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TMHS 227: The Pros & Cons of Coconut Oil + 20 Ways to Use Coconut Oil for Wellness

The next Watergate… the next Covfefe… the next New World Order is… coconut oil?

It’s remarkable how foods go in and out of fashion. A similar thing has happened with eggs. For centuries folks were eating whole eggs because, well, that’s how they come. Then saturated fat and cholesterol were villainized, and the egg yolks got the boot. Suddenly we were forced to endure the not-quite-right taste of egg white omelets. Then, years later, whole eggs are vindicated, and they are back on the menu again. Come to find out, cholesterol is an important part of building all of your sex hormones. It’s an important carrier molecule to ship critical nutrients from one place to another in your body. Plus, it helps the neurons in your brain to function properly and do things like form memories. So, yeah, it’s kind of important. Unless you don’t want to remember what you just read.

The reality is, it’s not cholesterol, but the oxidation of cholesterol that is the culprit behind increased risk of health problems. This study published in Biological Research is just one of the many sources that have been clear on this for years. The better question is, “How do we reduce the oxidation of the cholesterol and healthy, delicate fats in the eggs?”, not “How do we get rid of eggs?”. But, hey, the chicken crossed the road for lesser reasons, right?

One quick tip here is to simply not cook the yolk… have your eggs sunny side up or poached. If that’s not your cup of eggnog, you can opt for adding some potent antioxidants in along with your meal. As the study cites, antioxidants like rosemary oleoresin extract and the flavonoid quercetin efficiently inhibit the thermal-induced oxidation of cholesterol. Even something as simple as mixing the potent antioxidant/anti-inflammatory powerhouse turmeric in with your scrambled eggs can be helpful in preventing the oxidation bi-products from cooking. So, this simple example shows us something important that we need to carry with us always: It’s not just the food itself, it’s also how you use it.

After all is said and done, eggs go in and out of the secret spy, not-to-be-trusted list… and the overwhelmed public is tossed in a pool of conflicting information with no floaties, and no experience swimming through the actual clinical research.

But, this isn’t like the 1960s and 1970s where you had to just rely on the “experts” who look at the research and then tell you what to do. Today we have this interesting thing on our phones called the internet where you can go and look at the actual studies too. Information is not reserved for the few anymore, it’s available for everyone who’s interested in learning the whole story.

That brings us to the American Heart Association’s recent coconut-scented backslap. The internet was abuzz with news that coconut oil is not only unhealthy, but it was never healthy to begin with. Well, at least that’s what the hot, clickbait headline said. Everybody loves a good controversy, but at the end of the day we want the facts to speak for themselves.

On learning the whole story, you find out some pretty sketchy things about the AHA, who happens to be sponsored by pharmaceutical companies like Merck, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer. I bring this up because drugs and today’s conventional diet are salsa dancing together, and it gets real hot and steamy between the two.

Obviously, and I mean obviously, the drug company’s goals are not to sell less drugs. They have to have sick people around who are uneducated about what creates wellness. It’s easy to just trust in the foods stamped with the AHA’s approval. The problem is that the AHA puts their heart-healthy stamp on foods like Honey Nut Cheerios and even Subway sandwiches. Yep, not kidding. Not that long ago, the almighty American Heart Association endorsed Subway’s sandwiches even though their bread contained toxic compounds like Azodicarbonamide, and despite the fact that this chemical is banned in several other countries. The World Health Organization has confirmed that it’s linked it to chronic respiratory issues and allergies. Other studies have found it to be a carcinogen, and the U.K. Health And Safety Executive has recognized azodicarbonamide to be a contributing factor to asthma, specifically. Heart healthy Subway used it as a bleaching agent and dough conditioner, which allowed them to produce bread faster and cheaper. Where else can you find your neighborhood friendly azodicarbonamide? Oh, it’s pretty cool… it’s used to make yoga mats and rubber for shoes. You know, just typical things we love to eat (said no one ever… accept maybe Oscar the Grouch).

This doesn’t even bring in the antibiotics used in their food sourcing, the high glycemic nature of the breads, and all other manner of things that definitely are not heart healthy. The stamp of the AHA lands on many addictive, low quality foods that are known to contribute to disease. And with sick people, you get to sell more drugs. Big Pharma and the unethical organizations like the AHA win, but the public’s health loses.

All of this sounds a little bit fishy, because it is. In fact, it’s full-on Little Mermaid fishy because the AHA also has members of the U.S. Canola Association on its nutrition advisory panel. Do you think they’re NOT going to recommend that you consume canola oil? With conventional canola oil you’re getting a frequently genetically modified rapeseed that’s proven to contribute to serious health problems. A study published in the journal Lipids found that rats bred to have high blood pressure died faster when fed canola oil as their source of fat. Maybe that would have made a better headline… but instead the AHA chose to go after a food that’s been around for centuries (whereas as the canola oil we are using today was basically invented in the 1970’s).

In the article bashing coconut oil that made its rounds on the internet, they are admittedly using old, flawed studies. And these studies are mostly focusing on saturated fat, and not coconut oil itself. And this is important… because all saturated fat is not the same! Plus, they essentially ignore more updated research that completely demolishes this silly fight against coconut oil. But hey, when you mess with the bull, you get the horns.

I actually went into the studio and recorded this episode on coconut oil just about a week before this big news story hit the interwebs. I had no idea the AHA and related entities had this up their sleeves, I just felt compelled to share this information so that we can all live healthier, happier, better informed lives.

I feel that this episode will clear up a lot of questions and help you to gain some clarity over the misinformation that’s out there. And remember this like you remember the lyrics from your favorite boy band song: Just because it’s on the internet, does not mean that it’s true. And if you want to dive in further on the real health benefits of fats, specifically saturated fat, and where all of this diet drama began a few decades ago, then be sure to head over and check out my conversations with Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Cate Shanahan and Dr. Joseph Mercola after you enjoy the coconut pants off this episode. Let’s go!

In this episode you’ll discover:

  • The mysterious origins of the coconut tree.
  • How coconut oil is actually made.
  • Which health damaging practices some conventional coconut oil makers use during processing.
  • Why dietary fat has a terrible marketing name.
  • What clinical studies say about coconut oil and weight gain.
  • How uncoupling protein influences fat burning.
  • How coconut oil affects waist circumference.
  • The impact that coconut oil has on cholesterol levels (you need to know this!).
  • What potential problem you might run into eating coconut oil (if you really try).
  • The 20 ways to use coconut oil for wellness.
  • How to add coconut oil to your diet with several delicious methods.
  • The best way to remove makeup (and even tar!).
  • Whether or not coconut oil is ideal for facial skin.
  • The surprising way that coconut oil impacts dental health.
  • Crucial things to consider when buying personal lubricants.
  • Dangerous chemicals that are found in typical toothpastes.
  • Important tips for sunburn protection.
  • How coconut oil can be used as an effective antibacterial.

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Items mentioned in this episode include:

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcast by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

Transcript:

Shawn Stevenson:  Welcome to The Model Health Show. This is fitness and nutrition expert, Shawn Stevenson, here with my amazing, beautiful, posing- getting your Vogue on, co-host and producer of The Model Health Show, Jade Harrell. What's up, Jade? 
 
Jade Harrell:  What's up, Shawn? 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  How are you today?  
 
Jade Harrell:  Today I am magnetigenic. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Oh wow, that's a stacked up word right there.  
 
Jade Harrell:  You like that? Right.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I like it, what's that mean? 
 
Jade Harrell:  So the suffix 'genic' means 'causing,' right? 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Okay.  
 
Jade Harrell:  So I'm causing magnetic energy everywhere I go.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I like that. So you're going to do the etymology, you're going to break down to the root. 
 
Jade Harrell:  That's right. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  To the origin.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Well you know, I learn from the master, break things down.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I like that.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Dissect them. Get to the root.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I dig it, the root. Get it? I dig it, the root.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh you got me. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Anyways, everybody thank you so much for tuning into the show today. We've got an amazing show lined up for you. 
 
Today we're going to be talking about the truth- 
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  The truth about coconut oil.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Don't you talk about my coconut oil.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Plus here's the thing, plus we're going to cover twenty healthy things that you can do with coconut oil. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh, I can add a few for you.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  We're going to go through some of the controversy, some of the potential pros and cons of this very historical food, something that's been utilized for centuries now.  
 
But there's a lot of misinformation out there, and I was floored, like I could not believe- and my wife was like, "You're such a nerd" when was showing her. I was like, "Look at this study, can you believe this? What are they thinking?"  
 
Jade Harrell:  There's so much we don't know. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So there's a lot of misinformation, so we're going to cover all of that today, and you're going to get a really great definitive guide on this food, and also how it goes beyond being a food in many different ways, and some things that are probably just going to blow your mind.  
 
But before we do that, I want to give a quick shout-out to our show sponsor, www.ONNIT.com. Head over to www.ONNIT.com/model for 10% off all of your health and human performance supplements.  
 
MCT oil. MCT oil is derived from coconut and/or palm oil typically, and one of the reasons that I love MCT oil is that it has a thermogenic effect which is the ability to positively alter your metabolism. Alright?  
 
So that's just one thing. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Well I call that warming your spirits. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Warm, warm. So MCTs are also absorbed more easily than a typical food, food stuff, you know than 'shicken' which is how my son- my older son, he's sixteen now, but when he was a kid he would say 'shicken' like for the longest- Jade Harrell:  And he loves that you're sharing this story, I'm sure. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  But it's because MCTs are small, and basically they bypass the normal digestion, and go directly to the liver where they utilize almost instantly for energy, which is just really fascinating. 
 
Plus the MCTs are smaller so they can permeate our cell membranes more easily, and so it doesn't require special enzymes, and all these different usual processes to try to extract some energy from our food.  
 
