Telling It Like It Is

Learning to Budget for Our “Free” Dog

Lin — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:00:07 +0000

She was our “free” Doberman pinscher. A sweet dog with big brown eyes and a gentle disposition, she was kicked out of a truck and abandoned on the side of the road. Witnessing the tragedy, I stopped and brought her home. Little did I know how much that “free” dog would ultimately cost my family.

The Vet

When I brought her home, the first order of business was to find a good vet. We were fortunate enough to find one who would let us make payments, a true gift since that first office exam cost more than $200.00 dollars. She had an exam, a full round of shots and was treated for worms. The cost was a little painful, especially for someone who wasn’t familiar with the high cost of vet visits, but we were already falling in love with her. A few months later, she cost another $500.00 dollars with the local vet, because we had to have several of her teeth pulled.

The Clothes and Accessories

The dog we named Gypsy shivered in the Indiana cold. The obvious solution was to buy the poor girl sweaters to keep her warm in the snow. She seemed to appreciate the warmth outside, but she would chew them right off her body if we didn’t take them off fast enough when she came back in. We spent more than $50.00 dollars on clothes before we decided they weren’t worth it. Fortunately, we realized quickly that she had no interest in toys, so there was no expense for them, but she also had a nervous habit of chewing her bedding. This was discovered after spending more than $50.00 dollars on plush dog beds.

The Shock and the Solution

We loved and adored our Doberman, so there was never a discussion of getting rid of Gypsy. She had already been through too much for another set of humans to abandon her, and she was a wonderful dog with excellent manners. However, the realization that we spent more than $800.00 dollars on our free dog in six months was shocking. We did keep her, but we found ways to budget for her expenses.

An ounce of prevention is cheaper than vet bills. We learned how to brush her teeth, eliminating the high price of having any more teeth pulled.
Second-hand bedding is the best choice for pets. Plush dog beds won’t impress your pooch, but soft quilts from the local thrift will work great. They’re easier to wash, and Gypsy loved shifting hers around to create the perfect shape. When she chewed too many holes in the five dollar bed, we just threw it out and bought another one.
Accessories are nice, within reason. Our dogs love us and want our attention and affection. Cool collars and leashes are attractive, but Gypsy didn’t care about any of that. She was happy as long as we were giving her the love she so richly deserved. She got new collars and accessories once in a while, but it was more of a treat for us than her.

Learning how to budget pet-related expenses will make owning a pet more enjoyable. Vet bills can’t be eliminated, but they can be minimized with regular care. Your pet will be just as happy with an old quilt as an expensive dog bed. Finally, the toys and accessories aren’t what makes your dog happy. Just like Gypsy, all any dog really wants is to be loved and cared for, and that won’t cost any money at all.

Doris Sanchez is a freelance blogger and is writing on behalf of debtmanagement.org.uk.

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Lending Money to Adult Children: Is it Asking for Trouble?

Lin — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:26:50 +0000

Lending Money to Adult Children: Is it Asking for Trouble?

Money is the world’s way of measuring the worth of a person and although learning how to manage it is extremely important, many go through life at its mercy. It’s not just paper currency – it wields tremendous psychological and emotional power. With that in mind, lending money to adult children can be risky.

Money Management 101 is not taught in school and money is something that can damage relationships between family members. Loaning it can result in either faithful reimbursement or financial disaster. Whether or not a parent should make a loan to their adult child depends on the child’s emotional and financial maturity.

Some Reasons to Beware

Shakespeare wrote “Neither a borrower or a lender be,” and the Bible says the borrower becomes a slave to the lender. There are five reasons to think hard before signing on the dotted line to lend money to an adult child.

With some, paying back the loan is not a priority for them. Well-meaning parents who do not specify a deadline may never see their money again. Without interest and late payment penalties there is no motivation to repay it.
A loan can strain relationships, making it awkward to ask for the money back. Family communication can suffer if the borrower feels guilty and uncomfortable about the loan and the lender feels worried or resentful.
The borrower can end up feeling like they are in the lender’s control. Some say after they accepted money from a family member they felt like a puppet, forced to do anything the lender wanted.
If the family member is irresponsible, lending them money may encourage financial dependency. Throwing cash at the problem doesn’t solve it, but can make a bad situation worse.
Parents still waiting to be repaid could suffer financial hardship if they lose their job. Those who are living on a fixed income can also suffer, especially if the loan affects whether they can put food on the table and pay bills and medical expenses.

