Speech I wrote about the miracles of Coconut Oil

This was the first speech I wrote in my public speaking class. Hope you enjoy and learn something!

Coconut Oil

It was the first day of August three summers back. I had just moved from Washington State to California to be with my dad and grandpa. My grandpa, who I call Papa Don, had convinced me to move in with them to start a new life. I was sitting in the kitchen of my new home now as my Papa made me the first breakfast of my new life. I started to explain to him the health problems I was suffering: severe cystic acne, loss of hair, fatigue, digestive problems and constant flu like symptoms. As he scrambled my eggs he handed me a spoon overflowing with this this foggy white mass he said, “Eat this, you need to know what true health feels like. This is going to start to detox you from the inside out. I used this as my main healer when I was diagnosed with cancer, and look at me know!”  He proudly flaunted his cancer free healthy self.  Since that day, well you can see my acne is gone, I no longer have chunks of missing hair and my energy is phenomenal.

Today I want to inform you about how coconut oil can benefit your health internally and externally.

For the past two years I have studied holistic health, read numerous books on clean eating and natural healing, and dove into the beauty industry where I got my esthetician license so that I could help people with their skin care. I now work for a plastic surgeon where I assist people with topical solutions to their skin care needs as well as advice on how to improve their skin by taking care of their internal health. Since my own health struggles began to improve with that first taste of coconut oil in the kitchen with my grandpa, I have been searching to find out more about this oil as a cure so that I can help others discover what it’s like to know true health.

Before today you may have heard of coconut oil as something in your curry dish or an ingredient at the grocery store but after today you will see why many are using it for more than their main course and even applying it to their face. To better understand Coconut oil, let us look at three benefits, through its internal health effects, ways to use it topically and its healing capabilities.

Let’s start by looking at the nutritional prosperity of coconut oil.

Using this oil in your diet or taking it by the tablespoon is beneficial to your internal health in many ways

.Coconut oil is a source of healthy fat that is good for your blood and the functioning of organs. The stigma about coconut oil in the past is that it’s bad because it’s a saturated fat which is known to contribute to heart disease. Bruce fife is the author of Coconut Oil Miracle; he’s a naturopathic doctor who studied this oil for the past 15 years. In his research he found medical studies that proved the value of coconut oil. He explains that “Coconut oil is a kind of saturated fat containing lauric acid which is a medium chain fatty acid…(which is also found in mothers milk) this saturated fat doesn’t cause heart disease in fact it does the opposite…it prevents clogging in the arteries by repairing inflammation and promoting circulation.” (Bruce Fife, interview with Sean Croxton 2011)

This oil has a worldwide respected reputation, commonly in hospitals to feed infants and children with mal-absorption difficulties; it is also found in numerous infant foods.

This is a source of brain food and important for their brain development providing nutrients similar to mothers breast milk. Since the brain is made up of mostly fat and the neuron tissue in the brain is made up of 95% fat we can see why this is crucial. Coconut oil also is very important to the proper function of hormones. In my interview with Eric Cruz who has his M.A in Nutrition health and fitness and a BA in kinesiology, he informed me that, “Many of today’s common diseases are the product of dysfunction with hormone actions. The Body needs fat and cholesterol for sex hormones. Coconut oil is in the most stable form of fat, it’s a precursor for the production of hormones so it’s vital to hormone regulation and function.”(Eric Cruz, interview) You too could reap these benefits by simply trying this; taking a tablespoon in the middle of your day to increase your energy without leaving you with a caffeine crash. It stimulates metabolism, supports functions of the thyroid and in turn boosts your energy.

Now that you know about the nutritional value of coconut oil, let’s unfold its value in detoxing.

Coconut oil fights illness and disease with its characteristics including antiseptic, antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. “In the central American country of Panama, people are known to drink coconut oil by the glass to help themselves overcome sickness.”(The coconut Oil Miracle, p.7) It’s made of triglycerides that when in the process of digestion, they are broken apart and activated as detoxifying agents while still promoting good stomach flora. So for example let’s imagine you have a suns infection, mono, or even ring worm. If you were to consume 2-3 TBS of coconut oil, as soon as it starts to digest in your stomach it activates this antiviral anti fungal effect. Taking 3TBS daily is the amount suggested while trying to rid of any unwanted bad bacteria in your body.

Oil pulling therapy is a method that Dr. Mercola teaches about as an oral detox that comes from ancient Indian practices. Dr. Mercola has several degrees in the medical field including licensed osteopathic medicine, licensed Physician and surgeon and more. He was named the top Ultimate Wellness Game Changer by the Huffington Post and has been on multiple local news channels including Dr. Oz, CNN, Today show and more to educate viewers on healthcare issues. On his website www.mercola.com Mercola explains that “Coconut oil is a powerful inhibitor of a large variety of pathogenic organisms…largely due to its naturally high lauric acid content.” With this information he paints a picture of how using this oil as an added part of your dental regimen, you can rid of any decay, viruses, and detox your body through the glands in your mouth. The research on this method by Mercola alone shows us the powerful benefits in coconut oil and that using it as a mouth wash daily is a great preventative tool.

So far we’ve unpacked this oils nutritional value, seen its detoxing value and even learned a few ways to utilize it in our lifestyle. Now let’s talk about using it from head to toe.

There are many topical benefits to applying coconut oil to your skin.

For those of you who have experienced dry cracking skin, coconut oil will soothe this irritation. With severely dry skin it can be an irritation in itself to find a cure, because most lotions are made of mostly water and dry up once they’re rubbed in or they just sit on top of the skin. If you apply a small amount of coconut oil to the dry area and massage it in, your skin will drink it up like the first rains in the desert. It doesn’t sit on the skin but it acts like a serum bringing moisture and nourishment to the cells. “Besides its nutritional value, pure coconut oil also makes a luscious and soothing massage and body oil for dry and or damaged skin.” (www.nutiva.com) Coconut oil can help your acne. Acneic skin is full of clogged pores and bacteria buildup, since this oil has antibacterial and antiviral properties like we discussed before, it can get rid of the bacteria. Unlike other oils this oil will not sit in and clog your pores. The calming affects help with the redness and inflammation. At first it can cause more acne because of what is called purging, the surfacing of imperfections from underneath; Coconut oil has detoxifying benefits so it brings out bacteria and cleanses the skin.

Now that the thought of rubbing plant oil all over your skin doesn’t seem so gruesome and the idea that using it as a cooking agent is even more of a reality, maybe you will explore ways to implement it into your own lifestyle.  I am confident that you’ve now been introduced to a few ideas on how to increase the quality of your life using this edible oil internally and topically. I hope that you continue to take control of your health by using some of these preventative strategies.

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