Which this is just an amazing process in and of itself. If we really think about, when I'm looking at you, right now I'm seeing the food that you eat, and the nutrients that your body has been able to extract from that.  
 
Jade Harrell:  I'm so glad I ate well.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Just fascinating, right? 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Like we are a result of that, and we get to kind of- like our bodies are our printout, right? It's a printout. You get a receipt based on the food that you choose to invest in. 
 
Jade Harrell:  I love that. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Right? And it's super powerful stuff. And sometimes we don't actually think about just how powerful that is, and how much of a gift that we actually have being able to make those decisions.  
 
Whereas our ancestors, if you really think about it, the choosing wasn't as easy. And today we have such a great opportunity to make these different choices.  
 
But also there is so much more distraction, there's so much that can take us away from the great things that we have access to, because Fruity Pebbles.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Right. That will turn your head. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Fruity Pebbles do exist. So just being more aware of that. And plus, MCTs are supportive of your gut environment, especially since they have the capability to combat harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.  
 
So head over there, check them. I use the emulsified MCT oils which are basically like creamers for your coffees or teas.  
 
I had that today with Lion's Mane Tea, the strawberry MCT oil, it is so good. So good and it's good for you. So head over, check them out, www.ONNIT.com/model.  
 
They've got vanilla, they've got coconut, they've got a new flavor- 
 
Jade Harrell:  Pumpkin spice, bring that one up. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  No not pumpkin spice, that was seasonal.  
 
Jade Harrell:  I know the one you're talking about.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Cinnamon swirl. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Exactly.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Cinnamon swirl. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Swirl! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Alright? 
 
Jade Harrell:  Swirl on. Swirl on.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Is that the Cabbage Patch you're doing? 
 
Jade Harrell:  I don't know but it's swirly.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Cabbage Swirly? 
 
Jade Harrell:  It's cinnamon swirly.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Some days you just did. 
 
Jade Harrell:  That's what it is.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Lots of great flavors, plus they've got the Hemp Force Protein, the recovery protein which I'm a huge fan of. Check them out, www.ONNIT.com/model for 10% off.  
 
Now let's get to the iTunes review of the week. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Well this one is terrific. It's five stars. Says, 'Love hearing Shawn and Jade's energy. When I need a pick-me-up during the day, I turn to The Model Health Show.  
Shawn and Jade have such magnetic personalities, and the show puts me at a higher energy level once I'm done. I turned one of my co-workers onto the show and we will share new things that we've learned from the show. 
 
I also appreciate the non-judgment base that they have towards your current health and lifestyle situation, and I just love the way Shawn pokes fun at unhealthy foods and habits, et cetera. It makes you laugh at the stuff instead of beating yourself.  
 
And by the way, I read through some of the comments, and want to send a big high five all the way from Ohio, Jade. You rock.' 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Awesome, awesome. I love that on so many levels, and thank you so much for bringing up the non-judgment zone, because here it's inclusive.  
 
We're breaking down borders, we're breaking down walls, and all of us are really in this together. And there is no one person or one entity has the right to withhold this information.  
 
So everybody's included and I'm so happy that you've pointed that out.  
 
And some of the stuff we do is just- it is silly, but at the same time we still have the right to do it. And it's all about realizing within ourselves that we have the ability to make a choice. 
 
Being a student of the word 'decision.' Being from the root 'de' meaning from, and 'cidere' which means to cut. When you make a real decision about something, whether it's getting out of a terrible relationship, or quitting smoking, you actually cut away the possibility of ever doing that thing again. Like the decision is made.  
 
So this process is really about getting ourselves to the place where we make the decision. The decision can happen instantly for any of us, but I promise you it's so much easier when you feel included.  
 
So much easier when you feel loved and supported.  
 
So thank you so much for leaving that review, and everybody thank you for leaving these reviews over in iTunes.  
 
Keep them coming! 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  If you haven't left a review yet, head over there, do it now. Just pause, I will be here when you get back.  
Jade Harrell:  That's right, we won't be severing you. We're not going to cut off our connection. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And make sure that you also hit the 'subscribe' button so that you stay up-to-date with the shows because we're also dropping a bonus episode every month, the very first Monday of each month, just in case you didn't know that yet, you didn't get the memo. 
 
So of course we drop one episode each week, a master class, and today's master class is definitely that.  
 
But make sure that you're subscribed to the show and be ready. Whether it's on Spotify, which we're on Spotify now, one of the few podcasts on there. iHeartRadio, Stitcher, obviously iTunes. So make sure to check us out.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Everywhere. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Hit the subscribe button. Right, subscribe everywhere! Everywhere now!  
 
Jade Harrell:  That's right. You've got to echo 'everywhere.' 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now let's get to our topic of the day.  
 
Today we're talking about the pros and cons of coconut oil. We're covering the truth, the truth about coconut oil plus twenty ways, twenty things that you can use coconut oil for, which I think you're going to be surprised. 
 
Slow down, Jade. We're not there yet. Slow down. 
 
Jade Harrell:  When I think of all the wonderful uses I have now, to know that there's like a list of twenty and probably more, I'm like 'ka-ching!' 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Yes, yes such a great investment. So we're going to start with a brief history of coconut. 
 
Now this is- again this is a very brief history because according to the Cambridge World History of Food, unfortunately it's not possible to provide as much information as one might want on the history of coconut because of the humidity and the heat where it's typically found, to not get a good fossil going.  
 
Alright so there's not a definitive date as to how long coconut has been growing and also humans have been interacting with it, but we do know that it's been a long time. Many thousands of years for sure. 
Now the term itself, 'coconut' is derived from the sixteenth century Portuguese and Spanish word 'coco,' meaning head or skull. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh! Interesting, right! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Right? The little- look it's kind of like this furry little head, it's got the three holes or whatever, the holes in there kind of gives you a resemblance of some human features. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Exactly. The pre-Wilson. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now the origins of the coconut are still under debate as well. The coconut tree is believed to have origins in the Americas because of their prevalence, they're pre-dating European contact. So this was already going on predating that time period.  
 
But on the other side, it's generally been accepted that the coconut originated in the Indian Indonesia region, and float distributed itself around the world by riding ocean currents. 
 
Jade Harrell:  I can see that, yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now that isn't necessarily fully logical, but then again what is? Right? So there's these kind of two camps. It's just a debate going on where it actually originates from. But bottom line is it's delicious.  
 
And speaking of the Wilson analogy, Tom Hanks’ Castaway, there was actually a scene in that movie where he's in a bad spot, right? And he's trying- coconut. He's got these coconuts, this is going to be a food source, and he's like really needing something right now, and he's trying to get the coconuts open.  
 
And I remember him, he was like launching them at a wall, and you can see the actual fatigue in that scene.  
 
Like this dude was tired of throwing those coconuts, and they just simply would not open. And he finally gets one open on this rock, and he actually gets a sharp rock on accident, because he's like beating it all these different ways. 
 
Gets it open, and basically spills most of the coconut water out, and it was like two drops that come out. It gives him enough encouragement to figure it out, and then he finally opens it up.  
 
It was just like such a relief scene like, 'Oh he's going to live!' 
 
Jade Harrell:  Right, I mean I was right there on the edge like, 'Please help him!' Shawn Stevenson:  The coconut trees themselves are pretty unique in the fact that they actually produce fruits all year round, which is a really unique thing about them. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay. Because you wonder that, you know when you get certain fruit you're like, 'There are no strawberries in dadgum December.' 
 
You know? And so you wonder if that may be throwing off some of the benefit, the opportunity there. But to know that it's year round.  
 
Because I even asked that about avocado, so that's cool. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Keep in consideration when you say that, this is from regions of the world where it's the conditions for that tree to fruit throughout the year, to create fruits and flowers.  
 
Jade Harrell:  That makes sense. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  At the same time, where's your lineage though? You know? You've got to keep that in mind, too. Because if you're on some Viking genetics, maybe coconut oil might not be the very, very best thing ever.  
 
Jade Harrell:  That makes sense.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  But what you're going to learn today is that there's a lot of ways to utilize this food, and even using it in different spot cases, you can garner a lot of benefit.  
 
But this is one of the things, I'm so glad that you actually said that, because we have to keep all of this in perspective because we need to do what's best for us where we are right now, and even that can change. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Right. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So let's shift gears now. So that's just a little- tiny, little snapshot, a brief history of coconut. 
 
Jade Harrell:  I love how you open us up to that knowledge.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And now let's shift gears and talk about coconut oil itself, and how it's actually made. So we've all seen probably today- and this is something so crazy, like coconut water. 
 
And I think I've been having coconut water almost a decade and a half now, before it was hot! Now it's like all these companies, it's just like everywhere now. 
 
But we would get the real young fresh coconuts, and we'd open those up and consume the coconut water.  
 
But those are the 'young' coconuts, so as the coconuts mature, that's where we're going to crack them open. 
 
So they're cracked open, and then the meat is extracted using a coconut grater. From there, that shredded coconut meat is then dried slowly using fire, sunlight, or kilns to create the dried meat that is used to extract coconut oil.  
 
And that is called 'copra.' So that product that's left.  
 
And so this is a slow drying process, you're not high heating the coconut. It's a slow process to get this end product that we want, the virgin coconut oil. 
 
Now the copra is then pressed producing the coconut oil, so it's pressed out. They actually put it into- there's different devices to go about this.  
 
There's kind of 'primitive' versions, and then there's some really fancy high-tech ways of pressing that oil out.  
 
And then this method is for creating the best form of coconut oil which is the virgin coconut oil.  
 
However some conventional manufacturers then use additional methods to maximize the yield- or throughout this process to maximize the yield, extend shelf life, manipulate color and smell, and other things that diminish the overall benefits of the coconut oil.  
 
