Findings from one of the world’s leading authorities on fats and oils,

Dr. Mary Enig, a Ph.D. nutritionist/biochemist has undertaken much of the coconut oil research in more recent years. Dr. Enig has classified coconuts as a "functional food," which provides health benefits above and beyond the basic nutrients. She has specifically identified lauric acid as a key ingredient in coconut products.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Medical Benefits of Coconut Oil

The high saturated fat content in coconut oils have many dietitians cringing at the thought of their patients supplementing with this fatty food. However medical researcher Dr. Mary G. Enig reports that coconut oil is misunderstood. At a presentation given to the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community, Enig states that people that habitually consume coconut oil tend to have lower cholesterol levels, healthier livers and more efficient immune cells compared to those that seldom eat coconut oil.

Weight Loss

Losing weight and keeping it off is a struggle for many adults living in the United States. Cutting calories and consuming coconut oil can help you lose weight reports Marie-Pierre St-Onge of McGill University. In a paper published in the March 2002 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition," St-Onge notes that the unique fats found in coconut oil -- Medium-Chain Triglycerides -- can help treat or prevent obesity by reducing appetite, boosting metabolism and upping the activity of fat burning cells.

Read the full article by Brian East Dean, registered dietitian who has been writing since 2007 on all things nutrition and health. He holds a Master of Science in nutrition from Tufts University in Boston.

Discover Coconut Oil


Find coconut oil typically in the supplement section at your local health food store or online on Amazon ... If this is your 1st purchase from Tropical Traditions they are offering a free book with ref #6618482

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Actor/model Tony Ward: His secret for healthy skin? Coconut oil!

YouTube video by

 "Coconut oil! ... You can wear it over your entire body! I put it in my hair, my skin ... doesn't break you out... That's my 100% beauty product!"
Behind the scenes interview with Tony Ward

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

How We Discovered this Unique Oil

Transporting organic coconuts far away from the pollution of any city or roads in the rural mountain areas of Mt. Banahaw in the Philippines, in preparation to make Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil.
Watch the video!

Article by Brian Shilhavy, Founder, Tropical Traditions, Inc.

When I first read about the wonderful benefits of coconut oil, I asked my wife Marianita, who grew up on a coconut plantation in the Philippines, if there was a more natural way to extract the oil from the coconut, so that we didn’t have to buy the refined coconut oils found in all the stores in the Philippines. She said there was a method the older generation used to extract the oil by grating the fresh coconut, extracting the coconut milk, and then letting the coconut milk stand in a covered container for about 24 hours. After about 24 hours, the oil naturally separates from the water producing a crystal clear oil that retains the full scent and taste of coconuts. So we started making our coconut oil that way and using it for our cooking needs with our three children. We couldn’t believe how wonderful it tasted, and how great we felt. We had been living on Mt. Banahaw in the Philippines for almost two years by that time, and in the year 2000 telephone service was provided to our rural farming community, allowing me to put up a website about our Philippine Herbs. I decided to also put our Virgin Coconut Oil up on the website, not really expecting people to order it because it was a bit expensive since we had to hire people to make the oil, and shipping cost a lot because of the weight. We were so surprised when people started ordering, and then re-ordering it because they felt so great after using it! They told us there was no other coconut oil like it on the market.

Before long we had businesses contacting us asking how to order it in bulk. So we discussed how we could mass produce this kind of oil, and almost abandoned the product because we didn’t want to lose the traditional way of making it. In the end, we decided to just keep making it the same way, by having others in our coconut community also make the oil the traditional way. Many of our producers are in areas so remote, that if they did not use their coconuts to produce Virgin Coconut oil for us, no one would buy their coconuts because it would cost too much to transport them to manufacturing plants. In these areas, the coconuts generally just fell to the ground unused until we started training people to make our Virgin Coconut Oil. We were the first ones to export Virgin Coconut Oil from the Philippines to the US market. The success overwhelmed us.

Today, more than 7 years later, there are other companies now selling coconut oil again in the US, most of them mass-produced by machines from dried coconut. But we are committed to time-honored traditional practices that have produced healthy coconut oil for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Our Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is still produced by hand, using the wet-milling process of extracting the oil from fresh coconuts. Our producers have learned a lot of things over the years, since most of them have been producing this oil for over 7 years now. They have learned how to pick out the best coconuts from each harvest that produce the best quality oil, for example. Independent laboratory analysis shows this to be one of the highest quality coconut oils on the market, having the highest levels of antioxidants. This enhanced Virgin Coconut Oil is now in the US market under the Tropical Traditions Gold Label brand. It meets our strictest standards to earn this designation. Today when you buy Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, you are buying the highest quality coconut oil we have to offer, and it is still made by hand and benefiting families in the rural areas of the Philippines where the coconuts grow.

Discover Coconut Oil

Find coconut oil typically in the supplement section at your local health food store or online on Amazon ... If this is your 1st purchase from Tropical Traditions they are offering a free book with ref #6618482

Tempura-Style Coconut Shrimp

10-12 large fresh or frozen shrimp (if frozen, thaw quickly in a bowl of tepid water)
1/2 cup regular white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (to make your shrimp spicy)
1 egg
1/3 cup ice water
1/2 cup dry shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup coconut oil

PREPARATION:
Remove shells from shrimp, but leave tails on for easier cooking and eating. Set aside.
Make the batter by first mixing the dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper (if using).
Crack the egg into the flour mixture, then add the ice water, stirring to break the yolk and form a fairly smooth batter (don't worry if there are a few small lumps).
Deep fry shrimps at about 375 F, until they are brown.


Serves 4 as an appetizer, tapas plate, or party food.
Excellent eaten on its own, or served with a dip. ENJOY!

Coconut Bar

What's Up? 15th Annual Coconut Festival 2011 - Kapaa, Hawaii - October 1 & 2