Neanderthin Diet and Coconut Oil

[crateprice]

Hello all and when I say all I am referring to the few Palo/Neander dieters out there. I have been looking over this forum for a while now and have posted a few responses to some questions, but I have not really gotten involved in any of the discussions. I have noticed there are very few of us on the forum. There seems to be alot of people intersted but not many practicing this WOL. Or at least it seems that way. I had a few questions for those of you that have tried Coconut Oil. I recently purchased some Coconut oil and at room temperature it is solid. I have read that some people take a tablespoon of this oil at every meal. I was wonder how exactly they went about this, do they eat it or heat it up first and take it warm. Also I was only able to find Coconut oil that is partially processed. Nothing big just filtered a few different ways to remove most of the Coconut flavor. Have any of you used unprocessed virgin Coconut oil and if so does it actually have a flavor. The stuff I am using has no flavor at all. I read about the Paleo/Neander diet just about everyday and usually have items I would like to discuss and I was hoping that I could find some others that are interested in doing so. I try to find people to talk to but most of them are not interested in this WOL or they think that you need to eat grains, tubers, legumes and dairy to be healthy. What is amazing about this is that I have discussed this with others and have advised them that I have lost over a 120 pounds and my blood pressure has come down from 156/94 to 127/72 and they still say you are hurting yourself. Any way I had better stop before I start to rant and rave.

[kay3osu]

Hi! congratulations to you!!! 120 pounds! wow...talk about success!! you must feel wonderful....as far as the coconut oil..the difference is night and day. don't eat the refined with no flavor...it's disgusting and i don't think good for you. i get the garden of life at raisin rack on shrock and cleveland. they had an unrefined spectrum that was great and like half the price but the y stopped carrying it. it's delicious. you can cook it or eat it raw. i'm in cols too...take care and congrats again!! K

[Paris]

If you are still interesting in finding Spectrum Organic Unrefined Coconut oil, Wild Oats on Lane carries it.

[Jen B]

I am ingesting the virgin coconut oil from TropicalTraditions, and I'm using their expeller pressed oil for cooking, which is described here: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/epco.htm. From what I have read, I find no reason to believe that the expeller pressed is not healthy, but I do think the way it is refined is important.

I take a spoon and scrape the hardened virgin oil from the container until the spoon is full and rounded. Then I just nibble on it slowly over a period of time, savoring every bit. It melts instantly in my mouth, and the silky coconutty flavor is absolutely heavenly to me. I do this first thing in the morning and then right after I get home from work, before dinner. I figure I get close to 4 tbls. per day, which is a little more than the recommended daily dosage. To me, it doesn't seem like a "supplement" to my nutrition; it seems like a food, a mini-meal. It even curbs my appetite so that I don't feel like I have to get dinner right away!

Maybe I'm crazy, but I even like the taste of the expeller pressed. It seems to have a slightly buttery taste to me. It's the texture that I'm very fond of. I believe that my body is calling out for good, healthy fat, and plenty of it, and I am obliging.

As far as other people are concerned, it's like anything else. Seek out the people that agree with you and talk to them about diet, but don't approach the topic with naysayers and those that seem to want to sabotage. I am listening to MY body, and I don't care what anybody else says. Diet is sort of like politics and religion. Share it only with those that are on the same page, and there will be support and commonality. Try to share it with those opposed, and you get turmoil and confusion.

When someone trys to tell me my diet is "wrong," I look at THEIR health and THEIR body to see how their "right" diet is working for them. If they are not in perfect, glowing, vibrant health with a perfect body, then their opinion about diet doesn't hold water with me. I saw a picture recently on a paleo website (I WISH I could remember which one!), that was a depiction of a male hunter gatherer. Now that was one vibrant, glowing, powerful, beautiful specimen of human form!!

Your weight loss figures and other statistics are amazing!! I would say they speak for themselves. Wow!! and congratulations!

