When I was working in the fitness industry, the amount of people that would ask me about fat burning and fat blocking products was unbelievable (think high caffeine and guarana). They generally speed up your metabolism which will come with longer term side effects. The reason for this is that they elevate your heart rate which will end up raising cortisol levels. If you know anything about cortisol then you will understand that this prompts the body to hang on to body fat (hint: I feel this is why stressed people struggle to loose weight).WHY COCONUT OIL FOR WEIGHT LOSS?Without trying to get technical, coconut oil is a saturated fatty acid that is predominately a MCT oil (medium-chain triglycerides). This is very different to most of the vegetable oils on the market today.The short and medium-chain fatty acids which can be found in coconut oil (and grass-fed butter which I use too), are sent directly to our liver and used directly for energy. So this means:1. It does not get stored in fat cells as easily as long-chain fatty acids, and produce ketones which gives us a steady source of energy 2. Enhances thermogenesis which increases fat burning 3. Helps eliminate food cravings with increased feelings of satietyAccording to Christine Cronau's book the Fat Revolution, there are studies of participants that were fed the same diet which was not designed for weight loss. But some of them were fed medium-chain fatty acids and they lost weight, whilst the weight in the rest of the group remained the same.It also compared diets with three types of fat intake. Low fat, monounsaturated fat and coconut oil. There was a 60% reduction in fat storage for the groups consuming coconut oil.SO WHATS THE MAGIC DOSAGE?If you do not consume many natural fats including coconut oil, start in small amounts or the toilet may come calling. Add a teaspoon to a smoothie, or if a sugar craving comes calling eat a teaspoon straight from the jar as this will kill those cravings. Cook with it or just start adding it to things where you usually wouldn't. I have it in a high fat smoothie most mornings.I consume up to 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil a day. But I eat a low-carb and natural high fat diet, especially after getting my DNA results back.So if you are on a weight loss plan, eliminate sugar, grain, soy and all processed fats & oils. Increase your coconut oil up to 2-4 tablespoons a day for your steady source of energy and over time you will feel the magic happen!Do you use coconut oil? Are you worried about saturated fat? Are you a weight loss plan but are frightened of fat? Would love to hear your thoughts...
