Coconut Oil, Friend or Foe?

This topic gets me grouchy, very very grouchy.

It’s a classic case of a misinformed populace being manipulated by a few (in this particular case, one) “health authority”, all in the name of, you guessed it, profits. However, we the people also need to shoulder much of the blame. I’ll get to that later.

There is only one stat you need to know about the effects of coconut oil. For a millennium, traditional coconut producing (and consuming) countries such as Philippines, and Sri Lanka, had little or no heart disease to speak off, until they adopted a western diet. Now, this doesn’t prove that coconut oil is good for you, it just means it’s most likely not the cause of heart disease. We can debate with all kinds of data supporting both sides until our faces are blue, but for me, this is the only one that truly matters.

Heart disease, as with most non-genetic diseases, is a lifestyle disease. A result of a myriad of choices (poorly made), from inactivity, too much stress, to overeating, etc. The effects accumulate over time, slowly, until it’s harmful enough to be classified as a disease.

Most of us know this instinctively. Bad choices were made over a long period of time, which most likely also means it will take some periods of healthy living in order to reverse it. Unfortunately, many people want a quick fix. Preferably a pill. Isn’t this what modern living is all about? Quick, fast solutions at the snap of a finger.

This is where the big drug companies come in, and the “nonprofit” health organizations they support. The health organization that recently said coconut oil can lead to heart disease is the same one that recommended almost half of all american healthy men over the age of 40 to be on a regular statin program. Are you sure this is the “authority” you want to put your trust in?

But who do I trust then? You ask. Well, how about yourself? Your instincts, your common sense.

Deep down, you know industrialized, processed foods are not good for you, so cut down on that.

Deep down, you know lack of exercise is bad for you, so start moving.

Deep down, you know chugging back 5 cups of coffee a day to stay awake isn’t healthy for you, no matter what the reports show, so start cutting back a little.

And deep down, you know there is not one magic food, be it coconut oil, or turmeric, or some organic exotic plant from remote parts of the world that’s going to instantly bring you back to health in a form of a powder or pill.

Coconut oil is just an oil, anything people have been consuming for a thousand years can’t be that bad for you, especially in moderation, that includes the likes of bacon, rice, cocoa, you name it. On the other hand, anything taken to the extreme is bad for you. Again, deep down, you know all this.

The real issue here is not whether coconut oil is good or bad. It’s about what are you actually doing to get healthier? What is it going to take? Who’s responsible for your health?

What it takes, to truly get back to health and stay there, starts with a conscious decision in the brain, followed by a structured (but simple) plan to change & correct all the little bad decisions you’ve been making in your everyday life. Do that consistently over time, good habits develop, and before you know it, and you’ve gained back your health.

This is the only way. You’re the only one who’s responsible for it, not the government, not your doctor, and certainly not some health authority.

It takes time, and not as easy as taking a pill.

The choice is yours.