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Low-carb diets like Atkins and South Beach are the hottest weight loss programs on the market, but they could work faster and more effectively with the addition of one ingredient: coconut oil. Not only does it boost metabolism and speed weight loss, there is evidence that suggests that adding a small amount of coconut oil into one’s daily diet can help lower cholesterol and improve conditions such as diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, IBS, Crohn’s, and other digestive disorders; enhance thyroid function; and increase overall
energy. The Coconut Diet offers a 21-day weight loss program and includes a four-week cleansing regimen for readers who want more benefits. With meal plans and more than 70 recipes to help readers put the plan into action, as well as nutritional facts, tips for easy food preparation, ingredient explanation, and many other creative details, readers will learn how to start reaping the benefits of coconut oil today.

In May 2003, Woman’s World magazine ran an article touting the weight loss benefits of coconut oil. It created such a demand that by June, there was hardly a bottle to be found. This book provides the scientific information about why this oil works for weight loss and health improvement, as well as how to use it.

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Excerpts from The Coconut Diet

Introduction

You may have tried nearly every diet available. Or maybe this is the first time you’ve decided to lose weight. No matter what your needs or your successes or failures, you will be pleased to know that this is the diet that has worked for many people—when nothing else would! You won’t be disappointed by The Coconut Diet.

And if you’re thinking you have to eat coconuts every meal or sprinkle coconut flakes on every dish you eat, that’s not what this diet is about. Though The Coconut Diet does have a number of recipes that incorporate coconut milk or coconut flakes, this diet is about coconut oil. You can eat many of your favorite foods such as fish, chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, and vegetables prepared with coconut oil. You can even enjoy the Low-Carb Coconut Smoothie and still melt away the pounds!

The secret ingredient that has promoted such phenomenal weight loss success for many people is the oil of the coconut. Coconut oil work wonders when combined with a low-carb diet because it is made up of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) that burn up quickly in the body—a lot like kindling on a fire; this helps improve metabolism. And, there’s plenty of research to back up that statement in the pages that follow.

Thousands of people have discovered the weight loss miracle of coconut oil added to a low-carbohydrate, lean-protein diet. Many people had tried various weight loss diets with little or no success. They were discouraged and disappointed. Then they added coconut oil—two to three tablespoons a day—to a healthy, low-carbohydrate diet and to their surprise—the weight came off without effort!

Chapter 1: Weight Loss Secrets of the Tropics

Healthy, trim, energetic, and alive! That’s what you can be when you make The Coconut Diet your weight loss secret. With coconut oil, you can watch the pounds melt away. This secret ingredient has promoted great weight loss success for many, many people. You’ll learn what makes coconut oil a fast-burning fat and how that increases metabolism and promotes weight loss. You’ll hear from scores of people who have lost weight—for many, lots of weight—and health problems, too. Most importantly, you’ll experience a diet that works.

In Chapter 1 you will discover that coconut has been a dietary staple in the tropics for centuries. Coconut and coconut oil were used daily. The usual diet was quite high in fat—saturated fat from the coconut. Prior to World War II (and for several decades after), people who ate traditional foods in countries such as the Philippines were rarely sick or overweight and rarely suffered from degenerative diseases such as heart disease or cancer. The health secret of the tropics is the same as the weight loss secret—the fatty acids of coconut oil lead to healing and disease prevention.

You will also learn how coconut oil got such a bad reputation and became the center of attack in the media. This caused an unprecedented scare concerning theater popcorn and other foods that contained coconut oil. All this was based on faulty studies and a lot of supposition. Now you can learn the truth about coconut oil and the truth can make you trim.

I'm a nurse with a natural alternatives wellness center in Missouri. I use virgin coconut oil as a foundational product for all of my clients. It is one of the most powerful supplements I have ever worked with. I have been in the healing arts for 30 years and natural approaches for 20 years. Most of my clients are able to use 3 to 4 tablespoons [of coconut oil] per day from the start with amazing results such as improved immune system and energy level, stabilized blood sugar, improved thyroid function, weight loss, increased mental clarity, and improved emotional/mental stability. In addition to being a wonderful supplement, coconut oil is a basic food, which should replace all other oils in the diet. I don't know of any other product that covers so many bases—and it tastes great too!

The Weight Loss Secret

Through researching cultures that make coconut oil part of their daily diet and from research on the health benefits of coconut oil, researchers have found that by making coconut oil part of your daily diet, you can also experience the weight management and health benefits long enjoyed by people of the tropics. In the material that follows, you will find a preponderance of research and supporting evidence as to why coconut oil is such a weight loss wonder.

The weight loss secret is in the chain—the chain of molecules that make up the fat of coconut oil. These shorter chain fatty acids that dominate coconut oil are known as medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). They burn up quickly in the body. They’re a lot like adding kindling to a fire, rather than a big damp log. That’s the secret to coconut oil’s weight loss success!

Following rapid breakdown and absorption in the intestinal tract, MCTs are transported directly to the liver. Once there they freely enter the mitochondria (the energy-producing elements of the cell) and are rapidly converted to ketones, which are almost immediately converted into energy.¹ On the other hand, long chain triglycerides (LCTs), which cromprise most other oils, are transported from the intestines as chylomicrons (relatively large fat droplets). They are eventually dumped into the bloodstream near the heart through the thoracic duct. ² These fat droplets must then be transported through the entire body before they reach the liver.

