The truth about coconut oil. Is it really healthy?

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Different fats, such as coconut oil, were once thought to be just as dangerous as animal fat, and that consuming them would eventually lead to heart disease. However, we have learned that this is not the case, and that coconut oil is actually highly beneficial to our cardiovascular system. Isn't it one-of-a-kind? So, what distinguishes it from other oils? From food products like butter and lard, which are also used in cooking but pose significant health hazards.

So what's in a coconut?

Coconuts are actually wonderful providers of nourishment, despite their modest look. With its healthy meal, oil, and juice, it may also be called a full food. Did you even know that some individuals rely only on coconuts to survive? That's how good this under-appreciated fruit is. The oil is, without a doubt, the most nutritious and useful component of the fruit. It's no surprise that people utilize it from the inside out because it contains over 90% saturated fat and has anti-fungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial effects.

What is virgin coconut oil and how does it differ from other coconut oils?

[Information on photo source]

To begin, you need understand that most commercial coconut oils are made from copra, or dried coconut meat. This can be done in a variety of ways, including sun drying, kiln drying, and smoke drying. If dried coconut meat is utilized as the basic material, the unrefined oil produced is unfit for consumption, at least not after purification and refinement. This is because, due to the manufacturing process, dried coconut meat may be quite unclean. Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized (RBD) coconut oil is the typical product generated from copra. That suggests that chemicals were utilized in the manufacturing process.

Virgin coconut oil, on the other hand, is made from fresh coconut meat and hence keeps the aroma and flavor of the genuine coconut. In fact, this is one of the ways you can tell it apart from an RBD. Virgin coconut oil is believed to be considerably healthier and safer when it comes to human ingestion because it hasn't been treated and was extracted in a hygienic method. It's worth noting that it keeps significantly more of the excellent, healthful stuff that's made coconut oil a popular functional food among doctors and health-conscious individuals all over the world.

However, it has recently been recognized for its efficiency in speeding up weight loss in patients as well as lowering the risk of developing heart disease.

Here are some of the advantages of consuming virgin coconut oil on a daily basis either using it as a cooking oil or consuming it raw.

 

Who am I?

This simple question seems easy to answer at first. However, as soon as I start to think about it, I realize that giving my name or a description of physical appearance does not describe the myriad of thoughts, moods, actions and reactions which comprise myself and my life. Even a description of what I do becomes confusing because, everyday, I wear so many different hats. I may start the day as a husband or a wife. At work I may become a engineer, secretary, a clerk or a teacher. At lunch I may meet a friend and in the evening an acquaintance. Which of these roles that I play is me?

In each role that I play a different facet of my personality emerges. Yet, I am quite aware that my true identity is not defined by the role I play. How can I think of myself? Who am I really? What is needed is something constant, safe and stable. We all know that gradually, over time, the human body is declining. It is not stable or constant. So in yoga while doing meditation instead of this bodily identification, we start with our thoughts. Because thoughts are always there, whatever age we are. Their content may change but our ability to think does not.

Soul is the only form that cannot be destroyed. It is something without any physical dimension. The soul is like a driver and the body is the car. To be in complete control, the driver has to sit in the place where he has access to the controls and also can collect all the necessary information to make decisions. Each thought, leading to words and actions, begins with an impulse from the brain. In Yoga it is considered that the soul is located in the center of the forehead in the vicinity of the brain. This knowledge provides me with a constant point of reference on which to focus my attention.

So, my identity is a soul which is a living, spiritual and eternal being, and all other identities - teacher, engineer, husband, wife and so on are simply different roles which my soul play. In meditation I create an awareness of myself as a soul. This naturally leads to an experience of these peaceful, positive qualities. This is what is called 'soul-consciousness'. In meditation I begin to think about my true identity. I let thoughts about the soul and its qualities fill my mind. Through understanding and experiencing my true qualities, I regain confidence and self-respect and am no longer pushed and pulled by expectation of others. By remaining soul-conscious, I will stay in my true state of peace. This is something which does, of course, take time and patient effort to practice. The reward of practice is enjoyable in itself and the greater benefits will accumulate over time.

MEDITATION PRACTICE

When you sit to meditate, choose the quietest place you can find, preferably in a room which you do not use very often. If this isn't possible, sit where the familiar objects around you won't distract your attention. This mental preparation will help your concentration. Start with 10 or 15 min. This will gradually lengthen naturally with experience. Soft or subdued lighting will help.

When you finish meditation, just take a moment to reflect on what you have experienced and note how your mood has changed. This will emphasize your experiences and help you appreciate what you are gaining through meditation. One more suggestion of great benefit is: Don't just meditate when you feel like it. The greatest progress is possible at the time when you really don't want to meditate or when you feel you can't. That's the time when you need to meditate the most.

THOUGHTS FOR MEDITATION 

These thoughts are only a suggestion. Create your own similar thoughts if you prefer. Any thoughts based on the awareness of the self as a soul are valid. Think slowly and aim to experience each thought before moving on.

