Incorporating Medium Chain ‘fatty acids’ into Your Diet Helps Lose Body Fat

I am not a diabetic, but I think this is great to think about weather you are or aren't! I really like this company's products and the coconut oil is quite tasty! I can add this to oatmeal, and Kaileigh eats it right up. Virgin Coconut Oil is an extremely versatile and wonderfully delicious tasting oil. Good quality coconut oil is one of the most stable cooking oils, plus it's highly resistant to rancidity. There are many ways to incorporate coconut oil into your diet. It could be used anywhere you currently use any of the "seed" oils (soybean, corn, canola, safflower, sesame seed, sunflower seed); used as a butter for spreads, over popcorn, or for baking; used in soups or 'smoothies'; eaten right off the spoon; eaten as a "candy" or "white chocolate" when refrigerated or frozen; put in coffee or tea; mixed with peanut butter; etc. I can add this to oatmeal, and Kaileigh eats it right up.

A new study demonstrates that a diet rich in coconut oil protects against ‘insulin resistance’ (an impaired ability of cells to respond to insulin) in muscle and fat. The diet also avoids the accumulation of body fat caused by other high fat diets of similar calorie content. Together these findings are important because obesity and insulin resistance are major factors leading to the development of Type 2 diabetes.

The study is also interesting because it helps explain human studies showing that people who incorporate medium chain ‘fatty acids’, such as those found in coconut oil, into their diets can lose body fat.

Dr Nigel Turner and Associate Professor Jiming Ye, from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, compared fat metabolism and insulin resistance in mice fed coconut oil and lard based diets. Their findings are now published online in the international journal Diabetes.

Unlike the long chain fatty acids contained in animal fats, medium chain fatty acids are small enough to enter directly, where they can then be converted to energy.

Unfortunately the downside to eating medium chain fatty acids is that they can lead to fat build up in the liver, an important fact to be taken into consideration by anyone considering using them as a weight loss therapy.

Fat storage is determined by the balance between how much fat is taken in by cells and how much of this fat is burned for energy. When people eat a high fat diet, their bodies attempt to compensate by increasing their capacity to oxidise fat. The medium chain fatty acid (coconut oil) diet was more effective at increasing the oxidative capacity of muscle than the long chain fatty acid (lard) diet leading to less fat storage in muscle and better insulin action.

The lard-based diet used in this research is similar to the diet eaten by people in the Western world. Its fatty acid composition is about 40% saturated fats, 40% monounsaturated fats and 20% polyunsaturated fats, of which the vast proportion is omega-6, rather than omega-3.

So at any rate, that is my 2 cents worth! You can check more out here. I just got a BUY 1 GET 1 FREE @ 12.95 special!!

Drinks for Your Spirit!

So it's 18 degrees at our house today and we have had nothing but freezing drizzle and sounds like that's the plan for the rest of the weekend! Here at the Davis household, we love seasonal drinks - both non-alcoholic and adult - and ALL of these recipes can be made with alcoholic substitutes with just the same great flavor! Today we made some Hot Buttered Apple Rum! Ah..

Hot Buttered Apple Rum

Ingredients

* 4 inches stick cinnamon, broken
* 1 teaspoon whole allspice
* 1 teaspoon whole cloves (I've also used ground cloves too which works)
* 7 cups apple juice
* 1-1/2 to 2 cups rum
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* Butter
( If you want to have this drink alcoholic, alter this slightly by adding everything - except only cook about 1/2cup rum for flavoring. Then add a shot into the mug when serving.) The above recipe is great if you want a great flavored hot rum drink with the alcohol cooked out.

Directions

1. Tie cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in a spice bag. In a 3-1/2-, 4-, 5-, or 6-quart slow cooker combine spice bag, apple juice, rum, and brown sugar. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Discard spice bag. Ladle hot punch into cups; float about 1/2 teaspoon butter or margarine on each serving. Makes 10 (6-ounce) servings.

Another favorite fall/winter drink of ours:

"Coffee Alfredo"
3/4 oz. each Kahlua, Amaretto, fill with coffee and top with whip cream. (for non alcoholic, use Choco & Amaretto coffee syrups)

"Hot Apple Pie"
Sparkling Cider, 1 1/4 oz heated Tuaca, topped with whip cream.

"Hot Angel"
Steamed milk (foam or not) with shot Frangelica. (for non-alcoholic, use hazelnut syrup in place of the Frangelica)

Another Year, Another Adventure

The past month I have been focusing primarily on building my consulting business specializing with Social Media. I have really enjoyed working with some clients and watching their business grow, while having such a blast. Another great avenue that's presented itself has been handling a great deal of translation for a government agency that deals with lots of Georgians. How I love to be involved with aspects of international business and Social Media and still have playdough and coloring sessions with Kaileigh at my kitchen table!

So I have begun yet another adventure. This road is a bit more unknown and unpredictable, but the joy, fun, and peace has returned and that my friends, IS WHAT MATTERS!

I've literally been so busy that my own blog and social "fun" networking as slacked. I also realize that I like to keep my profiles up to date so that I can have somewhat of a "living" portfolio for clients to view as well so they can see things working. At any rate, my goal is 3 posts a week here until I get into a my new groove! I've currently been working on re-designing my own website for KMD, so I will post that too when it's done - hopefully this week!

I'm A Survivor

The last several months have been something else for me. I didn't even know where to start when someone asks how things were going, etc. How do you tell someone that "yea pretty much life just sucks right now"? Well, since this is me that we're talking about, that's just about how it would come out! :) Nothing was going the way I'd wanted or planned and I was tired of not being able to cope - survive - function - without the help of sleep aids, relaxants, and screwing vitamins and 'all things natural'. Everything that I stood for and believed in began to fall down the drain in a hopeless feeling of exhastion and defeat.