So all coconut oil out there on the shelves is not the same. You have to understand that today.  
 
One of those methods that they use is utilizing hexane, and hexane- this is a significant component of gasoline, alright? 
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay, no thanks. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  To process the coconut oil. Also there's a standard practice of RBD, which is refining, bleaching, and deodorizing the coconut oil.  
 
That doesn't sound too good, alright? We don't want to bleach it.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Coconut oil. RBD. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Right when I said 'RBD' I knew you was going to go there. I knew you was going to go there.  
 
Jade Harrell:  You can't trust a pressed coconut. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And a smile.  
 
Jade Harrell:  With hexane. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Also they will partially or fully hydrogenate the coconut oil, and being that coconut oil contains about 6% monounsaturated fat and 2% polyunsaturated fats, the majority of those through the hydrogenation process will be transformed into trans fatty acids. 
 
Not so good stuff. So what we really want to look out for is virgin, unrefined coconut oil, which is ideal for the benefits that you're going to learn about today.  
 
And so we're going to shift gears now and really dive in and talk about some of these health benefits, starting with the high saturated fat content.  
 
Wouldn't coconut oil contribute to faster weight gain? You would think.  
 
Now in our research, and of course we've talked about this multiple times on this show, and the importance of dietary fats, and just how there's a really big issue with lexicon, right? There's an issue with the words that we use.  
 
Because when you hear 'fats,' and I know that I was indoctrinated with this, and I know that it's probably still there within you as you're listening right now, that fat means you're going to add fat to your body.  
 
You have to be careful about those fats because we translate it like if I eat fat, it will make me fat. This fat will end up as fat on my body, which just simply doesn't work like that. 
 
The analogy we use is like eating blueberries is going to make you blue. It just simply doesn't translate like that.  
 
We really should be calling dietary fat something different. If we're going to call fat on our body, this body fat, if we're going to call that fat we should call what's in food something different.  
 
We should call it 'energy,' or 'lipids,' right? Something different, right? We should have carbohydrates, proteins, and energy, right? 
 
Jade Harrell:  I like that. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And so we can start to see this more clearly, but today still- and you've got to put those glasses on to be able to see that that way when you're presented with this information, because fats have been villainized but most of that is unjust, and you'll find that out today. 
 
So I was talking about the misinformation out there, and I've got to share this with you guys because it just blew my mind.  
 
So there was this really interesting article that I came across that it's like one of the top articles coming up on Google in regards to the health benefits of coconut oil, and it's just really going hard on the fact that it's not good for you. 
 
And so one of their points states that- I'm going to read this directly. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  'Coconut oil contains high amounts of fat, which may be a big concern for people struggling to lose excess body weight. Try to use this oil as low as possible in your diet, or else you will turn overweight in just a few days. It will make you vulnerable to several serious health problem.' 
 
And then they actually link to a study that totally discredits what they said. Alright? It's just like did you even read this? 
 
Jade Harrell:  They just misinterpreted it. It's a communication thing. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So check this out, and this was a study from the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, and it found that this is in fact the opposite when we're talking about losing weight.  
 
And so what they concluded was that there's actually a reduction- a significant reduction in body fat when you consume coconut oil. 
 
So breaking this down, which this is what I really want you to be able to walk away with today. When we're talking about how coconut oil is effective for fat loss, and what the study reveals, it's first important to understand something called uncoupling protein. Uncoupling protein. 
 
Specifically we're going to talk about uncoupling protein 1, or UCP 2, also known as thermogenin. 
 
Now scientists have long since observed the themogenic activity in brown adipose tissue. This is a type of fat that actually burns fat. It functions very much like muscle does, and we've talked about this in different episodes of the show, one of them being the benefits of cold thermogenesis, because cold exposure contributes to your body's elevation of creating more brown adipose tissue, which intrinsically elevates your metabolic power in your body.  
Jade Harrell:  It adds some folks to the team, working together on this.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And so this understanding about brown adipose tissue, this eventually led to the discovery of uncoupling protein.  
 
Now brown adipose tissue is unique in that it was found to have elevated levels of mitochondrial respiration. And the mitochondria density of brown adipose tissue is what actually gives it its color.  
 
So brown adipose tissue, so this is a type of fat that burns white adipose tissue. That's the stuff that we typically tend to think about when we're trying to 'lose weight' or get rid of fat, is the white adipose tissue.  
 
Now mitochondria generate ATP, right? The energy currency of the body. But there was another respiration not coupled to ATP synthesis that has a strong thermogenic effect.  
 
They thought that this brown adipose tissue, it must be the ATP going on, the mitochondria doing its thing, but there was something else that they discovered.  
 
And this thermogenic activity, meaning that you are inherently burning more calories when it's working, and the compound that was discovered was uncoupling protein, which was responsible for inducing our bodies to upregulate energy burn without muscle activity.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Alright? So this is a little bit complex, but stay with me. So uncoupling protein has the ability to upregulate your metabolism via its activity within brown fat.  
 
Jade Harrell:  So I see that as it sets your metabolism free to flow. It unhitched the thing that was suppressing the metabolism to get in there and get down. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You sound like- it's not the Beverly Hillbillies. Alright? We're not unhitching and traveling. Jed, move on down there. Alright? But I feel you, I feel you. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Right, am I on the right page with that? 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Yes, absolutely you were. Definitely, that makes total sense. Makes total sense.  
 
Now according to research from the Integrative Urology Center at New York University Langone Medical Center, the fats in coconut oil actually activate brown fat in a very big way.  
Now the study that was cited earlier, or the article, this so-called article that's bashing coconut oil, the study they cited against coconut oil actually concluded that the coconut oil enriched diet is effective in stimulating uncoupling protein 1 expression. 
 
Jade Harrell:  There we go. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  During ad libitum feeding, which is basically at one's pleasure, eating as you please.  
 
Jade Harrell:  I'm going to use that. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And it was also found not just when eating at one's pleasure, but also preventing its downregulation during food restriction. Because as you tend to eat less, your metabolism has this tendency to slow down, right? So this actually prevents that from happening.  
 
Crazypants, right? 
 
Jade Harrell:  I love it.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And this goes hand in hand with the decrease in white fat storers that were observed in this study.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Absolutely because brown's at it. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And this goes back- again this was in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders. 
 
So right there in black and white. But we're not going to stop there. We're not going to stop there.  
 
There was another study published in the journal 'Lipids,' which was a randomized double blind clinical trial that involved forty women age 20 to 40 years. And this is where the groups received daily dietary supplements comprising 30 milliliters of either soybean oil or 30 milliliters of coconut oil over a twelve week period.  
 
Now all subjects had tracked hypocaloric diets, so this means they were cutting away some calories, and a fifty minute daily walk. Alright so this was tracked for everybody in the study. 
 
Now at the end of the study, reductions in BMI, so the body mass index were observed in both groups, however only in the coconut oil group did they find statistically significant reduction in waist circumference.  
 
Jade Harrell:  There we go.  
Shawn Stevenson:  Shrinking the waistline by adding in coconut oil, all other factors the same. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Right. So everything else going on, with the coconut oil I get the hourglass. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I'd say that's remarkable.  
 
Jade Harrell:  You think? 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I'd say that's remarkable. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So one of the other issue though that tends to come up is like with this fat, this saturated fat, isn't this going to contribute to heart problems? Is it going to contribute to cholesterol issues? 
 
So I want to talk a little bit about that.  
 
So there was this randomized double blind study, again published in the journal 'Lipids,' that was cited by this wacky article I mentioned before. They actually bashed this as well, talked about how bad- 
 
As a matter of fact, let me go back and share this with you guys. 
 
Jade Harrell:  I love that you're not- that's something, can I just acknowledge you on that? You don't just read all the things that are for and in agreement with what you're studying or presenting. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Yeah. 
 
Jade Harrell:  You also look at the other perspectives that are out there. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Yeah I go and look for the negative potentials as well, because we want to have a well-rounded opinion and not just our opinion because we think it sounds good.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Exactly. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And of course you can find information to justify pretty much any decision that you make. There's always a way to color something, but we want to have a well-rounded perspective that's going to benefit the most people. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Absolutely. I've never found a Fruity Pebbles to support that, so I'll stay off of it.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You've got to holla at Fred Flintstone. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Right! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So this is what they had in this particular article, that cholesterol is going to be raised. It says that it raises bad cholesterol levels when you eat coconut. And so here's what they said. 
 
'Different studies have proved that coconut oil is loaded with saturated fat.' True, which is basically a chain of triglycerides made of saturated fatty acids. 'Regular intake of this plant-based food can raise low-density lipoprotein.' Not so true, which you'll find out in a second. 
 
'Or 'bad' cholesterol level in the bloodstream, and it is extremely bad for your health and you should avoid its use.' And then they have an article cited here that totally disproves what they said. It's like again, did you actually read this article because it makes you seem a little bit foolish. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Or they figure, 'We're not going to read the article.' 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So here's what the article- exactly. Exactly.  
 
Jade Harrell:  They put that there to say- and I mean truth be told, we're blowing through all this data, and all this information around this every day. Sometimes we'll see that link and say, 'Well it was cited, that can be done.' But to go that extra step, and I encourage us to do that, go ahead and click it, and read and see how you may interpret or understand the information that's presented. And it may even differ from what you started. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Right there's really two parts to understanding things. One is the study, and doing your own personal examination, which I do actually do a lot of that for you in many ways because of my approach to things.  
 
So learning from different resources, from podcasts, to books, audio books, lectures and things like that, to have a well-rounded perspective. But ultimately the greatest tool that we have in learning is personal experience. 
 
Nothing is going to teach you more so about coconut oil for example, than you actually using the coconut oil and seeing what happens for yourself. Nothing can replace that.  
 