Alternatives to making a personal loan are to give a financial gift that doesn’t need repaying, suggesting selling some personal items or agreeing to co-sign a bank loan. This last idea is dicey because if the borrower defaults on the loan the bank comes after the co-signer.

How to Handle Loan Requests

The decision of whether or not to lend money to a family member is always difficult but remembering some guidelines can help. Heeding these guidelines leads to a wise decision. Ignoring them could cause long-term damage to family finances and relationships.

Consider that if the borrower has a spotty employment record or a prior history of financial mismanagement, they might never pay it back. If the lender has a high tolerance for risk, they might be more likely to loan the money.
Avoid taking money out of the savings or retirement account. Those funds are needed for the long haul and should be protected.
Involving the spouse in the decision keeps the lines of communication open. It also helps by getting a second opinion on the matter.
Drawing up a legal, official contract outlining payment terms make seem strange but it’s good planning. A clause outlining what happens if the lender dies before the loan is paid back is also good.

Saying “no” to adult children when they ask for a loan is easier said than done – after all, they are offspring. Helping them instead to learn to manage their financial resources is an important but often neglected parenting skill. Some may see a loan refusal as an example of tough love but in some families, both parties may be better off in the long run.

Guest author Annie Foy is a freelance blogger and is writing on behalf of paydayloansonline.com.

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10 Uses for Lavender

Lin — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:09:41 +0000

While lavender has a scent many find appealing, it is not just for use in potpourri. There are many other uses for lavender including relieving pain, soothing irritated skin and flavoring food and beverages.

Lavender flowers can be purchased at flower shops and some grocery stores, or you can choose to grow the plant in your garden at home. Lavender oil, which is most commonly used for medicinal and aromatic purposes, can be purchased at health food stores.

Check out our favorite 10 uses for lavender oil:

1. Help you fall asleep. Lavender’s ability to sooth and relax people means it can help people with insomnia fall asleep. You can brew a tea with dried lavender and drink it before bed to help you fall asleep. Another option is to place a few drops of essential oil on your pillowcase or to tuck a potpourri sachet under your pillow. Inhaling the scent will help you drift off in no time.

2. Relieve muscle pain. Fill a tub with warm water and add a few drops of lavender to it. Soak in the tub to soothe muscle pain and body aches. The lavender in the water promotes relaxation as well.

3. Freshen laundry. Instead of buying expensive dryer sheets, add a bunch of lavender flowers to the dryer with your wet laundry. The gentle scent of lavender will infuse your clothing. Tie the lavender together with string before you add it to the dryer. You can reuse the lavender multiple times.

4. Soothe headaches. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, aroma therapists have patients inhale the scent of lavender to help relieve headache pain. A pillow filled with dried lavender flowers can help soothe the pain from a migraine or other headache. A person can lie with their head on the pillow or drape the pillow over the face, so that they can inhale the scent of the herb.

5. Rinse away dandruff. Lavender helps improve the health of your skin, including your scalp. To make a hair rinse that helps get rid of dandruff and the yeast that causes it, boil water and steep lavender flowers in the water for about ten minutes. Let the tea cool and then pour over your scalp.

6. Add to coffee or hot chocolate. Lavender pairs very well with coffee or chocolate. Enhance the taste of hot chocolate by adding a few lavender flowers to it. You can also flavor plain sugar with lavender. Add a few tablespoons of lavender flowers to a cup of sugar and let sit for a few weeks. Use the sugar to sweeten coffee.

7. Mix with other herbs in cooking. Lavender is an essential ingredient in herbes de Provence, an herb mix popular in French cooking. Combine equal parts dried lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, savory, basil, fennel seed. Use as desired on vegetables and meats for a flavorful taste.

8. Soothe burns. Like aloe, lavender helps soothe sunburns. You can spray cooled lavender tea on the burn or add a few drops of the essential oil to water and apply that to skin. It also helps soothe skin that is irritated from conditions such as eczema or from outside irritants.

