Bright Spot : The amazing health benefits of Coconut
Holistic nutritionist and good friend Tamer Soliman weighs in on the many benefit of coconut, particularly coconut oil. His documentary entitled Bright Spot, urges us to remove hydrogenated and processed liquid oils from our diet and substitute natural, minimally processed coconut oil.
I recently had the chance to watch his documentary, watch the trailer at the end of this post.
Throughout my years of studying and practicing nutrition, one thing is clear - nutritional science is dominated by conflicting opinions. The doctor, the naturopath, the nutritionist, the politician and even the journalist provide and publish contradictory information that exhausts and befuddles people. One food that has fallen victim to this mass confusion is the coconut, specifically coconut oil and coconut milk.
Although the coconut has a long, controversial history, the good news is that it is making a comeback, and is being called one of the healthiest foods on the planet. The coconut grows abundantly in many parts of the Caribbean, South America South-East Asia and Polynesia and is an essential ingredient in these country’s traditional dishes, but it’s properties can appeal to the modern foodie as well. Here are some top reasons to pick up some fair trade coconut oil from the grocery store or the farmers market if you’re in the tropics.
A few of the many benefit of coconut and its products:
1. Coconut oil & milk speeds up your metabolism, increases energy levels and enhances the function of the thyroid which helps turn fat into energy.
-Coconut milk is so versatile especially when cooking Thai soups and stews.
2. Coconut oil enhances the absorption of very important disease fighting nutrients like Omega 3’s found in fish, capsicum found in colourful hot peppers and cucurmin found in Turmeric.
-Nothing beats the taste of pan fried fish in coconut oil, whole carrots or sweet potatoes lathered with coconut oil and baked in the oven.
3. Coconut oil can boost your immune system by keeping bacteria, viruses and fungi like candida in check and at the same time help keep a healthy level of good bacteria in our gut.
-I love frying my eggs in coconut oil. I usually slice up a few Thai chilies and green onions, sauté them for a bit and then crack two eggs. Delicious!
I urge people to swap out processed vegetable oils for some good quality coconut oil. Not only will people reap the amazing benefits of the coconut palm tree, but will also be supporting sustainable ways of eating and living. It’s time for an oil change!
Tamer Soliman is a registered holistic nutritionist from Toronto, Canada who lives in the Cayman Islands. Check out Tamer’s blog at www.tamersoliman.net to learn more about living your optimal self.
He, alongside Rob Tyler, co -produced and directed the documentary "Bright Spot" – a film examining the benefits of coconut oil and its controversial history. Watch the trailer above, or rent from their Vimeo channel here.