Coco Crazy for Coconuts

I wrote previously a few months back about how Coconut Oil was my must-have beauty item whilst travelling. Well since returning I have been testing Coconut Oil in almost everything, I LOVE it. 

I love it for it's versatility, it's results, it's smell, it's taste, it's health benefits... The list is endless. 

Most recently someone recommended I try a dash of it in my Coffee, and OhEmGee it tastes amazing!! 

Groovy Food Organic Coconut Oil £6.99 

Gym Coffee is what my friend called it when I told her about it, and after looking into it I can see why;

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

• Increases Energy
• Speeds Up Metabolism
• Boots the Immune System
• Helps Improve Cholesterol 
• Improves Bone Health 
• Eases Digestion
• Heals Damaged Tissue and Infections 

Don't even get me started on the Beauty benefits! Coconut Oil has a number of uses, such as; 

• Nourishes Dry Skin & Prevents Wrinkles
• Hair
• Athletes Foot
• Sunburn
• Insect Bites (a great help when I was travelling)
• Scars (also helped to heal my insect bite scars when travelling) 
• Make-Up Remover
• Bath Oil
• Eczema (coconut oil is an anti-inflammatory) 
• Massage Oil
• Strengthen Eyelashes 

In fact Coconut Oil is so versatile it can even be used for cleaning!!! 

I use 100% Pure Organic Coconut Oil, from Baan San Fan Children's Orphanage in Thailand where I volunteered back in February. 

 

The Oil is handmade with help from the children at the orphanage and all of the money goes back into the Orphanage and towards the future of the children there.

At the moment the orphanage is desperately trying to raise money for new roofs on the homes that house the children - a small leaking hole which could soon turn into something more disastrous with Monsoon season.

You can purchase their wonderful Coconut Oil (trust me, this stuff is a miracle worker) here; http://www.baansanfan.org/how-we-help-ourselves/products/#oil it costs 200 Thai Baht which is less than £4.

There are also a number of other wonderful products you can buy from them too, all of which is organically made. Simply e-mail your orders to baansanfan@yahoo.com who will then e-mail you a PayPal invoice.

Want to Read More?

My Avocado Cheesecake Using Coconut Oil

Coconut Oil; Travel Beauty Must Have

Baan San Fan Children's Orphanage

My Week Staying at Baan San Fan  

Avocado Weekend

Whilst travelling I did A LOT of eating and drinking. Although the fresh fruit out there was amazing, much of the food in South East Asia is fried and when you are constantly on the go and not able to cook for yourself you tend to just eat when you can and what ever is available at the time. 

I have never been 'fat' but I do tend to get bloated or 'Carb Belly' as I call it, and some areas could definitely do with toning up (I've been saying I want Ab's for over a year now) so now I am back I have re-joined boot camp and am absolutely loving it. I was pleasantly surprised to find out my metabolic age is only 12 years old, and visceral fat is the lowest it can be... I honestly thought I would be 'Skinny Fat' skinny with dangerous high levels of fat inside. 

I HATE gyms, I much prefer to exercise outside in the open and having someone direct you and apply some pressure definitely makes me perform better. Not only that, but at the bootcamp I attend they also offer lots of nutritional advice. I have always known what is good and what is bad for me and do eat quite healthy it's always great to have that extra support and to share ideas and bounce of each other and it's also a bit of healthy competition! 

As a general healthy eater, I am making small changes to make my diet better. One of my biggest cravings is for chocolate and something sweet, so when I saw a recipe for Avocado Cheesecake in Stylist magazine I had to give it a go. 

For the base toast some Pecans and Desiccated Coconut in the oven for around 10 minutes 

Juice around 8 limes to add to the Mashed Avocado mixture for the filling and a teaspoon of lime zest too. 

Once complete, I put in the freezer overnight to set. 

The Finished Product; A perfect zesty crunchy citrus healthy sweet treat. 

You can find the full recipe for this dish by clicking here.

So just like Kale, Avocado is having another moment as an 'it' super food, although I've always been a fan. 

A 'good fat' food, Avocado is also high in Potassium, Fiber and Vitamins K, C, B5, B6 and Vitamin E.

Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, so at weekends when I have more time I often like to spend more time on it - this dish also including Avocados was delicious after my Saturday morning work out and I didn't feel hungry again till much later in the day. 

Baked Egg in Avocado with a fillet of Salmon. 

Simply crack the eggs into where the Avocado seed is, pop in the oven for around 10-15 minutes along with your fillet of salmon and add a sprinkle of Paprika on the eggy avocado to liven things up a bit.