9. Add to baked goods. Lavender flowers add a delicate, herbal flavor to baked goods such as shortbread and biscuits. Chop the flowers finely and add to your favorite scone or shortbread recipe.

10. Natural perfume. Lavender oil serves as a wonderful alternative to commercial perfumes. It provides a lovely scent and is free of mysterious ingredients. To use it as a perfume, apply a drop or two to your wrists, neck or behind your ears.

Whether you grow it yourself or purchase a small bottle of essential oil, lavender is an herb with many uses. If you plan on eating it, be sure to purchase culinary lavender, so that you are sure it is safe for consumption. No matter what, look for lavender that is grown organically so that you do not get a dose of pesticides as well.

Guest Post: Elli is a writer for Your Local Security. She was born and raised in Colorado and now enjoys skiing, playing tennis, and hiking in the mountains of Salt Lake City, Utah.

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The Many Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Lin — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:15:36 +0000

Coconut oil is a natural source of vitamins and minerals for your body. The benefits of coconut oil can be gained not only by eating the oil, but also by using it directly on your hair and skin.

Medicinal Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has been used as a traditional remedy for constipation, stomach upsets, kidney stones, and nausea for many hundreds of years by people in the tropics. In recent years, scientists have been investigating some of the medicinal claims that have been made about coconut oil, and their studies have produced some very promising findings.

The high levels of lauric acid found in coconut oil are thought to be responsible for many of its health-enhancing properties. Lauric acid is both an anti-bacterial and an anti-viral substance. During the swine flu epidemic of 2009, the esteemed immunologist Brian Young, who heads the immunology department at Bournemouth University, recommended giving coconut oil to children as a way to boost their natural immunity to the H1N1 flu virus. He intends to carry out further research into the use of coconut oil as an alternative to the commercial anti-flu drug Tamiflu.

Meanwhile, researchers working under Conrado S. Dayrit, Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at the University of the Philippines, are currently studying the possible benefits of coconut oil for people who are carriers of HIV. Professor Dayrit believes that the lauric acid in coconut oil could have a similar effect to antiretroviral drugs in reducing the activity of HIV in the body. If future studies verify the preliminary findings of their research, then coconut oil could be used as a natural way of slowing the development of AIDS in HIV positive people.

Nutritional Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, which makes many health-conscious people wary of eating it. However, fat is actually an essential part of a healthy diet. Having a high fat intake helps with the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K. Fatty food also keeps you feeling satisfied so that you don’t end up reaching for sugary snacks between meals. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises swapping animal fats, such as those found in cheese, butter, fatty meat, and lard, for healthier plant fats such as coconut oil. Plant-based fats do not clog the arteries or raise cholesterol, both of which are harmful side effects of animal fats. In fact, the monounsaturated fats found in coconut oil have been shown to reduce the levels of harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Coconut oil is rich in vitamin E, which reduces the risk of heart disease, and vitamin K, which is necessary to allow the blood to clot properly. Vitamin K also helps to keep your bones healthy by facilitating the absorption of calcium. Keeping up the amount of calcium in the blood is particularly important for older women, who are at risk of the bone disease osteoporosis.

Coconut oil tastes great in Indian food. Indeed, people on the Indian sub-continent have been using coconut oil for years to cook and season their food, reaping coconut oil’s cholesterol-lowering benefits in the process. As a delicious healthy snack, shallow fry banana pieces in coconut oil to create crunchy banana chips, or drizzle a little coconut oil onto fresh fruit salad for a rich combination of flavors.

Skincare Benefits of Coconut Oil

Massaging coconut oil into the skin rehydrates dry or dull-looking skin, which helps it to regain its natural healthy glow. People in the tropics have used coconut oil for centuries as a regular beauty practice and as a treatment for skin conditions such as eczema. In recent years, there has been a worldwide explosion in the popularity of coconut-based skincare products, with manufacturers producing a wide range of moisturizers, body butters, and face masks containing coconut oil, flesh, or milk. When selecting a skincare product, check that coconut oil features as one of the main ingredients to make sure that you are getting the maximum possible benefits. Alternatively, you could adopt a DIY approach by buying virgin coconut oil and applying it directly to your skin. The moisture, vitamin E, and fatty acids that coconut oil delivers to your skin help to reduce wrinkling and repair damage caused by the sun, as well as helping the skin to maintain its natural youthful elasticity and healthy glow.

