it’s better able to retain its original flavour and aroma when used in cooking.

Coconut oil is often used as an alternative to butter in vegan baking recipes, while it’s also a good choice for cooking dishes that require a medium heat, such as sautéeing vegetables.

3. It Can Fit Into a Plant-Based Lifestyle

Coconut oil is plant-based, which means it can fit well into a vegan lifestyle.

Our Garden of Life Organic Coconut Oil is 100% vegan, and is produced from only the finest, organically grown coconuts. The flesh from these coconuts is shredded and cold-pressed to produce coconut milk, before being filtered and separated in order to extract the highest quality coconut oil.

Virgin coconut oil is naturally rich in beneficial medium-chain fatty acids, and has a wonderfully creamy texture that’s ideal for adding to everything from smoothies to salad dressings, as well as for using in cooking and baking.

4. It’s Good for Your Skin

Coconut oil can also have benefits for your skin, thanks to its natural moisturising properties.

You can even use coconut oil to make a homemade exfoliator, combining a few spoonfuls with a little sea salt or sugar to create a scrub that can be used daily. You could also add a couple of drops of one of our essential oil blends, such as our Happy Organic Essential Oil, to help to give your overall wellbeing a boost as part of your morning routine.

5. Make Your Bakes Healthier

Coconut oil can be an incredibly versatile ingredient, and we love that it can be used in place of traditional baking ingredients to add a few extra health benefits to your favourite sweet treats. Try this mouth-watering raspberry muffin recipe, then see where else your coconut oil baking journey takes you.

Coconut Oil Raspberry Muffins

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Raspberry Muffins featuring our Sport Plant-Based Vanilla Protein 💕 ⠀ Here's everything you need to recreate these delicious protein-packed muffins: ⠀ Ingredients ⚖️ ⠀ 2 cups gluten-free baking flour 1 scoop Garden of Life Sport Plant-Based Protein Vanilla ½ cup gluten-free oats 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 2 eggs ¾ cup coconut palm sugar ½ cup coconut oil, melted 1 cup raspberries ⠀ Directions 🥣 ⠀ 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. ⠀ 2. Mix together dry ingredients and set aside. ⠀ 3. Using an electric mixer, mix together all wet ingredients, except the almond milk and raspberries. ⠀ 4. Once the wet ingredients are mixed, add in the dry ingredients and mix well, then the almond milk and mix again. ⠀ 5. Once the batter is mixed, fold in the raspberries and place into a lined tin or greased muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes. ⠀ 6. Let muffins cool before serving. Muffins last 5-6 days. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ #Gardenoflife #gardenoflifeuk #raspberrymuffins #muffinrecipe #berrymuffin #proteinmuffins #proteinsnack #guiltfreedessert #raspberryrecipe #rasperrycake #proteinpacked #bakingcommunity #bakinguk #recipevideo #bakingvideos #raspberrycupcake #healthysnack #proteinpowderrecipes #homemadebakes #healthymuffins

A post shared by Garden of Life UK® (@gardenoflife_uk) on May 21, 2020 at 4:46am PDT