And I think that that gets overlooked a lot, and what creates a lot of the 'skism' out there is when people are talking about things that they don't have that real firsthand experience about because it looks bad on paper, or looks good on paper, right?  
 
So we're again moving through that, and really sifting through, and really getting to the heart of these things.  
 
And so back to this particular- again randomized double blind study, this was in the journal 'Lipids,' and they looked at the bloodwork of the women after twelve weeks of coconut oil use versus soybean oil use.  
 
And they found that the coconut oil group had a higher level of HDL, so that's the 'good' cholesterol, and an improvement in their LDL to HDL ratio. And that's what I would track for my patients, is I would have them go and get their panels done, and I would look at that number. The ratio matters a lot more than the individual numbers. 
 
So right there in black and white, but we have to look at the other side. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  The soybean oil group- 
 
Jade Harrell:  Uh-oh. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Had an increase in total cholesterol, an increase in LDL cholesterol, an increase in the LDL to HDL ratio, and a decrease in HDL. I can't make this up! Like they cited this study as if the coconut oil was the problem.  
 
Jade Harrell:  They meant to say something else I think. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Yeah it's alright. They just need a hug, a coconut oil hug. 
 
Jade Harrell:  That's it. That's it. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  That's all. Get lathered up in some coconut oil and give them a hug. Probably slip off each other, but that's all it is.  
 
Now it's also important to look at the antioxidant capacity that coconut oil has in this context, because it's not just the fact of the LDL particles being dangerous, but what about the free radical activity? What about inflammation in the body? 
 
That's really what lights the match, right? The potential of the LDL or LDL particles to be a problem, we need something to spark it, right? Because we've already got the match there potentially, but the inflammation and free radical activity is really what sets that off. 
 
And this is a wonderful antioxidant supporter in the body as well. Now are there any potential drawbacks with coconut oil? 
 
Jade Harrell:  No. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Slow down, slow down. Now you might- here this is real talk.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You might go overboard in the calories if you really work hard at it. If you really work hard at it.  
 
Now I say that with a grain of salt because as the research clearly indicates, people who eat coconut oil actually consume less calories overall and burn more calories overall.  
 
But you can take it in stride that a tablespoon of coconut oil is approximately 117 calories. And so jamming down ten tablespoons a day, like that whole 'some is good, more is better' is just kind of silly. 
 
Plus it will likely cause you to create a crime scene in the bathroom as well, alright? So keep that in mind too. It's like the scene in Friday when Pops is coming out spraying. 'Don't go in there for about 35-45 minutes.'  
 
Jade Harrell:  Do not go in there. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So that's not a good idea to overdo it, simple as that.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Does it matter if it's in the solidified coconut, or melted, depending on the state it's in? 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  That is all about the temperature.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Right, right. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So the coconut oil actually is solid. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Now you know I bring this up in cooking, healthier options there, we're probably taking in a little more coconut oil in addition to what we might have taken in say our coffee.  
 
You know as we learn to make healthier options for desserts, we utilize coconut oil in those.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  It's going to be pretty close.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  It's going to be pretty close, but that is one of the interesting things about coconut oil, is that it can be this solid and a liquid within this very small sphere of temperature.  
 
And so generally it's recognized that 76 degrees Fahrenheit is where you'll see the melting point, right? So the coconut oil can be solid, and you put it into your palm, and it will melt pretty quickly.  
 
But as you're using it for measurement- that's a great question, it's going to be pretty much the same. 
 
And for a lot of people listening, unless you're not utilizing an air conditioner, you will probably see that it's going to be solid year round, right?  
 
But for those people who- there are some people like in San Diego when I went to hang out with John Lee Dumas for example, they straight just don't have air conditioners. You know because it's kind of- and shout-out to everybody in San Diego. Kind of great weather all year round. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Much love for ya'll. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And some people are like, 'I don't know if I could do that, just the same.' That's a problem? 
 
Jade Harrell:  I'm so willing to try. Let me know if that doesn't work for my biology, but I'm willing to give it a go. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Let's do a foreign exchange program with Jade. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Let's do a double blind study and I'll be there.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Oh my goodness. But they'll see that this is when summertime is rolling around, the change of year is when the coconut oil starts to melt just sitting there in the cabinet. So again, great question.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Thank you, that's what I'm here for. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now let's finally put this to bed. Is saturated fat from coconut oil actually bad for you? 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yes or no? 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Does it really raise your risk for cardiovascular disease? 
 
Now saturated fats found in conventional snack cakes, Twinkies, and Ding Dongs, and Ho Ho's, cookies, and potato chips, it's not the same thing. It's not the same thing. 
 
Jade Harrell:  What kind of fat do you call that? 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  It's saturated fat, but it's just like with calories. All calories are not the same and how they impact your body. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Thank you for that clarification. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  The fats that are found in those heavily processed foods simply do not interact with your body in the same way that coconut oil does. 
 
There's a study- and this was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at two population studies, and this was two populations of Polynesians living on islands near the equator to provide an opportunity to really look at the effects of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol in determining serum cholesterol levels and potential cardiovascular disease. 
 
Now coconut is a chief source of energy for both groups. The Tokelauans obtain a much higher percentage of energy from coconut than the Puka-Pukans, and I hope that I'm saying that correctly. 
 
But that's a 63% compared to a 34%. So the Tokelauans are consuming 63% of their diet from coconuts.  
 
Now vascular disease is uncommon in both populations. There is no evidence of the high saturated fat intake having harmful effect in these populations.  
 
So that's kind of a population study looking at some cultures with a long experience of utilizing coconut oil. But immediately the argument would be, 'Well they probably have some other things that are cancelling out the negative effects of the saturated fat.' 
 
Jade Harrell:  But I don't want to step over that because we were talking about the confusion that can happen with our interpretation of fat, and thinking fat will then make us fat or have some pretty harmful effects. And again there is a difference between the way your body interacts with saturated fat.  
 
Just because you see the name, or experience it as saturated fat exists, really understanding that that doesn't necessarily mean that it's the kind- like you said the Ho Ho's. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  From a natural whole food. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Exactly.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  That's the key, it's from a natural food or a food extract like coconut oil. We talked about the process and how it's made. It's a very simple process that we have this really remarkable plant fat.  
 
Now with that said, this does not mean that other lifestyle factors don't attribute to their lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Because those things do matter if you have a more active lifestyle or you're getting adequate sun exposure, those kinds of things. 
 
But that cannot counteract. If coconut oil and coconut products are bad for you, and there's a population that's eating over 50% to 60% of their diet as coconut, a little walk is not going to walk that off.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah it wouldn't make a difference. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You can't walk off that much bad food intake if it just wasn't true, that this food is actually very, very healthy for you. 
 
But again, we still do have to keep in mind that their diet, their lifestyle, their genetic differences do still matter when we're comparing ourselves, and our various heritage to what they have going on.  
 
But all of these things, again we just need to keep in perspective.  
 
Jade Harrell:  The key thing, that lifestyle part. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have that in addition to your coconut consumption as the thing that's your guide. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Exactly. So now that we've covered a little bit of the history of the coconut, and some of the big arguments against coconut oil related to weight loss, potential weight gain, and also the cardiovascular issues which are the two big arguments, I think that we have more of a well-rounded perspective. 
 
And again this is backed by solid science, but then also looking at just history, historical use. This is a food source that's been used for thousands of years by very, very healthy and vigorous cultures. 
 
So it's again, something that we have the opportunity to learn from, okay? Coconuts for 2,000 years of consumption, Frosted Flakes, thirty years. And Tony the Tiger has had a lot of work done. 
 
Jade Harrell:  They're great! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  He does not look the same as he used to. 
 
Jade Harrell:  He started taking coconut oil. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  It's smoke and mirrors.  
 
So let's shift gears now, and we're going to cover twenty incredible healthy ways that you can utilize coconut oil. 
 
So we're going to start off with number one, we'll start at the top, the most obvious one is to eat it. Alright? 
 
Jade Harrell:  Just eat it! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So how do we go about that? Well as Jade mentioned earlier, we have that change whether it's a solid or a liquid. And so what's the best way for us to actually get it into our bodies? 
 
And I'm a big proponent of pleasure, like getting this in in a way that you actually enjoy. So one of the ways that I like to do it, and this is something I've been doing for again, close to a decade and a half, is blending it into hot beverages. 
 
So I would blend this into like mushroom elixirs, and different drinks, things like that. And so you could actually make your tea, make your tea beverage, or maybe you're making coffee, and throw that hot coffee into the blender with your coconut oil, and blend it all together.  
 
Because it's something that doesn't blend very well if you're just mixing it with the spoon, unlike the MCT oil we talked about earlier.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Right, emulsified, now that's a piece of cake. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Emulsified MCT oil. But coconut oil, definitely use a quick blend to get it to combine a little bit better.  
 
Jade Harrell:  And it's great for the tea. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So blending it into hot drinks. Also a lot of people blend it into cold drinks, which you have to mind your ingredients because it might create a little bit of separation within your drink.  
 
You've seen it? You've had that happen before? 
 
Jade Harrell:  I've had it happen where- I was getting real jazzy. Once you showed us how to make smoothies back in the day, and we've got some years on us, and I'm like, 'Yeah I'll toss in the coconut.' 
 
But once you put the ice in there, then the coconut gets all stuck to the side because it goes solid. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Yeah, there you go. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Trying to get it off of there, you almost need a chisel.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You have to be a little more crafty if you're blending it into cold beverages. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So that's why I like to blend it into hot stuff. Now also a great way to utilize this is making chocolates. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Exactly.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  But you have to keep them in the freezer.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Well yeah, but they don't last very long once they come out.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Exactly.  
 
