The FastDay Forum

Thank you ladies for the recipes & ideas, it sounds like chocolate heaven & adding sultanas or perhaps small pieces of dried apricot? I have both in my cupboard so I will try both.
I keep on oil pulling but can at the most manage 6-10 minutes so I hope that is still doing me good. Also eating spoonfuls of coconut oil & putting a spoonful in my coffee particularly on a fast day & before eating when 16:8ing I hope that is not ruining the fasting effect.

Isis, let me know how you get on having it on fast days. I've not had it on f/days yet as it's high in calories but not all calories are equal and it speeds up metabolism, so not sure how it would work out. good luck

I've just made it, its now setting in the fridge. It didn't need much tweaking to balance the flavours. But, I did find when it was at the taste to balance stage that the cocoa powder still tasted powdery, am I doing something wrong or will that texture have gone when it sets again?

It may have been a bit too much cocoa powder. If it's still powdery when set, melt all the chocolate in a jug and add more melted coconut oil, then reset. It's trial and error I'm afraid, the way I do it but you'll work out how you like it in no time. Are you using a good quality powder? some of the cheaper ones are packed out with all sorts.

It's the Hersheys cocoa powder. 100% cocoa.

I have just found out - by reading here - about the benefits of coconut oit.. but could some of you please tell me, what kind of brand? I mean - something I can use for eating, put in coffee and so.. is it the same you are using for your body? . Maybe I am a little slow here ..

I want to give it a try, but as I am from Denmark, I thought I could buy it from Amazon.co.uk or similar - so I need a good brand (name) ..

Thanks

Julieathome, I don't know that brand, it should be fine. How did the choc turn out?
pist1958 look for an organic virgin cold pressed coconut oil. I'm in Spain and get it on-line from a shop about 50km away. Have a look around local health food shops or maybe they could order it for you. a quick on-line search should find someone who'll deliver to you.

Sorry pist1958, just read your post again. If you live in the UK Tesco, I think Morrisons and most health food shops have it.

Coconut oil chocolate, rather yummy. Though it dissolves much faster in the mouth than regular chocolate. My eldest son doesn't like it, says its too oily. It will make a lovely muesli bar/ball type of snack I think.

Pist1958 the best virgin coconut oil that I have found & also for a big pot most reasonably priced is Coconoil from Amazon. It tastes nice & goes well in coffee

Julieathome, have it straight from the freezer,it melts a bit slower in the mouth. add raisins for your son, it does take away some of the oiliness.

I was following the posts regarding coconut oil last month and saw this article on Yahoo! today for anyone interested:

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/e ... 00482.html

Everything You Need to Know About Coconut Oil

Once castigated for its generous saturated fat content, coconut oil has been given a second life as a (gasp!) healthy fat. And while drinking it by the tablespoon still isn't a great idea, you definitely should consider adding the oil to your diet.

Yes, coconut oil is almost 90 percent saturated fat, but not all sat fats are created equal. "The saturated fat in coconut oil is mostly lauric acid, a medium-chain saturated fatty acid that appears to have a more neutral effect on heart health when compared to longer-chain saturated fats found in meats and dairy products," says Wendy Bazilian, R.D., author of The SuperFoodsRx Diet.

This makes sense considering citizens of nations that consume prodigious amounts of coconut products, such as Sri Lanka, have lower rates of heart disease than Americans. Some research even suggests that coconut oil can paradoxically improve cholesterol numbers by revving up enzymes in the body that break down fats.

Bazilian adds that medium-chain fats are metabolized more easily into energy in the liver, meaning they may be less likely to be stored as extra padding on your thighs if you keep your overall calories in check. "Up to 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil a day, depending on individual calorie needs, can be a healthy and tasty addition to your diet when replacing other less-healthy calories," Bazilian says. "But don't believe the hype that simply adding coconut oil to your diet can help you shed a bunch of body fat."

More proof that coconut oil is a worthwhile addition to your pantry: Lauric acid appears to have antibacterial properties, and studies show that the tropical oil (particularly the virgin varieties) contains a bounty of antioxidants that may help knock out those pesky cell-damaging free radicals that are thought to accelerate aging and disease. Topically, coconut oil is also a great skin moisturizer.

How to Choose a Coconut Oil
Coconut oil that is labelled "virgin" or "extra virgin" is extracted from coconut meat using delicate methods such as cold-pressing. "This type of oil will have more antioxidants as well as a stronger coconut flavor and aroma," Bazilian says. Perfect for a batch of brownies or a fragrant curry.

Not ready to go loco for coco flavor? Try refined coconut oil (sometimes labelled "expeller-pressed"), which is further processed to have a more neutral taste and scent. Refined coconut oil also has a higher smoke point than virgin, so Bazilian says you can use it for higher-heat cooking such as stir-frying or when you are making dishes like scrambled eggs and don't want it to taste like a beach vacation. But she recommends researching brands online to find ones that avoid using harsh chemicals to refine their coconut oil.

Both cold-pressed and expeller-pressed versions have a long shelf life (about 2 years without refrigeration), meaning there is less worry about coconut oil going rancid than there is about more delicate oils such as flax or extra-virgin olive oil.

Just a caution about oil pulling...I found several different sites online where people were discussing fillings and dental work falling out after oil pulling for 3-6 months. It seems that the swishing and the oil can dissolve the cement that holds the dental work. I have some of the older fillings (with mercury) that I need to have redone anyway. But, dental work is very expensive here and it is going to be a while before I can get it done.

Thank you eb757 for the link & your lengthy post about the benefits of using coconut oil. My husbands scalp is looking much better now after nightly applications to his bald scalp area that has previously been very dry & rough, & had a solar keratosis on it that looked like it was returning after using Solarase, but has completely disappeared using coconut oil.

Thank you also 43tweaker for your warning! was this about dental problems in the USA & UK? I am just wondering if the same dental cement is used in the UK? I also have some mercury fillings that are rather old but I have read that a dentist specialising in removing these should be used because of the risk of inhaling or swallowing the amalgam as it is being drilled out. So I have decided not to have them removed because I have read in Bruce Fifes book that the amount of mercury in them reduces the longer you have had them, because it unfortunately has already been absorbed into ones body so the older the fillings are there, the less point in having them specially replaced by white amalgams.

I might dab a bit of coconut oil on hubby's psoriosis thats on his scalp. Its part and parcel of his Rhumatoid arthritis. He's having a nasty flare up at the moment, so as well as not being able to walk at all, his scalp looks like raw meat with scabs. So I'm dabing and rubbing it in starting in 2 minutes.