Benefits of Coconut Oil for Your Hair

If you want shiny, glossy, well-hydrated hair, you might be well-advised to pass over the shelves full of expensive shampoos and conditioners at the store and instead purchase some raw coconut oil. Most commercial hair products contain sodium laureth sulfate, a harsh chemical which pulls moisture from your hair, leaving it dry and lifeless. You can help your hair to recover from this chemical attack by treating it with coconut oil. Simply apply the oil to your hair and scalp after your bath or shower and leave it to soak in overnight. The high fat content of coconut oil traps water inside the hair, keeping it soft, shiny, and resistant to breaking. Coconut oil is also a well-known natural remedy for dandruff due to its moisturizing effect on the scalp.

Buying Coconut Oil

When buying coconut oil, it is important to know exactly what purpose you intend to use it for. If you plan to use the oil for cooking and you don’t like the taste of coconut, then you should buy refined coconut oil. However, if you plan to eat the oil raw or take it as a medicine, then unrefined virgin coconut oil will give you the most health benefits. You can use either type of oil on your hair or skin.

You should bear in mind that the shelf life of coconut oil is shorter than that of most other oils, so only buy as much oil as you need and re-order when your supply starts running low. By always using fresh coconut oil, you can be sure that you are getting all of the natural health benefits of the oil, however you choose to use it.

Guest post contributed by Laura for Glebe Dental Group.

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Where to Have Baby – Natural Childbirth Options and Birthing Plans

Lin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:00:36 +0000

Giving birth naturally can be quite an achievement. Natural childbirth is where a pregnant woman experiences labor and delivery without the use of pain medication. A woman’s body is pre-programmed to handle childbirth and the labor pains that come along with it. If women knew all of their options when it comes to giving birth naturally, then maybe the rates at which women receive epidurals would go down. If women were properly educated on the facts of natural childbirth, how they might feel after birth, how their recovery would go, maybe fewer women would be afraid to take this route and begin to feel more empowered.

Women know that there are some risks when it comes to giving birth. Some women can develop complications that need to be addressed and, if possible, corrected. According to the American Pregnancy Association (2012), there are roughly 37 different complications that a pregnant woman could encounter sometime during her pregnancy. The most common complications are RH Negative Disease, Group B Strep, Preterm Labor, Gestational Diabetes and Low Birth Weight. These complications can lead a low-risk woman to being high-risk and needing care that could prevent her from being able to give birth naturally.

For low-risk women, being able to give birth naturally without intervention or medication provides a lot of benefits. One advantage of being able to give birth without medication is mobility. According to Amanda Hardin (2004), “Key factors in a positive birth experience [are] being able to move [around], change positions freely and to give birth in the position chosen by the woman.” The ability to get up, walk around and move about freely is often overlooked. For women with back labor, being able to move around to relieve the pain is essential.

Mobility for women who choose to have medication is almost always non-existent. Since an epidural can cause a decrease in the baby’s heart rate, the woman has to be attached to a fetal monitor to keep track of any changes in the baby’s heart rate. Having a fetal monitor strapped across a laboring mother’s stomach requires the mother to lie on her back, even throughout back labor, and she is told not to move around, change positions or try to lie on her side. On top of that, a woman’s blood pressure has to be continuously monitored and a catheter may need to be placed to keep the bladder empty (Mitchell, 2012). Epidurals are the most common form of medication administered to women who are seeking pain relief during labor. There are two different types of epidurals: regular epidurals and combined spinal-epidural, or “walking epidural.” While an epidural can provide relief to a woman who has had a long labor and needs a break, epidurals do have risks such as sudden drop in blood pressure, numbness and permanent nerve damage, according to the American Pregnancy Association (2012).