This difference in metabolism means that the body treats MCTs in a completely different manner than the way it deals with other fats. LCTs are slow to be metabolized in the body, and as a result, are more easily stored as fat. MCTs, on the other hand, rapidly burn for energy use, thus are less likely to contribute to fat storage. ³ If you consider your body’s metabolism to be like an oil furnace, eating LCTs is like adding oil to the storage tank, whereas consuming MCTs is like pumping fuel from the delivery truck right into the furnace. Less is stored; more is burned.

Because the LCT molecule is so large, the body cannot process it very efficiently; it prefers to simply store it in adipose tissue (fat cells). On the other hand, MCTs can be rapidly converted into energy. Here’s how it works: The body removes the carbon atoms two at a time and transforms them into ketones, which are high-energy molecules that pass easily back into the bloodstream and are carried quickly to the cells. Once in the cells, they can be rapidly turned into ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the energy molecules of the body. Eating MCTs could be likened to putting premium fuel in the gas tank of your car—it burns more efficiently.

Thermogenesis is the rate at which the body burns fuel for energy. A very unique quality of MCTs is their ability to increase the rate at which the body burns fat for fuel. This could account for the trim, healthy constitution of most Pacific Islanders who eat a diet high in traditional fats that are primarily composed of MCTs. ⁴

One of the most popular epidemiological (population) studies was conducted in the South Pacific islands of Pukapuka and Tokelau near New Zealand. The studies began in the 1960s before either island was exposed to Western refined foods. These populations ate only natural foods, and coconut foods were the most prevalent, being consumed at each meal in one form or another.

While most people in Western countries were getting 30 to 40 percent of their calories from fat, these islanders averaged between 50 and 60 percent of their calories from fat, most of that being saturated fat from coconuts. The overall health of both groups of islanders was extremely good compared with Western standards. There were no signs of kidney disease or hypothyroidism that might influence fat levels. There was no hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol) either. All inhabitants were lean and healthy despite a very high saturated-fat diet. In fact, the populations as a whole had ideal weight-to-height ratios as compared to the body mass index (BMI) figures used by doctors and nutritionists. Digestive problems were rare. Constipation was uncommon; they averaged two or more bowel movements a day. Atherosclerosis, heart disease, colitis, colon cancer, hemorrhoids, ulcers, diverticulosis, and appendicitis are conditions with which they were unfamiliar. ⁵

Testimony

Since entering menopause, my body really changed and I developed fat on my belly, the underside of my arms, my chin--all kinds of places that I never had fat before. I dieted and dieted. I always ate low-fat and low-calorie foods and never really lost any weight until I tried low-carb dieting with coconut oil. There are many low-carb diets but this is the only one that has worked for me. I eat all the fat [virgin coconut oil] I want and I don’t worry about it. I now have only 10 pounds to go to be where I was in college. The virgin coconut oil has also been very good for my skin, too. I know that exercise and virgin coconut oil will help me get rid of the last 10 pounds.

Laurel

Chapter Two: The Carbohydrate Conundrum

When I mention the word carbohydrate, what comes to your mind? If you’re like most people, probably sugar and starch. The topic of carbohydrates is certainly confusing for most people. Do we need these sugars and starches or don’t we? For decades we’ve been told to eat lots of carbs, making them the highest percentage of our diet, and to limit protein and fat as much as possible. Now, we’re being told the opposite.

Because of all the encouragement over the years to eat carbs, Americans have become the main refined carbohydrate consumers of the world. From bagels, muffins, boxed sugary cereals and orange juice for breakfast, sweet rolls and doughnuts for coffee break, sandwiches and French fries for lunch, and pasta and bread for dinner, many people have centered their entire day around carbs.

Unfortunately, most of the carbs Americans eat are not the healthy, fiber-rich carbohydrates eaten in many other parts of the world; they’re simple, refined cabs that have had the fiber and nutrients stripped away. Once ingested, these foods rapidly turn to sugar in the body. And all this sugar, scientists are telling us, is making us fat and unhealthy.

What Causes Sugar Cravings?

High-carb foods usually cause the pancreas to overcompensate by releasing too much insulin. This causes blood sugar to swing too low. We feel hungry, moody, and irritable. Other hormones are released including cortisone and norepinephrine. Norepinephrine makes us nervous and stimulates the brain to crave more carbs. So we eat a bowl of breakfast flakes, or a bagel, a cookie, or a bowl of ice cream. And our blood sugar spikes up and then goes way down.

Sugar cravings can also be caused by a yeast overgrowth known as Candida albicans. This condition can sometimes cause uncontrollable urges to eat sweets (one of the preferred foods for yeast). If you suspect this might be you, take the Candida Quiz in Chapter 5. Also, a chromium (trace mineral) deficiency can cause sugar cravings as can a protein deficiency.

Whatever the root cause, this cycle of carb cravings, blood sugar swings, and mood shifts leads to carbohydrate addiction, insulin resistance, and weight gain. This can be true for many individuals who find it difficult to lose weight. In many cases overweight individuals eat less food than normal weight people, but their choices are often simple carbohydrate foods due to carbohydrate, or specifically, sugar cravings.