You should withdraw your attention away from your physical body. You lie behind your eyes in the center of the forehead, an eternal spark of life energy. This energy empowers the body. You are a non-physical being, an eternal soul. You are an actor and your body is simply a costume. You find deep peace and contentment within. Know your true self, an eternal, pure and peaceful soul. You are in the ocean of peace.

Yogasana - Tadasana (Mountain pose)

It is the root posture, the mother from which all other postures in your day to day life arise. The instructions for building tadasana correctly can (and should ) apply throughout your yoga practice.

It also constitutes the art of standing:

Tadasana is the present and continuous action unfolding in stillness.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet together

2. Fan out your toes and let them spread over the ground

3. Distribute the body weight over the entire sole of the foot

4. Activate legs, without tension and without excessive muscle strength

5. Lengthen the spine column.

6. Keep shoulders gently back and shoulder blades toward the ground

7. The chest expands and the abdomen lengthens.

8. Elongate the back of the neck allowing the crown to float towards the ceiling. Keep your throat relaxed

9. Keep active arms next to the body and fingers of the hands directed to the ground

10. As you breathe, increase the stillness by feeling the subtle internal movement of the breath.

Benefits:

• Reveals our vices and postural imbalances and helps us to correct them.

• Improves posture by learning to evenly distribute body weight on the soles of the feet

• Reduces lumbar pressure

• According to yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar “provides lightness to the body and agility to the mind"

• Activate our somatic intelligence

• It also calms the mind

Yogasana - Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

This position teaches the basic mechanics of bending forward from the hips. It can be constructed with feet together or open feet hip width.

Standing Forward Bend is not about touching your toes, contrary to popular assumption. It's also not about squeezing as much length as you can from your fingertips." Many newcomers are astonished (and a little suspicious) to hear that Uttanasana isn't about the link between the fingers and toes. It's almost all of the things that happen in between.

The Sanskrit word uttanasana consists of the words "ut," which means "intense," "powerful," or "deliberate," and "tan," which means "stretch" or "lengthen." Uttanasana is a deliberate extension of the entire back body, which includes the area between the soles of the feet and the backs of the knees.

Steps:

1. Start with Tadasana  pose and continue onto to Urdhva hastasana posture.

2. Staying in urdhva hastasana position, while exhaling, flex the trunk forward while keeping your chest open and directing the hands toward the feet

3. Place your hands on either side of the feet ( if they don’t reach the ankles or shins , or use a tape )

4. Keeping your legs active, rotate your ischia toward the ceiling

5. With the grip of your hands exert a strong attraction of the chest towards the legs  and opening the elbows laterally outwards.

6. Keep your neck relaxed

7. If you feel pressure or back pain, flex your knees slightly.

When you discover the link between all of these activities, it's no longer about the stance, but rather about how I'm relating to the sensation of being in the pose.

Benefits:

• This pose will relieves the spine and pelvis muscles.

• It stimulates the legs and ankles

• Straightens your back muscles of the legs

• Develop balance

• All organs of the abdomen are massaged and stimulated

• Mobilizes the intestines and abdominal fat

• Promotes internalization and calms the nervous system.

Yogasana - Urdhva hastasana in retroflexion

Urdhva hastasana is a variant of tadasana, it helps us become aware of the movement of the shoulder girdle without causing alterations in the placement of the legs and the center (abdomen) of tadasana. Here, you tend to keep your body in retroflexion or you bend back. This is one of the key step in surya namaskara or the sun salutation.

Steps:

1. Build or maintain tadasana with all your prompts

2. Raise your arms in front of the body to a vertical position.

3. keep your arms active and elbows outstretched

4. Free up neck space by moving shoulders away from ears

5. Hold your legs, activate buttocks and keep your abdomen long and active

6. Make a small retroflexion backwards lengthening the lats and trying not to break the lower back

Benefits:

• Awakens the somatic intelligence of the shoulder girdle.

• Expands chest and rib cage so that our respiratory capacity is expanded

• It teaches the basic mechanics of standing retroflections.

The Most Effective Ways To Burn Visceral Fat While Walking

Losing fat around belly is the toughest and the last step in the fat burning process. Many people want to lose belly fat, which is a common health and fitness goal. And, while this is your top priority, you should also concentrate on your visceral fat burn. Visceral fat surrounds your abdominal organs and has serious health consequences if you have a lot of it. Fortunately, visceral fat is easier to eliminate than subcutaneous fat (the stubborn fat located underneath the skin). Aside from eating a high-protein, low-calorie diet, you should engage in regular physical activity. So, to assist you, we've compiled a list of the best ways to increase your visceral fat burn while walking.

Strength training is, of course, a must-do if you want to lose weight. Walking, on the other hand, is an activity that is under-appreciated when it comes to decreasing visceral fat. It's easy to do, low-intensity, and you can do it almost anyplace. This is an excellent method to begin living a healthier lifestyle for those who are currently sedentary.

Here are some tips to help you burn more visceral fat while walking:

1. Walking uphill or hiking

Increasing the difficulty of your walk is one of the most effective strategies to burn more calories. This can be accomplished simply walking up hills in your neighborhood. Look out for hiking trails around in national parks or community parks. You strain your body to work harder when you walk up a hill or on an inclination. You end up using more muscle fibers in the hips and quadriceps, which leads to increased fat burning.