Jade Harrell:  All chocolate melts, baby.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  All chocolate melts, yes indeed.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Yes it does. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Alright also frozen treats, other little frozen treats, concoctions, things like that. And of course you can just eat it straight. And I've done that many a time as well.  
 
A little bit of an interesting way to make it more palatable is to add a little salt to it, and just kind of- a little dash of salt, and just there you go.  
 
And actually the reason I'm saying that too, is having a little bit of time to actually process it with your mouth, mix it with your saliva, because you're encoding that coconut oil with your own unique DNA and RNA, and it's becoming more familiar with you.  
 
Jade Harrell:  You told us once before that it's instant cell food. So I like to give it a 
little time in there. But also- well you'll probably get into it and I don't want to mess up the list. But before- yeah I'm going to be quiet.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Okay.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Because I'm pretty sure it's going to be on the list. If it's not then I'll add it as a bonus. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  That's unique. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Right? You've never seen that, would you look at that? She waited.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So new things happen every day. Now let's move on. So number one is to eat it, and this is just finding creative way to mix it in with your foods. 
 
Number two is cooking.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  This is the hot way right now. Hot cooking. I didn't even see it. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh you're so good, yeah.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Because of its saturation of the coconut oil, it's actually very resistant to oxidation. So we've got these other wonderful oils like olive oil for example, but cooking with it might not be the best idea. It's so fragile that we keep it in dark glass bottles, right? 
 
And traditionally how it's used is like a finisher where you add it after the food is done, or you're mixing it for salad dressing, for things like that. But cooking with it, because of the unsaturated oils that are in there, it's high likelihood of the free radical activity taking place and it oxidizing.  
 
So coconut oil does not have that issue. So that- number one, cooking with it for everything from eggs to veggies. You can 'butter up' your broccoli. After you make your broccoli, steam your broccoli, and then add in some coconut oil and a little salt and pepper. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Great for brussel sprouts. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Brussel sprouts, sautéing some spinach, we do that all the time as well, or kale, and adding your spices. Your onion powder, your garlic, whatever the case might be.  
 
And so that's a great way is kind of 'buttering up' your food.  
 
Now again, what we've been covering today speaks to the fact that the quality that we use matters so much when it comes to the coconut oil, and that's why the coconut oil that I use, and that I get for my family is from Thrive Market. 
 
And Thrive Market delivers us incredible products that they've basically done so much of the research, and the vetting to get the very best products. 
 
Because again, like we even covered there is so much misinformation out there, and companies can even throw you curveballs, it's kind of hard to figure things out. They've done a lot of work to have all of those compiled. 
 
But that's only step one. Step two is they deliver it at 25% to 50% off the prices you'll find at major natural grocery stores. Some of my favorite- like I could not believe when I saw something that I would pay twice as much for, right there on the site, and they deliver it right to my house.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Well that part makes it- 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  For free, right? With the free shipping. So if you're not utilizing Thrive Market, you've got to get on board. This is going to save you so much money, and it's just amazing that- and I talked to the CEO and I was like, "I don't know how you guys are around." 
 
But they are just crushing it. Like they've been featured in all this major media because they also have a bigger mission behind the scenes because every paid membership, they're giving a free membership to a low income family or veteran that needs access to this kind of food.  
 
They're changing culture at the grassroots level, and it's so inspiring and just makes me so overwhelmed to see a company that's doing things like that. It just means the world to me.  
 
And so if you're not utilizing Thrive Market, head over to 
www.ThriveMarket.com/modelhealth and because you are a listener of The Model Health Show, they're going to give you 25% off your first purchase, and free shipping, and a thirty day free trial to Thrive Market. 
 
This is the time to take advantage of this. We love it. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Exactly. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  We get are toothpaste, our detergents, we get bars for the kids, nut butters, coconut oil, just on and on. Many of these things are 50% off. Same stuff I buy at my favorite grocery stores, and it's just like so silly. 
 
Like when I actually go and I don't- anytime that I don't order and I go buy it, it hurts a little. Like it reminds me like, 'Don't do this again. Make sure you go to Thrive Market.' 
 
Jade Harrell:  Right. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So head over there, check them out. Again keep in mind that the prices are already 25% to 50% off because they cut out the middle man. They go direct to the company to get it direct to you. 
 
Plus again, you're going to get 25% off of your first purchase, so take action right now. www.ThriveMarket.com/modelhealth and you are going to get hooked up. 
 
And they've got organic, non-GMO, gluten free, paleo, sustainably farmed; you name it, they've got it so head over there and check them out today. 
 
So let's move on to number three here on our list of these twenty different ways that we can use coconut oil for our health.  
 
Now another really interesting way that it can be used is as makeup removal, alright? 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yes oh my goodness, let me tell about that. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Typical makeup removers can be abrasive and put chemicals on your skin that can cause long-term issues. And two of the world's leading dermatologists, Anthony Youn, M.D. and Carl Thornfeldt, M.D. say that not only is coconut oil safe to use when cleansing your face and removing makeup, but it's also quite effective and offers numerous benefits to your skin, and its antibacterial properties are one of the great things that they talk about as well. 
 
But it's important to only use coconut oil as you would a cleansing oil. No abrasive washcloths are necessary, and cotton pads, you can use something like that, some organic cotton pads (Thrive Market). 
 
But simply liquefy- 
 
Jade Harrell:  While you're getting the coconut oil. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Liquefy your coconut oil in your hands and when it's in its natural state you can go ahead and rub it gently into your skin. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Let me just tell how to use it for the makeup remover, please. So when we have big events and presentations I have to go get my makeup- I don't have to. I go get my makeup done by a professional makeup artist, and they use heavier things because we're in front of big audiences, and it needs to be that much more visible. 
 
So this stuff is really tough to get off. I mean you could wake up three days later, you're still trying to get the makeup off. We're talking eyebrows to foundation. I mean they set it in with spray, it's a big ordeal. 
 
But you get home, oh those eyelashes and that mascara off, and the eyeliner, just gently rub your face and then you can just wipe it off softly with the cotton swabs. Yeah I live this.  
 
I like how you described it but I live that. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I had no idea. We didn't even talk about this.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh Shawn, yes. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  That this was going to be one of the twenty, and so hearing that story is just the affirmation, and specifically they talk about heavy eye makeup and being so great for that.  
 
Jade Harrell:  So grateful we should say. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So rinse your face with warm water, pat it dry, and I've got an interesting story. Not about makeup. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Alright. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  But this is when I was in California recently, and I was at one of their awesome beaches, and this was the second time in a row that I stepped in this tar. There are these little patches of tar that can be mixed up in the sand, and it is like impossible to get off. Like it sticks to you. 
 
Jade Harrell:  It becomes your skin. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And I know people listening have had this experience before, there are a lot of people listening that know this drama.  
 
And so I'm just like- because the second time I was like, 'No way.' Because I was looking this time, making sure. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Trying to find it, yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And sure enough I go to put my shoes on once we got back to the parking lot, and there she was, that tarred up foot.  
 
So I tried everything. I was trying to wipe it off, I went to a restaurant bathroom with soap and water, nothing.  
 
What happened was coconut oil. I rubbed the coconut oil directly- just rubbing it with my hand, and it came off so quickly it was just remarkable. 
 
Jade Harrell:  That's fantastic. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So really great additional use for your coconut oil is as a makeup removal / tar removal. 
 
Jade Harrell:  The tar removal. Which in some cases if you're not careful, check that makeup and where it's sourced because there may be some tar in it.  
 
But a little tip though around your edges where your hairline is, is often a place that we can miss when we're washing makeup off if we've had a full coverage, and so rubbing a little bit there at your hairline and then wipe it off is good and that will keep your skin clear after a build-up around there. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Gotcha. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Alright so now we're going to move onto number four on our list of the twenty healthy things that you can do with coconut oil, and number four is as a body oil / moisturizer.  
 
Now I've been using coconut oil almost exclusively on my skin for at least half a decade. And sometimes people are like, 'You've got the glow. You've got the glow.' 
 
Jade Harrell:  You look like butterscotch pudding. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  What? 
 
Jade Harrell:  It's so smooth, and smooth. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Did that just- butterscotch pudding? 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah. Like a hot butter bun dinner roll. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Okay I've been using coconut oil almost exclusively on my skin for at least half a decade, probably closer to a full decade. And shout-out to The Last Dragon for people who don't know what we're talking about. At the end when he gets the glow, man it's like the best. Like I for sure thought I was going to get the glow, the Bruce Leroy glow. 
 
Jade Harrell:  That's alright. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Berry Gordy, The Last Dragon, one of my favorite movies of all time. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yes me too, my brother.  
Shawn Stevenson:  Now also this does take some consideration of your skin type, but automatically you would think that oily skin should avoid oil, but in actuality oily skin actually needs healthy oils to calm the need for overproduction of oils on your skin. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Aha, but there's that antibacterial property of it so it can help keep that from being a problem. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So this would be ideal obviously for your body- 'for your body.' For your entire body, but also for your skin for a nice percentage of people it's going to be great for your facial skin as well. Tell your face. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Tell your face. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You want healthy skin? Tell your face. Now the type and quality of coconut oil that you use matters here a lot. We're not talking about the hydrogenated bleached.  
 
Terrible stuff that we mentioned earlier that many conventional companies are putting out there in the market. And also they can sneak this stuff into products as well. Say, 'Oh there's coconut oil in our skincare product,' but it's not the good stuff. 
 
So you can just actually use the coconut oil itself, and it's so cost-effective too. You just need a small amount to cover so much.  
 
Jade Harrell:  So much territory. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So much territory.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Well for some of us. Some of us have more surface area to cover, and therefore we use a little more coconut oil. With pleasure. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  With pleasure. 
 