In Chapter 2 you’ll learn the difference between the unhealthy simple carbs and the beneficial complex carbohydrates. You’ll discover which sweeteners are good, not so good, and down right dangerous. You’ll also get the real scoop on the glycemic response and what that has to do with weight management. You’ll discover what causes sugar cravings and the truth about insulin. Take the Insulin Resistance Quiz and discover just how insulin resistant you are. Follow the 6 easy steps and you can improve your blood sugar balance and insulin sensitivity and thus lose weight more efficiently.

Testimonies

I have been taking a tablespoon of coconut oil three times daily with meals. Taking the oil with my meals seems to give me a “full feeling” a lot faster. My sweet tooth has practically vanished—and this is from someone who should have bought stock in Hersheys long ago! Ironically, facilitating weight loss was my main reason for trying the coconut oil diet, but with all the wonderful benefits I am experiencing, the weight loss aspect almost seems like an afterthought.

About three days into the routine, I had an energy rush on a Saturday morning that kept me going until well after lunch. I can’t believe how much I got done that day! My mental state of mind seemed to be much sharper. I was able to focus on the tasks at hand without getting sidetracked. I was not exhausted at the end of running my errands, which included traipsing around a huge mall. It seemed like I was practically running, rather than the leisurely walking that was formerly my habit. In addition to my energy level, my mood has been very stable—no up and down mood swings—even with the onset of PMS!

My husband commented yesterday on how soft and silky my skin felt, and I have not used any lotion since I started taking the oil. This program also seems to have given my libido a jumpstart.

Theresa

I am marveling over and over about how this coconut oil is working! By the time I finished my first quart of virgin coconut oil, I could tell my hypoglycemic hunger cravings were subsiding, and my taste for coffee and chocolate was changing, too. I feel like a “born-again believer.”

Beverly

Chapter Three: The Big Fat Misconception

For decades we have been told to cut back on the fats in our diet if we want to maintain a healthy weight and prevent heart disease. Marketers of low-fat foods have championed this concept. But according to the U. S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics, the results have not been what we were promised. In 1999–2000, an estimated 30 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older — that’s nearly 59 million people — were obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, and 64 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 years and older were either overweight or obese, defined as having a BMI of 25 or more. ¹ (The BMI is a measuring system that determines obesity based on body-fat content rather than weight.) That accounts for almost two thirds of our adult population being classified as overweight. And heart disease is still the number one killer of Americans.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson says, “We’ve seen virtually a doubling in the number of obese persons over the past two decades and this has profound health implications. Obesity increases a person’s risk for a number of serious conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and some types of cancer.” ²

Obviously, low-fat diets have not helped Americans lose weight. Isn’t it time to “stop the insanity” about fat. Fat is not the substance making most people overweight. Not that overeating fats wouldn’t put weight on, but the major culprit for most people is refined carbohydrates—foods like sugar, potato chips, soda pop, pasta, pizza, breads, and other products made with refined grains. These types of foods are without doubt the major reason Americans are fat. And it’s no wonder! They are a big part of the typical American diet.

We’ve been told for years that we should avoid fat as much as possible. Some people have been on a torturous low-fat regimen, trying to avoid all fat in their diet. Now we are learning about the dangers of low-fat diets. Health professionals have had a chance to observe the results of years of eating low-fat and no-fat diets –results that have been very detrimental to our health. We need good fats, especially the essential fatty acids, to stay healthy. And we need a certain amount of fat in our diet to prevent overeating.

We are also learning that the saturated fat scare has turned out to be—a “big fat lie!” Gary Taubes wrote a startling article in the New York Times magazine in July 2002 titled “What if It's All been a Big Fat Lie?” In it he stated:

The cause of obesity [is] precisely those refined carbohydrates at the base of the famous Food Guide Pyramid –the pasta, rice and bread-- that we are told should be the staple of our healthy, low-fat diet, and then add on the sugar or corn syrup in the soft drinks, fruit juices, and sports drinks that we have taken to consuming in quantity if for no other reason than that they are fat free and so appear intrinsically healthy. While the low-fat-is-good-health dogma represents reality as we have come to know it, and the government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in research trying to prove its worth, the low-carbohydrate message has been relegated to the realm of unscientific fantasy.

Over the past five years, however, there has been a subtle shift in the scientific consensus. Now, a small but growing minority of establishment researchers have come to take seriously what the low-carb-diet doctors have been saying all along. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, may be the most visible proponent of testing this heretic hypothesis. Willett is the de facto spokesman of the longest-running, most comprehensive diet and health studies ever performed, which have already cost upward of $100 million and include data on nearly 300,000 individuals. “Those data,” says Willett, “clearly contradict the low-fat-is-good-health message and the idea that all fat is bad for you; the exclusive focus on adverse effects of fat may have contributed to the obesity epidemic.'' ³

Benefits of Saturated Fats

Saturated fats have a long history of use in traditional cultures because they are very stable fats that do not easily oxidize (turn rancid). Virgin coconut oil, for example, will not turn rancid at room temperature in the tropics for up to two years. Conversely, the refined oils that many Americans use are very unstable and turn rancid (oxidize) quickly. Oxidized oils are very toxic to the body and they can cause widespread free-radical damage.