Hike all the way up, and then down. For a beginner, try doing a 5-mile round trip going up and down. For an experienced person, I would suggest doing 10 to 15 mile round trip. 

2. Increasing walking pace

Increasing your walking pace is another strategy to burn more calories and fat. You can increase the speed and do fast/power walking if you're used to walking at a leisurely pace.

Challenge yourself to go a little quicker on your next walk. You may time how long it takes you to walk your normal route and then try to beat it. Alternate intervals of short, brisk walks with your regular speed if you're just getting started and building up your stamina.

3. Holding hand weights or wear weighted vests

Holding hand weights while walking is another approach to make your body work harder. Grab a pair of lighter weights (2 to 5 pounds) or wear equivalent weighted vest and walk your usual route with them. You can also work your upper body with workouts like curls and lateral raises if you desire while walking.

4. Doing body weight sumo squats

Preparation

The good part of this exercise is that there is no special preparation that is required. All you need is your body.

Workout Steps

Step 1

Stand with your feet wider than your shoulder-width.

Step2

Point your toes and knees 30 to 45 degrees out to the sides, raise your arms straight out in front for your balance.

Step3

Keeping your head up and torso upright, inhale as you squat, making sure to descend at least until your thighs are parallel with the floor.

Step4

Hold for a second and return to the starting position. Repeat this for 3 sets with 10-15 reps in each set.

5. Lunges

Preparation

Have a 12ftX12ft space. Use your own bodyweight

Workout Steps

Step 1

Stand in athletic stance with feet slightly away from each other.

Step2

Bring one leg backwards and simultaneously go down in a manner where both your knees create a 90 degree angle. Please ensure that your knee goes as low as possible but not touch the ground. It may hurt your knee by the time you complete all your sets.

Step3

Get back to your starting stance by pushing through your leg.

Step4

Repeat with other leg. Do 3 sets with 10-12 reps in each set.

6. Pushups

Preparation

Lie prone on the floor with hands kept at shoulder's width.  Raise your body up off the floor by extending arms with body straight coming to the plank position.

Workout Steps

Step 1

Keeping body straight, lower body to the floor by bending arms. Keep your core tight and glutes squeezed.

Step2

Push body up until arms are extended.

Step3

Repeat the above steps. Do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

7. Bodyweight Dips

Preparation

Find a strong surface like a bench to rest your palms on. Sit on one side of the bench where you can stretch your legs completely. Place hands on the edge of the bench, straighten your arms, slide rear end off of bench and position heels on the floor with legs straight.

Workout Steps

Step 1

Lower your body by bending arms until your arms are parallel to the ground and you feel a slight stretch is felt in chest and shoulder, or until your rear end touches the floor. Keep your chest tall and core straight while performing this exercise.

Step2

Raise your body and repeat. Perform 3 sets in total with each set having 10 to 15 reps.

Benefits of having spices as part of your daily diet

Spices are aromatic herbs with essential oils. They contain a lot of antioxidants and aid digestion. Spices should be used on a regular basis to:

• Boost your immunity
• Strengthen your digestive system.
• Relieves bloating and protects against allergies such as lactose and fructose sensitivities.
• Improves respiratory health and helps to fight the common cold.
• Virus infections can be relieved.

Spices may be disliked by certain persons with sensitive stomachs, while they are highly recommended for everyday use by others.

Benefits of spices

Cinnamon — Relieves arthritis pain, lowers LDL (bad cholesterol), includes iron, calcium, and magnesium, and can help with menstrual pain.

Clove - relieves toothaches, lowers inflammation, and is effective in upper respiratory tract infections. It also has a cooling impact on the stomach, making it useful in cases of gastritis.

Pepper - Aids digestion and is a good source of vitamin K, iron, manganese, and fiber. It's also good for asthma and respiratory infections.

Ginger - It is beneficial for sinusitis, vomiting, indigestion, bloating, motion sickness, and the common cold and flu.

Cardamom - It has a high iron, potassium, calcium, and magnesium content. Antioxidant, aids digestion, acts as a natural diuretic, eliminates foul breath, and can help with high blood pressure.

Turmeric - It is healthy for the heart and liver and can help prevent cancer and allergies. It can also help with arthritis, the common cold, bronchitis, and menstruation issues.

Curry leaves — Aids digestion, relieves vomiting, aids weight loss, is beneficial for diabetes and visual problems, and protects the liver.

Fennel - High in vitamin C, fiber, and potassium, it boosts the immune system, is healthy for the heart and intestines, and can help with indigestion and gas.

Fenugreek - Aids in the production of breast milk, lowers cholesterol, is beneficial for the heart, and can help with diabetes, indigestion, and gastritis.

Cumin seeds - They are beneficial in the treatment of diarrhea, gas, indigestion, vomiting, the common cold, liver illness, and diabetes.

Garlic - Lowers cholesterol and relieves bloating. Garlic has a strong flavor and aroma that some people dislike. They can boil it in milk for five minutes and drink the milk in that case.