Now let's move onto number five. We'll move onto number five on our list of twenty healthy things that you can do with coconut oil. Number five is using it as a bath oil.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Really? 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now my wife today, she is just reveling in how good she feels. She actually took a magnesium bath yesterday and she was just like, "I slept so good, I feel so good, like I haven't felt this good in so long." 
 
And adding oils to your bathwater can be very, very great for your skin. Just make your skin feel silky smooth. 
Jade Harrell:  Yes, silky.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  That's what my mom used to say.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Make you smooth. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So now you can have your skin feeling absolutely wonderful. What you'll use is three to four level tablespoons of coconut oil. No need to go overboard. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Right. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Or you might not be able to get out. Alright so three to four level tablespoons, and also you'd go with maybe a fourth of a cup of Epsom salts, or we use the Deep Soak from Activation Products, you know that magnesium product.  
 
But a relaxing bath can help to soothe your muscles and treat your skin. So you could choose also one of the many other essential oils that are out there to add to your bath as well.  
 
Coconut oil is a great carrier which we'll talk about in a second, but you know there's eucalyptus, lavender, there are some good choices and coconut oil helps to round all of that out.  
 
So now let's move on to number six on our list of twenty healthy things you can do with coconut oil. Another one is something called oil pulling. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yes! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now this is something that's been done for a long time, especially in Ayurvedic medicine, but I think a better name for it- because automatically it can sound a little bit like, 'Oh oil pulling, huh?' 
 
This is better called oil swishing, alright? Oil swishing. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh wow, come on. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Alright because the term oil pulling can sound like you're pulling toxins out from your soul or something weird.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Yes! Do that.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You know but there was one- let's look at some of the science. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay. 
Shawn Stevenson:  There was one study that was completed in 2008, and this was a randomized controlled triple blind study that found that oil swishing led to a significant reduction in streptococcus mutans count in plaque and in saliva. 
 
Now they concluded that oil swishing can be used as an effective preventative adjunct in maintaining and improving oral health. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh yes sir, that was the one that I was going to bring up and I said, 'I know it's on your list,' and there it is. And so before I actually take a tablespoon- just eating a tablespoon of coconut oil, I'll do the pulling, as you say swishing first, spit that out, and then I'll go in and take the spoonful. Tablespoonful. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Got it. So that's actually- I'm so glad that you mentioned you spit it out and got a new- 
 
Jade Harrell:  Absolutely, yeah you don't want to- 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Because you're going to be picking up a lot of stuff when you're doing the swishing.  
 
So there's also- this was a study published in British Dental Journal, and coconut oil was found to strongly inhibit the growth of most strains of streptococcus bacteria, including streptococcus mutans which is a major cause of caries.  
 
Now the study had test studies to use oil pullings for ten minutes in the morning before brushing. So that's one to two tablespoons, swish it around for ten minutes, and then spit it out. 
 
Jade Harrell:  And absolutely spit it out, but if you do- like with your tongue, there's enough dilution that it wouldn't disrupt your plumbing. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Right so make sure you run some water to help to flush it out, or just go and spit it in the trashcan. Or outside.  
 
Jade Harrell:  What if it provides something for your yard? Number 21. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Number 21, that's just weird. That's just weird.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Gardening. Compost.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  'Hey little rosebushes, I've got a surprise for you.' 
 
Jade Harrell:  Right. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I've been oil pulling. Now let's move on, number seven on our list of these twenty healthy things that we can do with coconut oil. Number seven is to use it as a lip balm. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh yeah.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now let me just share with you really quickly what's in the most popular one out there, le Chapstick. Chapstick. 
 
So in Chapstick, we've got some questionable ingredients. We've got cetyl alcohol, we've got methylparabens, we've got red lake #6. Alright? Saccharin, and all manner of things that you probably can't pronounce, alright? 
 
So again the great thing about coconut oil is that if you can't eat it, you probably don't even want to put it on your skin, and if it's on your lips, you are actually going to be consuming a lot more of it than you would actually suspect.  
 
Jade Harrell:  And with cetyl alcohol, you will be using a lot of it because it dries your lips out as soon as you put it on. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Right and it's a solvent, it pulls things in. So for some people, applying coconut oil right to your lips will be just fine, but for some people it might kind of sit on top of your lips a little bit and not get that deep nourishment that you're looking for.  
 
And so you might want to make a little bit of your own natural lip balm which is as simple as mixing about a tablespoon of coconut oil, a tablespoon of olive oil, and about a fourth tablespoon of honey into a small bowl, and that can create this nice balm, this nice paste that you can utilize.  
 
And that recipe is from out there on the interwebs. You can just go to Dr. Google and look up recipes for making lip balm with coconut oil. 
 
Jade Harrell:  I like that. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So that's another way that we can utilize it. Again or many people, they can just put it directly on their lips to get a little bit of love there. But that's just one of these twenty ways.  
 
Let's move on to number eight. Number eight way to utilize coconut oil is as a burn treatment for first aid. We all have to have- especially if you have kids, if you're into extreme sports, whatever. We all need some first aid access.  
 
But I use this for my son all the time, for my sons, and for scrapes and things like that because it's antibacterial, that helps as well, but it's also kind of just soothing and cooling when it gets applied to your skin. It just kind of takes away some of the abrasiveness of the scrape. 
 
Now the Indian Journal of Pharmacology found that coconut helps to accelerate wound healing and research also found that there is significant improvement in burn wound contraction. Alright? So it helps this thing to kind of get closed up. 
 
So that's another way that we can utilize coconut oil. So we're going to move on now to number nine on our list of twenty healthy things that you can do with coconut oil. 
 
Number nine is using it as a lubricant. So this is in the bedroom. Coconut oil is simple and natural, and OB/GYN Jennifer Gunter M.D. says that, "even though there haven't been any studies looking at the safety of coconut oil as a lubricant, so far it seems very safe and I haven't had any patients report any negative side effects. Plus it's natural, preservative-free, and affordable compared to traditional lubricants that you would find in the drugstore." 
 
And she says that, "in my practice, many women who experience vaginal dryness have chemical sensitivities or vulvar sensitivities reported that they actually really liked using the coconut oil." 
 
Jade Harrell:  Absolutely. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And as an added bonus, coconut oil contains natural antifungal properties so it could actually help to reduce the risk of infections when using it. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yes and let us say that instant cell food can be a bit of a stimulant. Just saying. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And there it is.  
 
Jade Harrell:  And there it is.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now this is important, is that this is not to be used with latex though.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh for sure. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Because it may weaken the latex and actually increase the risk of breakage. And so I don't want anybody naming- 'We're naming our kid The Model Health Baby because you said use coconut oil- no, I did not say that. This is for not using latex.  
 
Jade Harrell:  But if that's what you meant, congratulations.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Yes, congratulations on that.  
Jade Harrell:  We're honored. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now as an additional note here, we want to stay away from lubricants with glycerin and parabens, as these products can break down into irritants that are not safe for the reproductive system. 
 
And again, there's so much misinformation out there, and people are just taking things because they're out there. This appears to be approved by the FDA to use this particular lubricant, but it has things that can actually mess with your endocrine system. 
 
Jade Harrell:  For sure. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And this is going into a place where it's much quicker absorption.  
 
Jade Harrell:  If you wouldn't put it in your mouth- I mean if you can't put it on your skin, or even put it in your mouth, you wouldn't eat it, then don't put it in your cha-cha. Your lady parts, let me be correct.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Yes I totally, totally agree because really if it's on your skin, it's in your body, and that is actually in your body. So we want to start looking at our personal care products.  
 
And we're going to do an entire show dedicated to this from our toothpaste, to our lotions, and all these different things. Coconut oil is just one solution, but it has so many different uses which is why I wanted to focus an entire episode on this, and give you some things that you might not have considered before, and ways to use it.  
 
So let's move on to number ten here. Number ten on our list of twenty healthy things that you can do with coconut oil is as a mouthwash / teeth cleanser.  
 
Now we've already covered a little bit with the great potential with mouthwash as the oil pulling, but as a tooth cleanser, clean the 'tooths,' you can actually help you to first of all avoid some ridiculous things that are found in conventional toothpaste like fluoride.  
 
On a recent episode we did with Dr. Izabella Wentz, number one New York Times bestselling author, and she really broke down just some mind-blowing facts about fluoride, and how fluoride is directly implicated in thyroid disease.  
 
It has a tremendously negative impact on thyroid function. Also the fluoridation of your pineal gland, things like that. So it has this really interesting ability to hold up shop in certain parts of your body, and can cause some real problems.  
So we need to be aware of that, but we were promoted that fluoride is good for your teeth. And again we're going to do an entire show on this subject matter, but if you happened to not catch that episode, we'll put it in the show notes for you to go back and listen so you're not just like, "Huh?" 
 
Jade Harrell:  "What are you talking about?" 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Because there's fluoride, there's fluoridated water out there that is specifically marketed for kids. 
 
Jade Harrell:  For babies.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Give your kids this fluoride water. And come to find out this actually has some really negative impacts on many different organs and tissues in our body. So we can avoid that by utilizing coconut oil. 
 
Also something that we can avoid that's in common with toothpaste are sodium lauryl sulfate, which according to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Project where they're looking at cosmetic safety reviews, they found that sodium lauryl sulfate is linked to irritation of the skin and eyes, organ toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, and possible mutations and cancer.  
 
This is not a small thing, and this is in so many of our products, our personal care products, but again it's kind of hiding in plain sight. And now again, we can wake up and start to recognize these things.  
 
Now companies are shifting over a lot more, becoming aware of this, especially as the public is demanding better products, are using coconut oil and MCT oil to make toothpaste today, which is really interesting.  
 
But this is something that you can whip up at home if you chose to do that, and this is just another opportunity we have. I'm not saying that this is something that I do, but I have utilized coconut oil for cleaning before. 
 