In addition to their shelf stability, saturated fats have many important roles in the body’s chemistry. For example:

• Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50 percent of cell membranes. They give our cells necessary firmness and integrity.
• Saturated fats play a vital role in the health of our bones. For example, at least 50 percent of our dietary fats need to be saturated for calcium to be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure. ⁵
• They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness to heart disease. ⁶
• They protect the liver from the toxic effects of alcohol and certain drugs. ⁷
• They enhance the immune system. ⁸
• They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids. Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when the diet is rich in saturated fats.⁹
• Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are the preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart muscle is highly saturated.¹⁰ The heart draws on this reserve of fat in times of stress.
• Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.

Chapter 3 presents the lowdown on fats and oils. You’ll learn about the fats that heal and the fats that make us sick. You’ll discover which oils are toxic, and you’ll learn why we must have essential fatty acids. By discovering which fats make us fat, and which ones are slimming, you can be on your way to a trimmer you. Read the scientific evidence and discover why medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which dominate coconut oil, promote weight loss. And if you think all this saturated fat from coconuts is going to raise cholesterol levels, read the testimonies and look at the scientific evidence. In The Coconut Diet you’ll find testimonies from people who actually lowered their cholesterol levels and improved their good HDL with coconut oil. And you may be surprised about which factors actually contribute to heart disease.

It is quite possible that your entire manner of preparing food will never be the same after you finish this chapter. Best of all, you’ll discover which fats make you fat and which ones help you trim your waistline in “The Big Fat Misconception.“

Testimony

I have added coconut oil to my weight loss program, which is basically low carb, moderate protein, and reasonably high fat. I used this type of diet a few years ago and lost weight, but I “fell off the wagon” and put the weight back on. The major difference this time is that I have replaced all vegetable oils (corn, soy, canola, and so forth) with coconut oil and olive oil. When I eat a meal that has very lean protein, I take extra coconut oil. I have lost 58 pounds since December [that’s in just 8 months] with no exercise beyond a couple of walks per week. One positive side effect is that my resting heart rate has gone from 79 to 59.

I’m never hungry. In fact, I have to eat more than I feel like eating. Often times I could skip a meal, but I don’t do it because I don’t want my body to go into a starvation mode.

Perhaps the best part is that a lot of people are telling me I look younger.

Chuck

Chapter Four: Thyroid Health: A Weight Loss Advantage

About 13 million people suffer from low thyroid. This is a primary reason why some people can’t lose weight on a low-carb diet, or any diet for that matter. If you have hypothyroid or suspect that you do, this chapter may be key in helping you lose the weight you want. If you think you might have a sluggish thyroid but aren’t sure, you could take the Thyroid Health Quiz at the end of this chapter.

Research points to the fact that an underactive thyroid gland might be the number one cause of weight problems, especially among women. Because thyroid hormones are required for normal health and activity of every cell in the body, it just makes sense that a lack of these hormones will have a detrimental effect on organs and tissues. If thyroid function is not corrected, ideal weight may never be achieved

The thyroid gland is the body’s metabolic thermostat, controlling body temperature, energy use, and growth rate in children. The thyroid produces thyroid hormones, which control the health of organs and the speed at which the body metabolizes food. Simply put, it affects the operation of all our body’s cells, tissues, and organs.

There are a number of symptoms that many people experience when they have a sluggish thyroid such as fatigue, depression, weight gain, cold hands and feet, low body temperature, sensitivity to cold, a feeling of always being chilled, joint pain, headaches, menstrual disorders, insomnia, dry skin, puffy eyes, hair loss, brittle nails, constipation, mental dullness, frequent infections, hoarse voice, ringing in the ears, dizziness, and low sex drive.

People that are hypothyroid are also more likely to experience related conditions such as high cholesterol, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, difficult menopause, mitral valve prolapse, and fibrocystic breasts.

An underactive thyroid gland can lead to hormonal imbalances, which is often a factor in premenstrual syndrome (PMS). A number of experts believe that PMS is due to an imbalance of hormones, namely an excess of estrogen and a deficiency of progesterone. Studies have revealed that a large percentage of women suffering from PMS (symptoms such as moodiness, irritability, bloating, fatigue, and craving for sweets at least one week before menstruation) have shown evidence of poor thyroid function.

Because many of these symptoms are general and nonspecific or seemingly unrelated, many health care professionals do not think about sluggish thyroid as a potential cause, and the condition goes undiagnosed and untreated.

In this chapter you’ll discover how to determine if your thyroid function is low and what causes a poorly functioning thyroid. You’ll learn why coconut oil is good for your thyroid gland and about the other foods and nutrients that support thyroid health. You’ll also learn about the foods and substances you should avoid. With this knowledge you can begin to improve your thyroid function and truly nourish your thyroid gland.

Testimonies

I am just now jumping on the coconut oil bandwagon (about three weeks now) and I’m really starting to feel GREAT. I have suffered from severe migraines for the past 25 years, the last 15 becoming increasingly severe, coinciding with the addition of soy and the “low-fat mentality” to my diet. Nothing helped! I should be experiencing my pre-menstrual migraine by now and instead I feel like I could climb Mt. Everest ! Also I wondered if it decreased the waist to hip ratio because mine has gone from 7.2 (all my life) to 7. I think I had a sluggish thyroid, with a low body temperature of between 96 and 96.8. Now it’s starting to climb for the first time in years.

