Today we know that all fats are not created equal. Some fats are indeed health promoting, while others are damaging to our health. Consumers have been misguided about fats for a very long time, especially the polyunsaturated fats—soy, corn, canola, safflower, sunflower, and cottonseed oils. These oils, along with margarine, which is loaded with trans fatty acids (very toxic fat), are the most damaging to our health, yet they have been promoted as the best fats. Conversely, tropical oils were warned against by nearly everyone in the health field because they are saturated, yet now we know they are highly beneficial for our health.

It is interesting to note that people in Asian countries that consume large amounts of coconut and coconut oil have the lowest rate of heart disease. In Sri Lanka people eat the equivalent of about 120 coconuts per year and they use coconut oil in all their cooking. Their death rate from heart disease is about one in every thousand. Certainly, there are other factors to consider besides coconuts regarding their low rate of heart disease, but one thing is for certain: If coconut oil contributed to heart disease, rates would be much higher than they are.

Some people have been concerned that if they start utilizing coconut oil in their diet, their cholesterol will go up. Interestingly, scores of people have had the opposite effect. Terri tells us her cholesterol went down.

My doctor wanted me to start taking Pravachol to lower my cholesterol, which was at 219 mg/dl. He said this [his recommendation] was because I am diabetic and didn't want me to have a heart attack once my blood sugar was under control. I told him I wanted to see if I could bring my cholesterol down naturally with virgin coconut oil and eating right.

I began taking virgin coconut oil last spring when I read about it in Women's World Magazine. When I felt like I was getting the flu, I added a concoction of lemon, garlic, and honey, which cleared it up overnight. I continued taking this concoction off and on for a couple of weeks.

When I had my blood work done in December, it showed my cholesterol was down 31 points to 188 mg/dl. I think virgin coconut oil and the lemon, garlic, and honey had something to do with lowering my cholesterol.

How to Get More Coconut Oil in Your Diet
For weight loss, it is recommended that you work your way up to two to three tablespoons of coconut oil each day. Coconut oil is delicious when used for sauteing, baking, stir-frying, and any other place where you would use oil. It does not turn into trans fatty acids easily.

Many people like to add a tablespoon of the oil to their morning smoothie. Some people eat it right off the spoon. Others make healthy treats by combining it with a nut butter or unsweetened cocoa and stevia, along with ground flax seeds or chopped nuts and a dash of vanilla.

It's a new year; why not create a new you! However you work coconut oil into your diet, I'm sure you will be pleased with the results. You too may be among the thousands of people that not only lose weight, but also experience numerous improvements in health.

Cherie Calbom, M.S. is the author of eleven books including the best-selling Juicing for Life (Avery, 1992) with nearly two million books in print in the U.S. and published around the world in nineteen countries. Other best-selling books by Cherie include: George Foremans Knock Out the Fat Barbecue