I love coconut oil. It is wonderful for many things. It is also one of the healthiest oils to use. It is a stable oil and does not oxidize easily and can be left at room temperature for up to two years. It is has antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral and antiprotozoal properties. It is also great for fat loss as it stimulates metabolism and suppresses appetite. Another great property of coconut oil is that it can protect against heart disease by raising the HDL (good cholesterol) and improving the total cholesterol ratio.

So how can you incorporate coconut oil into you daily life?

1. Low Carb Coconut bread
2. Coconut in milk
3. Coconut Chicken Curry
4. Coconut Herb Buns
5. Coconut Pancakes (This recipe comes from CHEESESLAVE but I made a savory version of this pancake using my garden zucchinis that I will post soon)
6. Low Carb Breakfast Porridge
7. As a toothpaste
8. As a skin lotion (I use coconut oil with some peppermint essential oil)

Share your thoughts! How do you use coconut oil?

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Eating Low Carb is a great way to burn fat but there is some uncertainty if a low carb diet will cause muscle mass loss. It could depend on the type of exercise being performed.

Amino acids in protein build muscle. Muscle burns calories. If you eat enough calories than building muscle is possible eating low carb. Some studies have shown that muscle can be gained while on low carb diet. This is because the amino acids feed the muscle. So it is important to eat good quality protein that is found in meats, fish, eggs and nuts.

Exercise does deplete glycogen from the muscle. Carbohydrates replenish the glycogen. The problem arises when the glycogen stores are used up and muscle mass may be lost.

To increase and boost muscle strength it is beneficial to eat a combination of protein and carbohydrates. I prefer to eat vegetable carbohydrates because I am on an anti-candida diet. Grains and fruit sugars feed candida yeast and at this point I am not able to eat them. Coconut water is a great post workout drink. Coconut water contains some carbohydrates and sugars but it also contains essential vitamins, minerals and electrolytes. Coconut, coconut oil and coconut water are anti-fungal and are allowed on an anti-candida diet.

When doing long duration exercise like cycling or running the body will need more carbohydrates. Short burst exercise like High Intesity Interval Training has worked well for me on low carb. But you may need to experiment with your low carb diet and track performance and how you feel. If strength and performance begins to drop that is a good sign to increase carbohydrates. Just make sure to stay away from the refined flours. The muscles only use a small amount of glucose and if there is too much it will raise blood sugar levels and insulin.

Let me know what you think about low carb diets and muscle loss.

To your health and wellness,

Catherine Osthaus

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Dinner tonight was both a success and failure. It tasted awesome (Success!) But the kids did not eat any of the meat (Failure). I also found out how to get rid of the aromatic curry smell in my kitchen while I was preparing the curry (Success?? Maybe??) I managed to forget to add water to my cooking cauliflower that was supposed to be steaming (Failure). There is nothing like the smell of burning cauliflower and hot metal to deodorize a kitchen.

Don’t be afraid to try this recipe because of the ingredient list. It is mostly spices.

Picture: Romaine salad, Cauliflower, Coconut Chicken Curry

Coconut Chicken Curry

(4 servings)

1 lb chicken meat (any kind)
4 tablespoons of coconut oil
2 tablespoons of curry powder
½ teaspoon of turmeric
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon stevia sugar
1 onion sliced
3 cloves of garlic
1 inch piece of grated ginger
½ can coconut milk
2 tomatoes, diced
Squeeze of lemon
½ cup of plain yogurt (optional)
½ cup cilantro (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large frying pan heat up the coconut oil on medium heat. Mix in spices: curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, ginger and stevia sugar. Cook spices for about 10 minutes. If the spices are starting to look dry and are clumping you can add a bit of water or more oil. Add chopped onion and cook till translucent for 5 minutes. Add chicken, tomatoes, and coconut milk to the pan and simmer  for 25-30min. Squeeze and mix a bit of lemon juice over the curry. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional ingredients.:
To cut down on the spiciness of the curry you can add plain yogurt to it. Also if you love cilantro, or if anybody in your family loves cilantro you can add it to this dish.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 430.5, Total Fat 40.1 g, Cholesterol 15.8 mg, Sodium 48.2 mg, Total Carbohydrate 15.4 g, Dietary Fiber 2.8 g, Sugars 1.9 g, Protein 9.3 g

Let me know what you think of this recipe!

To your health,
Catherine Osthaus

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