V. Potter

I have had a problem with sluggish metabolism and weight gain since having children. Even a no-calorie diet (fast) for 5 days did not work. As soon as I started taking virgin coconut oil the fat began to melt and I have lost 20 pounds. Over the same period of time, my 13- year- old daughter, who was very chubby and very worried about it, but could not [find] the self-control to renounce some of her favorite fatty foods, lost about 10 pounds. She now has the perfect figure, to her great joy! Pants she was bulging out of a year ago hang loose on her!

Sharon

Chapter 5: Special Help When Diets Don’t Work

If you have tried in vain to lose weight, take heart. Everybody is unique. There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to weight loss or nutrition. In this chapter, we’ll explore some of the reasons why people don’t lose weight on various diets including low carb plans, and tell you why The Coconut Diet can help when combined with some of the suggestions in this chapter. I offer various steps you can take to overcome certain health issues that may have been preventing you from losing those extra pounds. John ends the chapter with tips to overcome emotional or binge eating.

Why Some People Can’t Lose Weight

Though low-carb diets work for many people, there are individuals who suffer with certain health or emotional responses that involve food that make it very difficult to lose weight. A healthy low-carb diet is important to follow. However, unless the physical disorder or the emotional eating is addressed, some individuals may spend a lifetime trying unsuccessfully to lose weight. The Coconut Diet can change all that along with the special help in this chapter.

You may be someone the doctors have given up on. Maybe someone has told you there’s no hope that you’ll lose weight and that you may as well learn to live with it. I don’t believe that. Very often when problems are corrected that cause both ill health and weight gain, the weight melts off naturally. When all the systems of the body come into harmony, when you experience biochemical balance, when you detoxify your system, and correct root causes of ill health, you can achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

The late Dr. Robert C. Atkins said that about 20 percent of the people on the Atkins diet don’t lose weight because of yeasts known as Candida albicans. ¹ Candidiasis is one of the conditions that is covered in this chapter, along with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, (hypothyroid is covered in Chapter 4), digestive disorders such as irritable bowl syndrome, leaky gut syndrome, Crohn’s disease, colitis, and insomnia plus a section on emotional eating.

Cleansing the body is one of the most important steps you can take to correct any of these conditions. When everything in your body is free flowing, and you are eliminating toxins and wastes quickly and easily, and when you are feeding your body an abundance of nutrients, many ailments are healed by the body’s natural processes and the weight starts melting away. After all, the body was made to heal itself. We need to remove everything that hinders the healing process such as toxins, waste, and poor food choices, and provide it with the materials it needs to do its innate work of restoration and balance.

If you suffer from any of the conditions discussed here, you can start with Phase II of The Coconut Diet and follow the food guidelines in Phase I. Or, if you have already completed Phase I, you may include the food choices in Phase III unless not advised for your condition, while incorporating the specific recommendations in this chapter that apply to your needs.

Candidiasis

Candida albicans are usually benign yeasts (or fungus) that naturally inhabit the folds and creases of the digestive tract and the vaginal tract in women. They normally live in harmonious relationship with beneficial intestinal flora, also known as probiotics. In healthy people, Candida albicans does not present a problem because it is kept in check by good bacteria that also inhabit the gut.

These good bacteria can be easily destroyed by the use of antibiotics and other medications, allowing Candida albicans to flourish. Other factors connected with our twenty-first century lifestyle such as diets rich in sugars, refined carbohydrate foods, alcohol, birth control pills, pregnancy, hormonal changes, and stress encourage yeasts to grow out of control. ²

Thought to affect more than 40 million Americans, Candida albicans is now being recognized as a complex medical syndrome known as chronic candidiasisor yeast syndrome. ³ These organisms attach themselves to the intestinal wall where they compete with cells for nutrients, thus creating nutrient deficiencies. This overgrowth of yeast is believed to cause widespread symptoms in virtually every system of the body, with the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, endocrine, nervous, and immune systems being the most susceptible. ⁴

This syndrome can cause a host of uncomfortable symptoms such as fatigue, vaginitis, weight gain, immune system dysfunction, depression, digestive disorders, ear and sinus irritation, intense itching, chemical sensitivities, canker sores, and ringworm. Some patients say they feel “sick all over.” ⁵ If you think you may have a yeast overgrowth, I recommend you take the Candida Quiz at the end of this chapter.

Testimonies

In my practice, I have had a few clients that have had detox symptoms after the very first time they used the coconut oil. Although most [people] are able to use it by the tablespoon from the start, I have learned to start very ill and sensitive people on one teaspoon or less and work up from there. I have not had anyone so far that wasn’t able to tolerate the four tablespoons [of coconut oil] per day if they work up to it. Even my people that have known histories of gallbladder and liver problems tolerate it very well. Also, digestive enzymes benefit everyone, and especially people with pancreas problems. [Coconut oil is] an effective therapy for yeasts, viruses, and bacteria, and die-off symptoms are a very real phenomenon.

Marie DeArmon

Health Options Wellness Center , Rogersville , MO

I began taking virgin coconut oil after I read about it in Woman's World magazine. At the time I had a lot of problems with hypothyroid, fibromyalgia, IBS, candida, super dry skin, and skin rashes. I have stopped taking all meds for my gastrointestinal symptoms and my skin is now silky soft and smooth. I continue buying the virgin coconut oil in larger and larger quantities. I recently finished the regimen of Fungal Defense [Candida albicans and yeast cleanse]. I am now taking the Primal Defense [homeostatic soil organisms]. I feel free of the Candida albicans (and constant yeast infections) for the first time in ages.