Fortunately, there are many ways for a woman to relieve the pain of labor such as using hydrotherapy, like a birthing tub or even sitting in the shower with warm water running, using counter pressure, cold or hot compresses, or even a birthing ball. Some women have even reported using hypnotherapy as their preferred method of relief. Lamaze classes will also teach breathing techniques to help relieve stress and enhance relaxation of contracting muscles. Breathing techniques also help prevent tensing up and fighting against a woman’s natural ability to bring about a birth. The most effective relief will vary from each woman, but the end result is the same.

Another benefit of being able to give birth naturally is the cost. According to the CDC (2009), home births cost about one-third less than what hospital births cost. They are also cheaper than birthing centers. While region does impact the cost of giving birth, who a woman chooses as her caregiver affects cost as well. For example, giving birth at a birthing center in North Texas (2009) can cost about $4,500, which covers everything from prenatal care to post-partum care. Giving birth at home in Illinois can cost about $3,500-$4,000, both using midwives. An average cost of using a midwife as a caregiver is difficult to pinpoint but, “Americans could save $13 billion to $20 billion annually in health care costs by developing a network of midwifery care providers”.

Giving birth in a hospital, on the other hand, is incredibly pricey. According to Heather Hatfield (2012), “Data gathered from 2008 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that the charge for an uncomplicated vaginal birth runs about $9,600.” That price will skyrocket even higher for a woman who chooses to have some type of medication administered to her while in labor. A US Senate bill which was just recently proposed, states that a hospital birth without complications can run anywhere from $9,000-$17,000, depending on region and hospital. This bill states that an average epidural costs $1,000, and that a newborn screening is an additional $1,500-$4,000. Having some type of insurance plan can help alleviate these costs exponentially, but it is extremely important to know what the insurance company will and won’t cover, along with any out-of-pocket costs.

Another great benefit of natural labor and delivery without medication administered is the amount of support from the professionals a woman receives. Having an amazing support team to help you deal with the pains of labor is important for all women. Labor support has three main components: emotional and physical support and advocacy (Barrett, 2010). Emotional support reassures the woman that she is capable of continuing her labor in a positive manner, knowing that her loved one or caregiver is supporting her all the way. “Physical support and comfort measures enhance labor progress and increase satisfaction with the birth experience” (Barrett, 2010). Advocacy is “offering information about the progress of labor, coping methods, or relaxation techniques” (Barrett, 2010).

Having the positive, encouraging support needed to endure labor pains is essential and midwives and doulas are great at providing it. Having a doula present during labor can be quite beneficial too, as they go through special training to provide support for a laboring woman. A doula “refers to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period” (2012). In early labor a family member, partner, or midwife can provide the emotional and physical support needed to help a woman relax and deal with each individual contraction as they happen. As labor progresses and begins to become uncomfortable, a midwife and/or doula can provide the advocacy by helping the laboring woman with different techniques that are designed to provide relief such as the use of a birthing ball or even hydrotherapy.

Experiencing such support in a hospital setting is quite difficult, and more frequently than realized, it just doesn’t happen at all. According to Samantha Barrett (2010), “[A] concern regarding labor support lies within the ability of the professional nurse to provide effective labor support considering the modern institutional birth environment.” A study was performed to try to understand why women ended up choosing to receive epidural medication while at a hospital found that women had been persuaded, both verbal and non-verbal, by the present nurse to get the medication. Some women had said that the nurse told them they wouldn’t be able to make it through labor without receiving an epidural, while others had said that the nurse had placed the medication consent form on a table “just in case.” “This study demonstrates women changed their birth preferences because of … not feeling supported by the nurses” (Carlton, Callister, & Stoneman, 2005).

Establishing a Birth Plan is also a critical item when planning a natural birth. It establishes everything the mother does and doesn’t want. It includes everything from who would be allowed into the room while the woman is laboring, to emergency situations such as C-sections. The woman creates a document stating what kind of music she wants to listen to, if she wants any type of fetal monitoring, if she plans on receiving any pain medication or even if she is open to the idea of medication. It can also be a type of back-up plan in case an emergency arises and needs to be taken to a hospital. The birthing plan would tell hospital staff if the woman would like a mirror placed above her so she can watch the delivery, if she wants to remain awake or not, who she wants in the room with her during the labor and delivery, and even if she would like to hold the baby right after the delivery. While not everything can be accommodated completely, the woman’s caregiver will let her know what items in the mother’s birthing plan will need to be negotiated to ensure the woman has a happy birth experience.

