Summer is almost upon us, and if you’re like me, you’re staring at yourself in the mirror asking, “Am I ready?” For a woman wearing a bikini, the abdomen is one of the most important parts of the body. After all, the whole reason you’re reading a two-piece is because you are comfortable showing a little skin.

The difference between a nice, toned set of washboard abs and even a small accumulation of fat can mean the difference between jumping into that beach volleyball game, or maybe the arms of that guy you have been crushing on since last fall.

Fortunately, one of the easiest parts of the body to work out is the abdomen. You can achieve washboard abs in less than a month with a proper workout regimen, and there are tons of effective workouts out there. That said if you want to elevate your approach to a whole new plateau of physical results, you might want to give coconut oil a try.

Why Consume a Fatty Oil to Eliminate Stomach Fat?

It’s simple, actually.

In 2001, Harvard researchers said that diets moderate in (good) fats are actually more effective for weight loss results in the long run than diets that are low in fat.

Coconut oil is one of, if not the best known oil to use when it comes to keeping rolls off your stomach because the degree to which it is comprised of medium (as opposed to long) chain fatty acids. Lauric acid is one of these medium-chain triglyceride acids, and comprises about 50% of coconut oil. Lauric acid absorbs straight into the small intestines, and require less energy and fewer enzymes to metabolize as opposed to long-chained counterparts. To put this into perspective, 98% of all other fats we eat are long-chained, so to find a medium-chain triglyceride is relatively rare.

Lauric acid actually has antiviral properties as well.

Putting the Science to the Test

A study published in the journal Lipids had the following findings: a small group of obese women who consumed two tablespoons of coconut oil a day for 12 weeks saw their waistlines shrink, while women who consumed the same amount of soybean oil experienced no such change.

Comparing Different Types of Cooking Oil

If you are looking for a quality resource when it comes to all the different types of cooking oils out there, I suggest taking a look at the complete comparison chart of all known cooking oils, hosted over at Cooking Rules.

Simon is a writer and content specialist who is addicted to being on the front page of anything. A graduate of Dalhousie University, he specializes in using the em dash too often. Currently, Simon rests his typing hands in Vancouver, Canada. Check out a recent example of his work here.

Taken from the fruit portion of the seed off the coconut palm tree, coconut oil is one the most beneficial foods you can consume. In tropical regions where coconut oil or fat is a large portion of their caloric intake, people are much healthier and experience a much lower incidence of the modern diseases we do in the U.S. [1, 2]

There is an array of positive research published in the last few years showing the significance of coconut oil. [3] Coconut oil is classified as a “functional food” because of its health benefits that go far beyond its nutritional content. In fact, the coconut palm is so highly valued by Pacific Islanders as a source of food and medicine that it is called “The Tree of Life.” [4]

Coconut oil is the most saturated of all fats. Saturated fat has three subcategories: short chain, medium chain and long chain. Coconut oil contains approximately 65% medium chain fatty acids (MCFA). Although recognized for its health benefits many centuries ago, it wasn’t until 40 years ago that modern medicine found the source to be MCFA. Remarkably, mother’s milk contains the same healing powers of coconut oil. [5]

The saturated medium chain lipid lauric acid, which comprises more than 50 percent of coconut oil, is the anti-bacterial, anti-viral fatty acid found in mother’s milk. [6] The body converts lauric acid into the fatty acid derivative monolaurin, which is the substance that protects adults as well as infants from viral, bacterial or protozoal infections. This was recognized and reported as early as 1966. [7]

Since the first half of the 19th century, infection has been implicated as a cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). [8] Researchers have been studying what causes the changes in the arterial wall. Professors Russell Ross and John Glomset formulated a hypothesis in 1973 about what causes CVD, concluding that CVD occurs in response to localized injury to the lining of the artery wall, which has been brought about by a number of things including viruses. [9, 10] The injury, in turn causes inflammation/infection. The plaque that develops is a result of the body trying to heal itself. It has been very well established that pathogens play an integral role in cardiovascular disease.