Michai

Digestive Disorders

It is reported that about 95 million Americans suffer from some kind of digestive disorder. Americans spend more than $100 billion dollars annually on digestive health care. This is over three times as much as is spent annually on weight loss, which is about $33 billion dollars.

The major function of the gastrointestinal system is to break down and absorb nutrients. Without a well-functioning digestive system, essential nutrients that are necessary to maintain proper weight and good health may not be absorbed adequately from the foods we eat, even if we are eating a healthy diet. This can lead to nutrient deficiencies, cravings, over-eating, weight gain, and poor health.

When you are eating nutritious whole foods and avoiding refined carbohydrates, you should not gain weight. However, many people who have switched over to a healthy diet, and have even limited their refined carbohydrate intake, still have problems losing weight. You may be one who suffers from poor digestion or a digestive disorder that prevents you from properly breaking down and utilizing your food. You can have the best nutrition on earth and it will go to waste unless you are able to process it.

When the body suffers from digestive disorders, it becomes difficult to digest fats. So while it is important to eliminate unhealthy fats from our diet and switch to healthy fats like coconut oil and olive oil, we also need to make sure our digestive system can properly digest the fats we eat. Those with a poorly functioning pancreas have great difficulties in digesting fats. The pancreas produces enzymes (lipases, proteases, and amylases) that are required for breakdown and absorption of food. Lipases, along with bile, function in the breakdown of fats. Malabsorption (poor absorption) of fat and fat-soluble vitamins occurs when there is a deficiency of lipases. ⁸

Coconut oil is one of the best fats you can consume while trying to rebuild your digestive health. For many years researchers have recognized that the medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) in coconut oil are digested differently than the longer chain fatty acids found in today’s refined vegetable oils. MCFAs are broken down first by enzymes in the saliva and gastric juices, so that enzymes from the pancreas are not needed as much. ⁹ Therefore, people with digestive disorders have a greater ability to digest these smaller MCFAs in coconut oil. The body is able to convert MCFAs into energy instead of storing them in fat cells. Numerous studies have shown the weight loss effects of MCFAs (see Chapter 3). The longer chain fatty acids have a much greater tendancy to be deposited as fatty tissue throughout the body.

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Fibrolyalgia (FM) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome CFS) have similar symptoms, with FM being characterized by musculosckeletal pain and CFS by fatigue. The exact cause of these illnesses is unknown and diagnosis is sometimes difficult. Many health professionals believe that a depressed immune system is the underlying cause of CFS with a virus such as Epstein-Barr or herpes as the contributing factor. Low thyroid function may be a contributing factor forth both conditions. People who suffer from each of these conditions say they feel like a truck just ran over them on many a morning. They experience constant muscle soreness and have very little energy to do anything. Even the thought of exercising seems overwhelming. This alone makes it difficult to lose weight.

Testimony

I had read about virgin coconut oil in Woman’s World magazine. I ordered it for a sluggish thyroid and to see if it would help my fibromyalgia symptoms. I was disappointed after trying it the first day that I did not get any of the flushed feeling that I read about [on the coconut discussion group website]. I thought, “Maybe this will not help me either.” This morning, however, after just three days of taking the virgin coconut oil, I got out of bed for the first time in years with no muscle aches or stiffness. It’s gone after just three days!

Tammy

Emotional Eating

Many times we eat food, not because we’re hungry but because we are feeling emotional, like sad, depressed, discouraged, bored, or anxious. At such times, that “little devil” on our shoulder says, “Yep, you’re right! It’s been a crummy day and you need some cheering up. You may as well eat the rest of that carton of ice cream or the double-chocolate cheesecake; you’ll feel a lot better!”

Stress triggers a drop in serotonin levels, which can cause cravings for sweets and starches such as cookies, pasta, or breads. Women may be more susceptible to stress eating because of fluctuating hormones. PMS can cause women to eat more junk food and sweets. These foods can help improve moods and induce happy memories or feelings, momentarily at least. Their lure has both chemical and emotional triggers. Some foods work on serotonin levels in the brain, producing a calming effect; they produce higher levels of serotonin, which is a little like “instant Prozac.” Others work on an emotional level reminding us of comfort and warmth from days of yore. But these “temporary fixes” have a price.

Ask yourself the following:

• Do I eat fattening foods when I’m bored or depressed to divert myself from bad moods?
• Which foods are most comforting for me?
• Which ones are calming?
• Which foods do I choose to eat when I’m stressed out or anxious?

Chapter 6: Phase I: The Coconut Diet 21-Day Weight Loss Kick-Off

Welcome to the most exciting low-carb weight loss program available. You’re about to experience weight loss with ease, taste satisfaction, and plenty of fabulous food choices. You’re off to a great start with the 21-Day Weight Loss Kick Off! And, like so many dieters, you, too, will be amazed at how you feel—like improved energy, loss of sugar cravings, and better sleep.