I would find that at the end of my days, the last thing I wanted to do was get back online and share my thoughts and 'jordanisms' with people when I'd spent my entire day defending myself and just surving to get to the end of the day without being lectured and scolded. My passion for sharing on things and issues near and dear to my heart began to fade in the light of other things claiming priority in my life by means of necessity. There was no joy and energy left in me at the end of the day and the despair of the next coming day were enough to make me sick and I'd once again, neglect something that I once loved and looked forward to - blogging and keeping up on the latest herbal health trends and information.

But alas! There was a cloud with a silver lining in it on my horizon and I have embraced it full force! For the first time in 2 years, I am truly able to be a true Mommy and a real Independent Contractor. It has been a breath of fresh air to have set deadlines and projects and know that who cares when it gets done, as long as it's done and done well. There's no more being tied to my house and my phone in fear that I won't be available when I'm 'supposed' to be available and that I can run my own schedule and take time for my daughter.

I have GREATLY appreciated all of your emails and posts encouraging me to continue to share information and stories with you all. You are wonderful readers and I love you too!

Letting Go

The past year, or bit more, we have been in the process of processing, dealing, grieving, and letting go. I have been learning that there comes a time in life where you must decide what is "right" for your family and what is Truth and what you are OK with being "gray". I just never thought that we would hit something like this so soon. I know that as a parent, I am responsible for the influences and examples that Kaileigh grows up with and adapts as her own eventually, but I never really thought about the fact that making decisions based on all of these things starts now - that we are sowing seed into not only our lives, but Kaileigh's, and into all of our futures.

We came to a cross roads awhile back where we had to choose between what we felt God was telling/leading us and where man was telling us we should go. (you can read in-depth on that here) Well, we chose to take a step of faith and follow where we felt God leading. And in this process we have lost friends, but we have also made new ones - and kept some who have chosen the same path. We have learned that forgiveness isn't always what it looks like

But the hardest part of all this? LETTING GO. Letting go of the idea of friendship(s) that never really were - authentic. Letting go of an idea that was never really real to begin with - that truth wasn't The Truth. Letting go of the fact that we were strung along to follow something that was not for our spiritual gain, but for personal, human gain. Letting go of a memory that never really was what it looked like. And letting go of all the emotions and experiences and wondering, was it really what it seemed and realizing that nothing will ever be the same again.

When people talk with us, I often relate to the passage in Genesis where Lot and his family leave Sodom & Gomorrah. God tells them not to look back. Oh boy - "don't look back God?" Well, that is what it has been. Learning to let go and to not look back - on something that never was Truth. To know that God said "go, take your family, and run and do not look over your shoulder."

Now, I am not saying that I am looking back and regretting. What I AM saying is that I continue to go through this grieving process of realizing that we have left an "old way", so to speak and have started a "new route" and as we continue to experience God's blessing and excitement, I grieve from time to time for those who I was close to, no longer share those same values and convictions or share the same goals and it is sometimes more than my heart can handle.

Summer Fun

So a few weeks ago, we got out the little play pool for Kaileigh. Though we enjoy going to the neighborhood pool, this is great for when I need to get work done and can sit at the table on the patio and let her go to play! Below is a video of her first summer 'swim'.

While watching her play in the pool, I was once again I was so reminded of the adventures in mothering. It's these little things of her giggles and just pure joy and excitement to do the simple things like play in a swimming pool. I just pray that I remember these little squeals and joys as she gets older. I'm so blessed that I can be around to watch this!

I have decided to talk about the big "M" word - I've had more than my share of girlfriends who have shared their stories and I think that it's worth sharing my golden nugget of all natural health when it comes to that dreaded monthly curse of menstration! Because I've had such a history of issues, I have had to discipline and work on some alternative medical routes to deal with - not just treat - the symptoms.

You've heard from me before, and I'll boast again at how great the products from Native Remedies.

Mens-Reduce is especially formulated for women and contains a combination of herbal ingredients well-known for their positive and tonic effects on female hormonal balance as well as their benefits in maintaining a regular menstrual cycle with normal menstrual flow.

Everything is completely 100% natural in gredient:

• Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is a traditional herb commonly used for supporting menstrual health, soothed nerves and trouble-free periods, especially during the perimenopausal period.
• Sheperd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) is another female tonic herb which also has added benefits in supporting overall hormonal health as well as a variety of other health supporting properties.
  
• Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) is recommended in naturopathic medicine to maintain regular periods and to soothe common menstrual cramps and research has highlighted the role of Calendula in cellular health.
  
• Cramp Bark (Viburnum opulus) is known to ease common nervous tension as well as relax the uterus, thereby also soothing common menstrual cramps.
• China is used to maintain healthy levels of iron in the blood and is also recommended to support physical stamina and energy.
• Calc carb is used to support normal menstrual flow. It is also often recommended for women who experience common tender breasts during menstruation
• Sepia is recommended to maintain hormonal balance, regular normal periods and balanced mood.
• Belladonna is very useful for the maintenance of regular periods and balanced mood.

There is not much else I can say, as I just believe this product sells itself. But I would encourage you to give it a whirl. The key to this product is to really be consistent with it, so you can't just take it during each cycle - it really has to be a part of your daily intake.

You can read in-depth on Mens-Reduce below!

Mens-Reduce for Heavy Menstrual Flow & Menorrhagia Promotes healthy menstruation and helps maintain a normal menstrual flow