Outside of pregnancy education, a woman should understand some of the feelings she might experience after having a natural birth. Many women have described a sense of empowerment and achievement after giving birth to their child without the use of medication. A study was done in 2001 on seventeen women who had recently given birth within that year. All seventeen women had natural childbirths and expressed how great they felt afterwards. According to Amanda Hardin (2004), “Each woman also expressed a sense of accomplishment and empowerment for having had an un-medicated childbirth.”

Women who gave birth without medications have also said they have a different approach to mothering. According to Paulina Perez (2001), “She will realize that it took hard work to bring this child into the world and it will take hard work to raise this child into an adult.” She continues to say that a woman learns more self-confidence and will realize her own strength and will have a different attitude about “pain, illness, disease, fatigue, and difficult situations” (Perez, 2001).

The recovery process is faster and easier with women who give birth without medication. A woman is able to move about normally, and eat whatever she desires within a matter of hours. A birthing center in North Texas will hold a woman for no longer than six hours after she gives birth to make sure both the child and mother is in stable condition. The woman is advised to “take it easy” for the following two days but is able to do as she pleases, as long as it’s not in excess and won’t cause further issues. A woman who gives birth at home is already where she needs to be and is able to recover just as quickly. On the other hand, a woman who gives birth in a hospital with medication not only has to wait for the medication to wear off before she’s able to move around, and is stuck in the hospital for up to two days or longer while the child is in the nursery being cared for by nurses instead of the mother or father.

The debate of whether or not an epidural increases a woman’s chance of experiencing post-partum depression is ongoing. Some people have said that having a painful delivery increased the chance of post-partum depression, while others have said that an epidural can increase the likelihood of post-partum depression. Every woman’s pain tolerance level is different. Some women can experience higher pain levels than others and still have little-to-none post-partum depression. While it is still up in the air as to what the origin of post-partum depression is, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to link it with epidurals.

Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be an adequate amount of resources available to women who want to know about their birthing options. Most doctors won’t tell women that there are other options out there that they can consider when deciding where to give birth. Unless a woman goes browsing the internet or talks to other pregnant women, she simply won’t know that there are different things for her to choose from.

As fewer women decide to give birth naturally each year, the rates at which epidurals are given are rapidly increasing. Too many stories are being passed around about how painful childbirth is and how epidurals were given to relieve that pain. Childbirth pain is a different kind of pain than the ones received doing day-to-day activities: childbirth pains have an extreme importance. If women can start to remember the significance of those pains and learn to deal and adapt with them, then there’s a good chance of reversing the rates of epidurals. The change won’t happen overnight, but starting with the next pregnancy can make all the difference.

Guest post written and submitted by Heather P. If you’re on Twitter, you can follow Heather P and engage with her there.

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Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Lin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:31:10 +0000

My introduction into the health benefits of coconut oil came while researching dental procedures and treatments while spending time observing how patients are cared for in a holistic dental office. Seeing many books on display in the doctor’s private office and reception area dealing with fluoride, mercury amalgam fillings, root canals, implants etc was not surprising. What did surprise me was the numerous books about coconut oil on display.

My first reaction to seeing coconut oil related books was, What in the world does coconut oil have to do with the health and well-being of teeth and gums? Having written down the titles and authors of all the books displayed in that office, I proceeded to buy them all and began reading in earnest. Even though I may have been able to find the books in a library, I much prefer to buy books so I can underline, highlight, turn down page corners, as well as make notes in the margins.

Two of the 7 books about coconut oil’s health benefits that I’ve read so far were authored by Dr. Bruce Fife. One book is titled Oil Pulling Therapy, and the other book is titled The Coconut Oil Miracle. Before reading these books and doing a great deal of independent research, I had not ever heard of coconut oil, which means I certainly hadn’t heard of the many benefits of consuming and using coconut oil and the hundreds of ways coconut oil can be used.

As I was reading Dr. Fife’s books, I appreciated his frankness in discussing his initial skepticism about coconut oil and it’s many purported benefits to overall health. Coconut oil is a saturated fat and is good for you. Coconut oil is the healthiest oil there is. How could coconut oil possibly be good for us when everywhere we go we’re told by the so-called health officials and “experts” how bad coconut oil is because it is a source of “artery-clogging” saturated fat, and that we should be using vegetable oils like canola oil?