Phase I is the strictest phase of The Coconut Diet, and it offers the greatest results. For the first twenty-one days you will eat healthy lean protein such as chicken, turkey, fish, beef, eggs, cheese, and nuts with lots of non-starchy vegetables, leafy greens, and good fats. Grains such as bread, bagels, muffins, rolls, buns, crackers, rice cakes, cereals, rice, pasta, and pizza will be avoided. Sweets are off the list too—no cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream, doughnuts, or candy along with most fruit and starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, and acorn squash.

If you think you will have nothing exciting left to eat, you’ll be happily surprised. The Coconut Diet offers delicious foods and recipes that are part of the 21-day meal plan, which includes. Vegetable Quiche On-the-Go, Crispy Coconut Chicken Salad, Thai Coconut Salmon, and my Low-Carb Coconut Smoothie along with dozens of other mouth-watering recipes for you to choose from that will keep your taste buds satisfied. And coconut oil will help curb your cravings for sweets, bread, and starches too.

This is not a diet of deprivation, but one of enjoyment. With three meals per day and two snacks, you should not feel hungry or deprived. Best of all, you will learn a new style of eating that you can follow for the rest of your life.

Within days of starting this program, you should enjoy more energy and feel healthier. Some physical ailments may simply disappear. One improvement that is often mentioned is a lessening of fatigue. In fact, people often report great energy surges. Many women note a significant reduction in PMS symptoms. Joint problems improve for many. And scores of people who have suffered from low thyroid function experienced exciting improvements.

The Coconut Diet is not only enjoyable—it’s easy. You’re not being asked to measure food or count carbs—just choose from the lists of low-carbohydrate foods you can eat, and don’t eat the foods on the “avoid” lists for the first three weeks.

Low-carb eating will give your body a chance to deal with issues of insulin resistance brought on by eating too many of the wrong carbs, which are primarily the refined and processed ones. When you no longer experience swings in blood sugar, it will be easier to control cravings for sweets and other high-carbohydrate foods. As a result, you will lose weight faster.

Testimony

I started taking virgin coconut oil about four weeks ago and have gone from 248 pounds down to 222. I eat a high protein, high fat, low-carb diet and I walk six to nine miles a day. Before I started using 3 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil, I had reached a plateau for five and a half months, only losing six pounds. [Coconut oil] is the only thing I’ve changed [in my diet].

Leia

Chapter 7: Phase Two: Cleansing—A Weight Loss Advantage!

I have observed that when elimination of waste is increased, weight loss is greatly facilitated. Many people have said cleansing helped them lose weight when nothing else worked. Individuals have also found that adding cleansing programs into their weight loss regimen has improved their health—sometimes dramatically. And, an added bonus is that cleansing often contributes to a more youthful appearance—something many people don’t experience on many other weight loss programs.

Certain herbs are especially helpful for weight loss and cleansing. They are a suggested, but optional, part of the cleansing protocol.

Testimony

I have found over many years of research that because of my thyroid dysfunction, my colon, liver, and gall bladder needed to be cleansed. I recently read about the cleansing diets from Cherie Calbom’s book [The Juice Lady’s Guide to Juicing for Health], and about how the congestion of these organs can make us gain weight. No matter what you try to do to lose weight, until you’ve cleansed your body, you may not see the weight loss results you want.

I started trying “the cleanses” and I now do not feel so bloated and have lost some weight around my midsection. Cherie recommends the colon first, then the liver, then the gallbladder, and then the kidneys. Things start “clicking and working together” when we remove the toxins. I have not done a full cleanse yet, but so far the results have been good.

April

Flush Away the Cellulite

It’s not just another fat. Simply put, cellulite is that lumpy, bumpy orange-peel-looking skin, which is irregular fat deposits that are found mostly on the thighs, hips, and buttocks. Most of us aren’t very happy about these lumps and dimples. Dimples look great on smiling young faces, but they don’t look so great on our thighs.

Infuriatingly, many dieters find that no matter how hard they work at weight loss, exercise, and strict diet, this stuff sticks to the thighs like caramel on an apple—even when they’ve dropped a dress size or two.

You can rub, massage, and wrap this fat in seaweed every day of your life, but it’s not going to disappear unless you cleanse your body, especially your colon and liver, and improve your circulation and metabolism, get your lymph moving, and nourish your body from within. (One particular exercise machine known as a lymphasizer (swing machine), is particularly helpful. (See Resource Guide) Also, as you boost your metabolism, your circulatory and lymphatic systems will work better, and you’ll increase your chances of shifting the bulges. ²

Step One: Colon Cleansing

One of the causes of weight gain, along with nagging health problems, is the formation and build up of intestinal toxins. Once one truly understands that one of the greatest challenges our body faces is the removal of wastes and toxins, it is difficult to underestimate the importance of cleansing and proper elimination.

If you want to lose weight as efficiently as possible and reshape your body, it is absolutely crucial to cleanse the colon and create an environment for more rapid and successful weight loss results.

Colon cleansing is one of the most important steps—and usually the most overlooked—when people attempt to lose weight, reshape the body, flatten the abdomen, and improve digestion and elimination. The problem is that the body cannot properly digest and eliminate some of the foods and substances we ingest. These substances become waste material that can lodge or get stuck in the lining of the intestinal tract in the form of old fecal matter and mucus. People can end up carrying around pounds of this matter that has built up over time in their colon.