Hey, I was born in Columbus, Ohio (Westerville actually), but I haven't been there since 1973. I've been hanging out in Oregon and Arizona.

I think this forum is excellent for ideas and support, even though I do feel we need to kick up the pace a little bit and get more active on a daily basis. How about it, everyone!?!?

Good luck to you in your coconut quest!

Jennifer

[Hellistile]

Crateprice: Congratulations on your weight loss so far and your transition to Neanderthin. We have a small but faithful group here and it looks like we are gaining people all the time because the hunter-gatherer lifestyle is the best for human health.
Regarding coconut oil, I buy whatever I can afford, sometimes it's the good stuff (health store), sometimes it's the stuff I can buy from the ethic secton of the supermarket. Sending for it by mail is cost prohibitive because I live in Canada (the shipping and handling costs). I use it for cooking everything and sometimes eat it right off the spoon. I am waiting for the day when we can buy different varieties of it in the supermarket and I don't think it will be long before that happens.
Regarding the people that criticize your way of eating, bear in mind the following: how do you feel?, how is your health?, state of mind?, blood work?, strength?
Exactly!

[CAP1029]

This coconut discussion is fascinating! What are the advantages of eating coconut in your diet? Is it the oil or the coconut meat or both that are good for you? I always thought becasue of its dense saturated fat content that it would be bad for you.

[arcticslug]

Congratulations! I'm so glad for you that you found this WOE and are happy with it. It really is a wonderful way to eat. It's amazing how much weight you've lost and I bet that it was mainly without cravings.

It's true that this forum isn't as active as some of the other forums, but it seems to be getting a little busier. There is another forum that is much more active than this one and it is located at http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/paleofood.html

Good luck and keep on posting.

[Hellistile]

Regarding the saturated fat concern expressed earlier, when I first started low-carbing, it took quite a while for me to be able to eat fat without cringing. Now I savour it. Since eating no fat other than coconut oil, olive oil, lard and sometimes butter, my bloodwork results speak for themselves: Triglycerides down by 25%, cholesterol down overall and liver and kidney functions much better. Blood pressure also down to normal. Weight loss. What more can a person ask for?

[CAP1029]

Any thoughts on transitioning in to using cocount oil? It kind of makes me feel a little as I am just starting to use it. How long before you can notice the benefits of a metabolism boost?

[K Walt]

Also, just eating coconut is a good thing, too. And very paleo.

Whole coconuts are like 99 cents or so in Whole Foods, and even regular supermarkets.

Whack it open with a hammer or a brick or a vise or anything hard and heavy.

Then use a butter knife to pry out the meat in chunks -- which you can easily eat as is, or to grate onto your veggies, in your soups, or just to eat.

Tastes better than plain coconut oil.

[arcticslug]

Probably better for you to eat whole coconuts too. There are probably many different vitamins and nutrients in coconuts which are in high quantities in the unprocessed form. I think I will start eating coconuts too. I find them somewhat expensive in my supermarkets though - $2.00 each I believe. I'll look around a little more though.

New exciting things to look for in the supermarket!

Today I think I'll also go buy some bison meat and have a barbecue with my family as a treat. :)

[batgirl]

Congratulations crateprice on the 120lb loss! That's wonderful!
In addition to coconut oil, I have started using coconut milk and cream too. (some smart person on this forum suggested it.) It's nice to have something to take the place of cow's milk and cream. It's a tasty way to get your coconut oil, too. Makes great fruit smoothies, and I even use it in my scrambled eggs in the morning.
I love this WOE. :)

[arcticslug]

Yes, I'm becoming very obsessed with coconut cream myself! I made some coconut ice cream a few days ago. I know this probably isn't that good for me but....sometimes ya gotta treat yourself right?

Anyhow I made some ice cream with coconut cream, a bit of honey and some cocoa and vanilla extract - melted it all together then froze it - YUMMM!!! Addicting, too, so I'm only having it now and then.