But what I do want to give you guys though is something you can whip up at home, and you can check out the instructions on how to do this from Wellness Mama, Katie Wellness Mama.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Yes! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  We'll put a link in the show notes page, so head over to www.TheModelHealthShow.com and she's got a little recipe for making your own tooth soap. 
 
Jade Harrell:  I love it. 
Shawn Stevenson:  Alright so we're going to move on to number eleven on our list of twenty healthy things you can do with coconut oil. Number eleven is to use it as a sunscreen. 
 
According to the Environmental Working Group, approximately 75% of commercial sunscreens contain toxic chemicals that are linked to cancer and disrupt hormones.  
 
This might be another newsflash. Again an entire episode will be dedicated to this coming up soon, so make sure to stay tuned for that. But the bottom line is we need to be aware of that. 
 
And SPF 100+ sunscreen actually blocks out over 99% of the UVB rays, and that's actually a little bit of a problem because the UVB is what helps your body produce vitamin D.  
 
So is that the best idea that we're applying this, like plastering ourselves with this sunblock, and then going outside like it's all good? 
 
Because actually many of these do allow in a different spectrum of light, the UVA, not as efficiently which is the one that's more linked to skin cancer ironically.  
 
And so coconut oil itself actually has an SPF naturally of about 10, which is pretty good for a natural substance. 
 
But the key here is to get adequate sunlight for yourself, but not to get sunburned. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Exactly. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  That's the key. So you've got to take into consideration your own complexion. For some people coconut oil- like that's what I use personally, and I don't get sunburned. I have a little bit of a darker tone, a little bit of a color, a little caramel to me, and so I don't get burned as easily but I can get burned.  
 
I've been sunburned before, but since I've been using coconut oil, and actually consciously ratcheting up my exposure. Like we're about to go on a family trip for example, so I'm making sure that I'm getting more time in the sun and not just go out- I'm getting like five minutes of sunlight a day to two hours a day, right? And then wondering why my skin is peeling off. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Exactly. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  That's dangerous. This is not. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah that's harsh. 
Shawn Stevenson:  This is not dangerous. We want to again, be conscious of this easier way into your sun exposure. Because what a tan is, that's built-in sunscreen. It's built-in sunblock.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Basically.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So your body is building up that ability to be in the sun more often. So you want to take your time and build that up. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Well the cool part about the coconut oil on the flipside is that it's great for bronzing. Like while it's a great sunblock, you won't get any cuter toastier beautiful skin with that going on. It just makes it all even, and so it's wonderful. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I see how you're looking at yourself.  
 
Jade Harrell:  I did! I was looking at my own skin! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I'm feeling myself. I'm feeling myself. Alright let's move on. So number twelve is actually using it as a sunburn treatment.  
 
Now coconut oil has these wonderful saturated fats we've talked about which are lauric acid is a big component of that, and other unique combinations of fatty acids that actually heals sunburned skin and relieves some of the inflammation, and it reduces the discomfort that's caused by peeling, and excessive dryness of the skin, and also it can nourish and rehydrate the skin as well.  
 
And one of the things that I've seen is that it soothes the burned skin and helps it tighten, what we talked about earlier in relationship to burns, preventing lasting damages such as wrinkles, tanning, discoloration, et cetera. 
 
And also its antioxidant activity helps to eliminate the free radicals associated with the sunburn. So another great use for it there.  
 
So let's move on to number thirteen, is utilizing coconut oil as a massage oil. Obvious, we've talked about the benefits in nourishing the skin, so you've got that right there. Plus no artificial toxic ingredients.  
 
So we're avoiding the random craziness that might be in oils that would be used for a massage, so that's another great use for it. 
 
Number fourteen on the twenty healthy ways that we can utilize coconut oil, number fourteen is for cracked heels. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yes!  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Cracked heels. 
Jade Harrell:  Don't even get me started, yes sir. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So I remember the movie Boomerang, Eddie Murphy. You know he had this real stipulation, a problem when she had hammertime in her shoe, alright?  
 
We don't want to necessarily have hammertime in the shoe. Well there's not going to be any foot shaming on my watch. If you've seen the picture of Shaq's foot out there going around on the interwebs- 
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh my goodness, yes. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You would wonder. You would wonder how a person could love him. But they did, and they do. I love Shaq even though your foot looks like a shack. It looks like- 
 
Jade Harrell:  Well you know those poor footsies had to take a beating with the level that he's at. And the sheer- 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  It's more than that. There's been some neglect there, alright? There's been some clear neglect.  
 
But cracked heels, so what we would do is massage in the coconut oil and then slide on some socks. Alright so you don't want to massage in the coconut oil and just go walking around your hardwood floors because you'd be looking like you're on some ice. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Been there, done that. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So throw on some socks. It really helps to deeply nourish those cracked heels, and just the skin on your feet overall.  
 
Let's move on to number fifteen. So number fifteen on our list of twenty healthy things that we can do with coconut oil, and that is shaving. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Okay. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You can actually shave, get a great shave with coconut oil. And I found this out on accident, and this was pretty recent. I just didn't know that this was even a thing.  
 
This kind of actually inspired this episode. And so I was at a friend's place travelling on the road, and they had everything that I could possibly need, but no shaving cream. Alright and I forgot to bring mine along. 
And so I'm like in a pinch, and so I'm like, "What am I going to do? What am I going to do?" And so I went to Dr. Google, and I saw coconut oil come up, and so I was like, "Okay I'll give this a shot." 
 
And so get the skin nice and warmed up, and wet your skin. Because you would think like the oil and the water, so I'm like, "Should I just put the coconut oil straight on?" 
 
No, just kind of do as you normally would when you're going to shave. And so this is with a razor. 
 
And so did that, and put on the shaving cream, and the shave was so smooth, and easy, and it was just great. Like it was awesome.  
 
And so I did that, and I told my wife about it as well, and so then I started hearing all these different stories of like women even shaving their legs using coconut oil. Like I had no idea that that was a thing.  
 
So you can utilize it for shaving. And actually- 
 
Jade Harrell:  Did you put the hot towel on your face after that? 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  It wasn't a barber shop thing. You're like trying to get the whole barber shop picture. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Well it sounded like you had an experience. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I did, I did but I didn't just sit back in the chair and put the towel on my face. Yes.  
 
Jade Harrell:  That's right. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Have a good day. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Treat that fella right. Treat yo'self.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So that's another way that we can utilize that. It's really great for blocking razor burn, and those kinds of things.  
 
So let's move on to number sixteen, and we can utilize coconut oil as a hair conditioner and moisturizer.  
 
The fats in the coconut oil are incredibly beneficial for conditioning hair, and today many- there are so many products today that are utilizing coconut oil.  
 
And there are 'natural' hair products, and there are also the conventional ones that are shifting gears and adding in coconut oil as a feature or a highlight. Probably not the good stuff, but this is a great way to condition your hair. 
 
So people that are interested in that, just give a search on Dr. Google, you can get a lot more information about how to do that.  
 
So let's move on to number seventeen. This one is for the babies, alright? Twenty healthy things we can do with coconut oil is to help to treat diaper rash.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Oh! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  This helps to reduce redness, itchiness, and pain, and this is something that has many, many anecdotal stories out there, and there are some clinical applications that we're seeing now as well. 
 
Plus proactively using it on your baby's skin can help to reduce the likelihood that the rash will return. 
 
Jade Harrell:  That makes perfect sense. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So another viable option there.  
 
Jade Harrell:  It makes me want to have another baby to protect their little butts. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Oh boy! Oh boy! Number eighteen, and this is actually going to skip back to shaving with the coconut oil in the fact that this is great for treating and preventing ingrown hairs. So there's two ways that this happens.  
 
It makes a great spot treatment for ingrown hairs or razor bumps by providing that barrier between the blade and your skin as you shave, and not making it worse, and also it provides much needed skin treatment to prevent the itchiness and irritation after shaving.  
 
So there's two ways that you can go about that.  
 
So it's just great. If you're somebody who shaves whether it's your beard, or your head, whatever the case might be- your pits, applying some coconut oil can be great after shaving.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Alright so now we're moving on to number nineteen. We're at number nineteen.  
 
Number nineteen in the twenty healthy ways that we can utilize coconut oil is using it as an antibacterial.  
 
So like a little bit of a hand sanitizer. Now coconut oil is a rich source of lauric and caprylic acid which are well known for their natural antifungal and antibacterial properties.  
 
Typical hand sanitizers are very harsh and use alcohol that kill off bad and good bacteria, which can leave people more susceptible to these 'super bugs' and these super strains of pathogenic bacteria.  
 
So there's this natural balance, you know? We want to be clean but also let's be real though. Sometimes you do want the harsh stuff, like your hands have been some places and doing some things.  
 
But just in general, like the daily- just kind of here or there washing your hands with the conventional soaps, we want to upgrade those. We definitely want to upgrade the soaps that we're buying and using things like in a pinch. 
 
You've got maybe a little coconut oil thing in your purse or whatever, and you just want to give your hands a quick once over. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah and just like cracked feet. This is great for helping to keep your hands and cuticles moisturized. Because those soaps are harsh, and they draw out any of your natural moisturizer- your natural moisture and condition your hands, and it's just a great way to kind of keep them preserved. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Such a great point and definitely in a pinch, again you can use conventional hand sanitizers please, and soaps, but when you are in better control of the environment, use soaps that are made of more natural ingredients. 
 
So the bottom line is utilizing the coconut oil even after washing your hands with some higher quality soaps for the moisturizing, taking care of those cuticles like Jade talked about. It's just a much better idea.  
 
I also wanted to share this. The Journal of Medicinal Food said that coconut oil has been found to kill the yeast candida albicans, which is a common source of yeast infections in humans.  
 