Confounding the body’s need for the normal two to three bowel movements per day, this build up of material interferes with optimal nutrient absorption from our foods and supplements.

Combining colon cleansing with The Coconut Diet can help you trim your waistline faster and more completely. A stomach that protrudes may not be just from fat; it can also be the result of intestinal waste build up. When the colon is cleansed, the stomach often flattens. The colon can also function better, eliminating wastes quicker, which greatly facilitates weight loss. And, nutrient absorption is improved and the body is better fed. As a result, cravings often diminish or disappear making it easier to stick with the weight loss program.

Constipation: A Big Deterrent to Weight Loss

Constipation refers to the difficulty or infrequency in passing stools due to a sluggish bowel. Constipation can undermine the whole body, affecting digestion, preventing a clearing of toxins, lowering energy levels, and preventing absorption of nutrients. Proper elimination is necessary to avoid a build up of toxins.

If you want to lose weight, you need to correct constipation. Poor diet is a major contributor to a sluggish bowel as is poor liver function. Food allergies and sensitivities can also be a contributor as well as dairy products. Stress can also adversely affect the colon. When stressed, the nervous system becomes enzyme deficient, saliva flow decreases, lactic acid accumulates, and digestion is impaired. Drinking fresh vegetables juices can be very helpful as well, since they supply good soluble fiber. The complete treatment for constipation is included in Chapter 7. 

Testimony

I am almost through with my thirty-day general cleanse and about a week ago I finally started feeling better. I started doing about 1.5 miles on my Gazelle again. The last time I got on my Gazelle I could only do a mile before becoming so tired that I didn’t think I could continue. I am still taking the coconut oil and I finally dropped below 177 pounds—a mark I’ve been fighting [for a while]. Progress is slow, but I’m starting to feel the benefits of my changes.

Tammie

Step Two: The 7-Day Liver Cleanse

The liver performs hundreds of jobs every day that are crucial to life and health. Some of its functions influence weight loss. They include:

• Regulating carbohydrate metabolism, which controls blood sugar
• Regulating protein metabolism, which produces proteins that transport substances such as fat and hormones
• Burning fat for fuel, as well as making cholesterol and storing fat
• Regulating hormonal metabolism, especially converting T4 to T3 (thyroid hormones); T4 goes mostly to the liver where it is converted to T3
• Detoxifying internal toxins and environmental toxins

If you want to lose weight most efficiently, the liver-cleansing week is a must! The liver holds a key to efficient metabolism, weight control, bowel health. The liver is the major fat-burning organ in the body. Cleansing your liver should improve your metabolism immensely, and you should start burning fat more efficiently.

Step Three: The 7-Day Gallbladder Cleanse

The liver and gallbladder are interconnected and work together. What affects one will affect the other—both positively and negatively. One of the primary routes of eliminating toxins is through the bile. Bile is made in the liver and concentrated in the gallbladder. It becomes a carrier substance by which many toxins are expelled from the body. When bile flow is impaired, stools may be hard and difficult to pass and toxin elimination will be impaired .

Weight gain can also be a sign of a congested gallbladder. Signals of gallbladder congestion include fatty food intolerances (trouble digesting fats), belching, bloating, headaches, and strong appetites. Intense pain in the abdomen that radiates to the upper back can be an indication of gallstones. Ultrasound provides a definitive diagnosis. Approximately twenty percent of the women and eight percent of the men over forty in the U.S. have been shown to have gallstones. More than 300,000 gallbladders are removed each year.

It is important to note that during weight loss, concentration of cholesterol in the bile actually increases, setting the stage for gallstones. Secretion of all bile components is reduced during weight loss, but secretion of bile acids decreases more than cholesterol. One function of bile acids is to keep cholesterol in solution. This set-up greatly increases the risk of gallstone formation or acceleration of stone growth.

Once weight is stabilized, bile acid output returns to normal and the cholesterol production remains low. The overall effect is an improvement in bile solubility with weight loss. This is one reason I highly recommend a gallbladder cleanse while on a weight loss program. And I recommend following the general guidelines for gallstone prevention found in Chapter 6 for anyone losing more than one pound per week.

Step Four: Kidney Cleansing

When we cleanse, it is as important to include the kidneys too. During cleansing, the kidneys must process more toxic substances than normal. A number of herbs are helpful in strengthening and toning the kidneys. They help increase urine flow, reduce inflammation, and remove uric acid and other crystalline formations. They 7-Day Kidney Cleanse contains a number of natural food and herbal diuretics that not only support the kidneys but also facilitate water weight loss.

Chapter 8: Phase III

After three weeks on Phase I, you can switch to Phase III of The Coconut Diet, which includes limited amounts of whole grains, fruit, and starchy vegetables. If you choose to incorporate Phase II—The Cleansing Programs—you can follow either Phase I or Phase III of the meal plan during the cleanse weeks, depending on what works best for your weight loss and cleansing needs. When you have completed the cleansing program, you will stay with Phase III until you have lost the weight you desire.

Chapter 9: Phase IV: Maintenance Plan

When you have reached your goal weight, you are ready for Phase IV. This phase of the plan is designed to help you maintain your ideal weight. By now your biochemistry should have improved considerably, and you should be at a place where cravings for sweets, breads, and starches have virtually disappeared. You are ready to eat a wide variety of healthy foods that will help you stay trim for the rest of your life.