What is interesting about the role of viruses that have been found to initiate cardiovascular disease is they can be inhibited by the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil. One could say that consuming coconut oil decreases one’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sources of Coconut oil:
Only use organic virgin coconut oil. I am currently using Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil. This oil is truly unrefined and made from organic coconuts. It contains a very high lauric acid content between 50 and 57 percent. I use between two and four tablespoons per day, which is what is recommended.

references:
1. Enig, Mary. “A New Look at Coconut Oil.” westonaprice.org. http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/coconut_oil.html

2. Rethinam, P. Muhatoyo. “The Plain Truth About Coconut Oil.” http://www.apccsec.org/truth.html

3. Enig, Mary. “Latest studies on coconut oil.” Wise Traditions in Food, Farming, and the Healing Arts. Spring,2006;7(1).

4. “Coconut.” Coconut Research Center. http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

5. Kabara, Jon J. “Health Oils From The Tree of Life – Nutritional and Health Aspects of Coconut Oil.” http://www.coconutoil.com/John%20Kabara.pdf

6. Enig,Mary. Know Your Fats. Silver Spring: Bethesda Press, 2000

7. Lee, Lita. “Coconut Oil: Why is it Good for you.” Dec. 2001. coconut.com http://www.coconutoil.com/litalee.htm

8. Epstein, Stephen, et al. “Infection and Atherosclerosis.” Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2000;20:1417 http://atvb.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/20/6/1417

9. “Getting to the Heart of Atherosclerosis.” The UW Office of Research. http://www.washington.edu/research/pathbreakers/1973b.html

10. Furci, Michael. “Fats, Cholesterol and the Lipid Hypothesis.” www.bullz-eye.com.

The Chicago Tribune has done some research on the Coconut Craze.

Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at the University of California-Davis, thinks coconut water is fine to drink for hydration ? if you like the taste.

Applegate takes issue with some of the health endorsements including weight loss and heart health claims.

It would be nice to see this kind of scrutiny given to all nutritional claims made by big business:

Most of these sites that promote and sell coconut oil originate from coconut-producing countries, including India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Instead of research studies, you’ll find articles written by coconut oil advocates ? including Mary Enig, vice president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a controversial organization that is critical of “traditional diets” and extols the benefits of saturated fat.

I know, I know — who makes an article with 11 tips and not 10? Well, I had a hard enough time getting down to the top 11. I felt there was absolutely nothing else to cut.

Anyway, summer is around the corner, and chances are you aren?t looking or feeling your best. You want to get in shape, but like most you?ve put it off again and again since January. The following are some changes you can make that will not only improve your look in a hurry, but your health as well. Everything on this list is designed to optimize your metabolism and turn you into a fat burning machine.

Top 11 tips Here

As a follow-up to a previous article “Everything in moderation, right?“, I decided to educate my readers on substances so vital to there health daily consumption is essential. Below is a portion of “Daily Consumption“.

Coconut oil

Taken from the fruit portion of the seed off the coconut palm tree, coconut oil is one the most beneficial foods you can consume. In tropical regions where coconut oil or fat is a large portion of their caloric intake, people are much healthier and experience a much lower incidence of the modern diseases we do in the U.S. [17, 18]

There is an array of positive research published in the last few years showing the significance of coconut oil. [19] Coconut oil is classified as a “functional food” because of its health benefits that go far beyond its nutritional content. In fact, the coconut palm is so highly valued by Pacific Islanders as a source of food and medicine that it is called “The Tree of Life.” [20]

Coconut oil is the most saturated of all fats. Saturated fat has three subcategories: short chain, medium chain and long chain. Coconut oil contains approximately 65% medium chain fatty acids (MCFA). Although recognized for its health benefits many centuries ago, it wasn’t until 40 years ago that modern medicine found the source to be MCFA. Remarkably, mother’s milk contains the same healing powers of coconut oil. [21]

The saturated medium chain lipid lauric acid, which comprises more than 50 percent of coconut oil, is the anti-bacterial, anti-viral fatty acid found in mother’s milk. [22] The body converts lauric acid into the fatty acid derivative monolaurin, which is the substance that protects adults as well as infants from viral, bacterial or protozoal infections. This was recognized and reported as early as 1966. [23]

Sources located here