So many questions were running through my mind. If coconut oil is so good for us, why is it not publicized on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines? How is it possible that many doctors, certified nutritionists and naturopathic physicians, have witnessed themselves how coconut oil gets rid of chronic psoriasis, eliminates dandruff, removes pre-cancerous skin lesions, speeds recovery from the flu, stops bladder infections, overcomes chronic fatigue, relieves hemorrhoids, and numerous other things including the benefits for teeth and gums? That’s only for starters.

But then I remembered Weston A. Price’s book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration that I had read previously. Coconuts and coconut oil have been used as a major food source for thousands of years by millions of people in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa, and Central America. Traditionally these people have had much better health than those in North America and Europe who do not eat coconut, and before the introduction of modern industrialized foods, many of these people depended almost entirely on coconut to sustain their lives. Interestingly, they didn’t suffer from heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, and other modern degenerative diseases, until they began abandoning their traditional coconut-based diet and started eating modern foods.

I should have guessed that the books on coconut oil would make numerous references to Dr. Weston Price’s research. In the book The Coconut Oil Miracle, Dr. Fife explains the war between oils that began in the mid-1980’s. During that time, the media began warning the public about a new “threat” to health – tropical oils. Coconut oil and palm oil, they claimed, would cause heart attacks and should be avoided at all cost due to being “unhealthful.” Much of the credit for this war on oils goes to the American Soybean Association (ASA). The overwhelming response to the attack on tropical oils was seen when food makers began switching from the tropical oils they had used for years to soybean oil and hydrogenated vegetable oils.

The only people who benefited from the war on healthy tropical oils, as you may have guessed, was the soybean industry. The carefully orchestrated plan by the ASA was intended to eliminate competition from imported tropical oils. By the early 1990’s, the market for tropical oils had been reduced to a mere fraction of what it once was.

Follow the Money.

It’s very important that we all learn and understand the differences between saturated fats and unsaturated fats, trans fats, fatty acids etc, and how it all relates to overall good health, and the coconut oil books explain it all in great detail. I readily admit that it had never occurred to me to investigate or read about these topics until I began researching dental practices and procedures.

We cannot afford to put blind faith and trust in assertions by “health authorities”, regardless of their high-level positions of authority. Regardless of the topic, we must take seriously the importance of doing our own research and reading the Pro and Con sides of whatever topic comes up. Our health and the health of our children and families depend on it.

Having read so much already on the many health benefits of coconut oil, I’ve been trying out different brands of coconut oil to see if I can tell a difference and which might be my personal favorite. There are many brands of coconut oil to choose from, and since I actually like the taste and smell of coconut, I’ve only been using unrefined virgin coconut oil. For those who do not like the taste or smell of coconut, choosing refined coconut oil will eliminate that problem, while still providing the nutritional benefits.

At first, some of the reported benefits of consuming coconut oil seemed unbelievable, even ridiculous. The idea that coconut oil could actually reverse Alzheimer’s, or that coconut oil helps dissolve kidney stones, and how the saturated fats in coconut oil contributes to weight loss, all seemed unbelievable. I’m now a believer.

Using coconut oil as a deep hair conditioner works very well. Coconut oil is amazing as a makeup remover, face and body moisturizer, a natural toothpaste (by itself or mixed with baking soda), oil pulling, and hundreds of other uses. Virgin coconut oil is now our primary cooking oil, along with palm oil. No more unhealthy vegetable oils for us anymore. I put coconut oil in my coffee every morning, in my hot tea and homemade smoothies, in or on just about everything we possibly can. Coconut oil is a food, so there are no “dangers” or “risks” in using it or consuming it. I first tried out virgin coconut oil by buying a couple quart size jars of it, but I’ve been using coconut oil in so many ways, I’m now buying coconut oil by the Gallon and putting some in small airtight containers to be kept in different rooms of our home.

Have you discovered the many health benefits of coconut oil? Do you have a favorite brand of coconut oil? What brands have you tried?

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