So when I'm talking about- this is clinically proven. Antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiviral, anti-candida as well. So there's many applications with this really remarkable food. 
 
Let's move on to number twenty, and this is our final one on twenty healthy ways that we can utilize coconut oil, is for stretch marks.  
Jade Harrell:  What?! 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  For treating stretch marks.  
 
Jade Harrell:  To a degree. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Now my wife, when she was pregnant with our youngest son, she utilized cocoa butter and coconut oil daily during her pregnancy and the recovery after.  
 
Now before we go any further, I have to make the statement again, stretch marks are not something to be ashamed of. Please understand. I love the new Kendrick Lamar line, "Show me something natural, I want to feel some stretch marks." 
 
Jade Harrell:  That's why I said to a degree. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  I have no problem. No problem with that. But just the individual, the individual person having that idea about how they want their body to look, and the skin to be treated, and the appearance of the skin; if there is a way to improve that, I want to share that with you. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Absolutely. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So utilizing these tools. So high quality cocoa butter from real cocoa. It's cocoa butter so this is like the fat from the cacao, and coconut oil can be a great idea. 
 
Jade Harrell:  And beyond the cosmetic part, I mean what your body goes through in carrying a child, just it's stretch marks. It's called stretch marks for a reason. It's a mark of the stretching of your skin, and to treat that with the coconut oil, just to maintain the tone and condition of your skin is just another thing that makes sense.  
 
I mean that's a pretty extreme change from where you were to where you're going, and just so that it can recover and keep everything aligned.  
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Right, helping the elasticity of the skin. 
 
Jade Harrell:  That's the thing, yeah Shawn. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  You just said a great word which is 'conditioning' the skin to help it for that purpose. And so Katt Williams said it best, "The stretch marks, I have no problem with them, I love them because it just means that you were big and got little, or you were little and you got bit." 
 
Jade Harrell:  That's a great quote. 
Shawn Stevenson:  Got a little thicker than a snicker.  
 
Jade Harrell:  That's a great quote. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  But this can be utilized to treat your skin as you're- if you're losing weight, if you're going through a pregnancy, if you've put on some weight, and even if you're working to put on weight.  
 
There are a lot of people who are doing the booty building right now.  
 
Jade Harrell:  Sometimes you're doing both. Maybe you're putting it on and taking it off. Putting it back on, and taking it back off. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  So just make sure that we're utilizing these various applications for coconut oil. 
 
Jade Harrell:  That's so awesome. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  There are so many different ways that we can take advantage of it. Now again, what to look for? 
 
Make sure that you're utilizing these incredible benefits that we've covered here in this episode, but we want organic virgin coconut oil. Not the refined stuff.  
 
Not the stuff that's been treated, that's been bleached, treated with hexane, hydrogenated, things of that nature. We just want the real good stuff.  
 
And that's why I'm saying again, make sure to take advantage of the incredible deals over at Thrive Market. You're getting 25% off of your first purchase, plus free shipping, plus a thirty day free trial.  
 
And this is something that we utilize year round as a family to just- it's absolutely mind-blowing how much money we save.  
 
Like I said, the very first time that I used it, I was just like- my jaw was on the floor. It was like, "I've been paying for this all this time?!"  I had no idea.  
 
And so those guys are truly amazing and doing a great job, so head over to www.ThriveMarket.com/modelhealth and you're going to get that 25% off your first purchase.  
 
And I would highly encourage you grabbing yourself some coconut oil, and they've already screened out to get the best quality products for whether it's coconut oil, whether it's snack bars, whether it's toothpaste. So you've got so many different things to go through.  
And all the different food items. You know they've got the Paleo categories, glutenfree; no matter what it is you're looking for to create a healthy body and healthy life, they've got something for you. 
 
Everybody, thank you so much for tuning into the show today. This episode is highlighting a food that I was scared of. I actually was terrified of this food when I first began to look at some of the research about a decade and a half ago, because it was so outside of my paradigm. 
 
I was becoming more awake to the fact that fats were not all bad for me like I had been taught in my university setting, and by trusted advisors. 
 
So I got that, but then to see like, "Are you sure? This is saturated fat, I'm just going to-"  
 
And when I first ate it I was like just basically watching the clock like, "Okay I should be passing out anytime now," right? And it never happened. 
 
And actually I got healthier, I got leaner and leaner as I continued to use it over the years. 
 
Jade Harrell:  And more butterscotchy. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  Thank you. And it's just something that is always- we always have this there in our cabinets for our family to use. And I use it so many different ways, and we shared twenty various ways that you can use it and utilize it for your family. 
 
So I highly encourage you to check it out. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Absolutely. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And just add more options, add more things to your superhero utility belt for you to be the healthiest version of yourself, because that's what it's all about.  
 
I appreciate you so much. We've got some amazing, amazing guests and show topics coming up, so make sure to stay tuned. Take care, have an amazing day, and I'll talk with you soon. 
 
And make sure for more after the show, you head over to 
www.TheModelHealthShow.com, that's where you can find the show notes, and if you've got any questions or comments, make sure to let me know. And please head over to iTunes and give us a five star rating, and let everybody know that our show is awesome.  
Jade Harrell:  Yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And you're loving it. 
 
Jade Harrell:  Yeah. 
 
Shawn Stevenson:  And I read all the comments, so please leave me a comment there, and take care everybody. I promise to keep giving you more powerful, empowering, great content to help transform your life. Thanks for tuning in.  
 

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  1. Hi Shawn,
    Great episode, listened to this 2 years ago and started to use coconut oil (a lot). And 1 year ago I started to study nutrition and got a different view on coocnut oil. I wanted to relisten to this episode and got curious on the articles you mention, where can I find the names of the articles so I can read them myself as well? 🙂
    Best regards, Zuhal

  2. A very helpful blog! I was truly unaware of the ways to use coconut oil. All the ways that you have mentioned about using coconut oil are just amazing. Thank you so much for sharing detailed knowledge about the use of coconut oil. Keep on sharing such informative content…:)

  3. Hi Shawn, I’ve been buying my coconut oil from Organic Matters situated in BC, Canada. I live in Verner, Ontario and I pay about $40 shipping and about $45 for 1 Gallon/ 3.5 Kg of Organic, Virgin, Raw, Cold Pressed Coconut Oil. Would you say that is a reasonable price and quality of product? Nonetheless, I will be looking into Thrive Market. Thank you so much for everything, I have been going through extremely difficult times and watching and listening to you and your guests has been very helpful in bringing joy, hope and passion back into my life. I’m a single father to a 2 year old princess who I am doing what I can to raise on a mostly plant based, whole food diet/lifestyle.

    1. Dominique, first off you are the man! Raising a daughter like you are is incredible. You are a miracle, bro! So you’re spending 85$ total on a gallon of coconut oil? I would definitely check out Thrive Market as they can probably give you the most bang for your buck and save you some nice money in the short and long run. Hope this helps man, keep crushing it! Talk soon (:

  4. Pingback: TMHS 306: Coconuts, Kettlebells, & Breaking The Wagon Mentality - With Guest Noelle Tarr - My podcast website
  5. Hey Shawn, thanks for the great podcast on coconut oil. Lot’s of great information there. I do want to point out though that when you were talking about the studies with Polynesian cultures you were interchangeably using the term coconut oil and coconuts (specifically the islanders consuming the whole food coconut as a majority of their diet). With so much confusion and misinformation out there I wanted to make sure I pointed out the difference there! They are definitely not consuming 64% of their diet from coconut oil (and you did in fact point out later in the show that you SHOULDN’T be consuming that much, but not in that context.)

    Love what you’re doing on the show. Keep up the good work!

  6. Hey Shawn and Jade! Thanks for all the great information. I linked to this podcast through your email “Never eat coconut oil again unless…” and was like: “What!? I thought coconut oil was an easy winner and now this guy who I trust is telling me to never use it again? Damn.” Dirty trick! 😉 Nonetheless, I learned a lot in here, thanks!

  7. Shawn,

    Your podcast episodes are like not other. You are on another level with your extensive research and knowledge in each subject. You add so much depth and truth it’s ridiculous!!! So glad you do ALL THAT YOU DO!

    Have you seen “What The Health” on Netflix?
    I’m very curious to hear any and all of your thoughts if you are willing to share?
    What they touch on is sooo HUGE! They even talk about the sponsors and eggs as well..
    I’m sure you have much to say.

    Thank you for making it such a priority to inform the public.

    Best podcast evaaa!!

  8. Shawn, thank you so much for clearing this up. I love that you always look to the research. People are so quick to gobble up whatever is being fed to them, which is scary because there is so much misinformation out there. Love love love this post!

  9. I heard from an esthetician that coconut clogs pores and can cause Milia. Do you find this to be true? Thanks!

  10. Hi Shawn, thank you and Kudos to you and Jayde for getting this stuff out there. I recently started listening(while exercising) to your pod casts and have gone through all of them. Now I am passing them on. Keep sharing, keep caring. I look for your next episode of the TMHS you two are a gramazeous team!

  11. Very interesting and inspiring post. Want to go into production of coconut oil, you have given all the reasons to start. Thank you.

  12. Awesome podcast on coconut oil. I really appreciate the review of the science information and its shortcomings. Too many of us just read the headline and do not read the information to be fully informed. You and Jade do that. Thanks also for reviewing all the great benefits. Keep up the amazing work that you and Jade do.

  13. Oh. My. Gosh! My hubby has heart disease and I’ve been suspicious about the whole “need to take cholesterol lowering” meds for a while now. But I literally had NO IDEA that the pharma companies that make Lipitor, etc. are “donating” millions of dollars to the AHA! I Googled it myself after I read it in your article and it’s right there on the AHA website! Thank you so much for keeping us informed about all the misinformation out there, Shawn. Love your podcast!

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