Coconut Oil

[virg]

Thanks Ted. I think I need to rethink my strategy - I'd given my parents some CO to try but my Dad isn't giving it to my Mum so I hoped that making them cakes with CO would get at least some included. Back to the drawing board!

[TedHutchinson]

Thanks Ted. I think I need to rethink my strategy - I'd given my parents some CO to try but my Dad isn't giving it to my Mum so I hoped that making them cakes with CO would get at least some included. Back to the drawing board!

Perhaps they would appreciate some ready meals I do all my curries/stews/casseroles using coconut to fry the onions.

How about some Coconut Ice Cream

[TedHutchinson]

I have to say my gut instinct has always been to eat butter and full fat milk and avoid spreads and fat free food. My grandparents lived into their 90s on such a diet.

The brain is 60% fat and is responsible for using 25% of our calorie intake, one of the main roles of the brain astrocytes is to supply neurones with KETONE (produced from fat) when glucose levels are low. We should retain the metabolic flexibility to switch fuels, like a duel fuel car, when required. If we get hungry between meals it's because we aren't accessing the stored calories in our fat tissue. You shouldn't need to wake up in the night either for a snack. It's possible with a low carb diet to regain that flexibility which is why low carb eaters tend to lose weight even if they don't calorie count or deliberately restrict calories.

I was dismayed to get cancer. Maybe it's linked to the stress I've felt over the last ten years. I certainly haven't slept well for a few years. Who knows?

Our skin creates the anticarcinogetic vitamin d from dawn to dusk given full body UVB exposure and the same bright light sets the circadian rhythm so the pineal gland produces the anticarcinogenic Melatonin from dusk to dawn. Most people don't ever have a NATURAL Vitamin D3 status nor since the introduction of electric lighting, TV's and PC monitors, do most of have natural amounts of melatonin.

Maybe it's just bad luck. But thanks anyway. I don't know what to eat really, some say no dairy, some say high dairy, I've tried to cut down on caffeine and have almost cut out alcohol. I've tried to up my fibre. And up my exercise.
I tried manuka honey for my hiatus hernia. Not sure really what else I can do without becoming obsessed.

These papers explain how the choice of food can speed or slow tumour growth.
Cancer as a metabolic disease
Is there a role for carbohydrate restriction in the treatment and prevention of cancer?
An example of of healthy low carb eating

[piedwarbler]

Braised cabbage yes. Pumpkin purée and cinnamon no. Ground antelope - no way. But I get the idea. No processed cakes or biscuits. But I'm surprised at all the sausages. I'd have thought they were bad for you.
Basically you have to starve your tumour of sugar then?
That'll be why no fruit then - fruit is full of sugar?
Unfortunately for me I don't think I can manage a diet like this. It seems un- doable.
But - coconut ice cream I love. And I love coconut cake.
Thanks again Ted for your response.

[TedHutchinson]

Braised cabbage yes. Pumpkin purée and cinnamon no. Ground antelope - no way.

I've never eaten antelope either.
I think because she blogs a lot people send her stuff to try out and then mention on her blog. Funny nobody ever sends me stuff to try out. I found that when I went low carb my appetite reduced and so I ate less. That meant I could spend more on food because I wasn't buying so much in total. We are now using RAW milk, butter and cheese direct from the farm even though it's more expensive but we economise by not buying ready meals or baked goods from the supermarket.

But I get the idea. No processed cakes or biscuits. But I'm surprised at all the sausages. I'd have thought they were bad for you.

Depends on the amount of meat in them. I'm not a purist.
This was the plan I used to lose weight and I don't find any problem sticking to it.

Basically you have to starve your tumour of sugar then?

Yes

That'll be why no fruit then - fruit is full of sugar?

Well fruit as direct from nature comes with fibre and isn't so bad as juiced and certainly a lot better than other things you could be eating.

The Food Revolution - AHS 2011
this video explains how 25% of the Swedish population are eating this way.
It's perfectly DO able. and you'll soon feel the benefits.

Unfortunately for me I don't think I can manage a diet like this. It seems un- doable.

But why not give it a try. There is absolutely no need to jump in at the deep end. You don't NEED to have an INDUCTION stage or throw out all the foods you love, just start applying the principles. Increase the veggies decrease the cakes/biscuits and those items in the Foods to limit or avoid list. Nobody is expecting you to be perfect and no one is going to tell you off if you sin occasionally.

But - coconut ice cream I love. And I love coconut cake.
Thanks again Ted for your response.

The basic principle is to limit those foods that raise blood glucose levels so your body has more time to use it's fat reserves and to encourage metabolic flexibility by providing a source of easily metabolised Medium Chain Triglyceride (coconut oil) that enable ketone burning and ensure there is always a source of calories for the brain. Such a diet also limits the main fuel source for cancer growth.

[Coletta]

This is a most interesting thread. Thanks for all the information and links Ted.

Coletta xx

[piedwarbler]

I can see the sense of it though I'm still a bit unsure about the mention of processed meat as we are so often told to avoid bacon sausages and ham. I'll give it a go in the way you mention - upping some things and eating less of others if I can manage it x

[TedHutchinson]

I can see the sense of it though I'm still a bit unsure about the mention of processed meat as we are so often told to avoid bacon sausages and ham. I'll give it a go in the way you mention - upping some things and eating less of others if I can manage it x

Obviously you don't base you diet on eating processed meats but in moderation I don't think there is a problem if you select those with the highest meat content. Many of the problems of meat are prevented if you also consume low glycemic index resistant starches with the meal.
Colonocyte telomere shortening is greater with dietary red meat than white meat and is attenuated by resistant starch so bananas, onions, chicory root, garlic, asparagus, and leeks with your meat should help. Never tried cooking with bananas but I've seen cooking banana varieties on the market with the other ethnic veggies. I'll have to give them a try.

[piedwarbler]

Now then Ted, hi, I am just eating a multi-grain roll with butter, cheese (Lancashire, of course) and tomato.

I was going to use that spread I can't believe it's butter (and it isn't) which is the first tub of it I've ever bought. I looked on the ingredients list and it says modified starch, vegetable oils, and sunflower lecithin. Good or bad???

I used butter anyway

It is delicious.

I don't like sausages of any description, unless they are Quorn. I eat hardly any red meat. I eat tons of chicken though.

Hope you're having a good day, Ted.

[TedHutchinson]

I was going to use that spread I can't believe it's butter (and it isn't) which is the first tub of it I've ever bought. I looked on the ingredients list and it says modified starch, vegetable oils, and sunflower lecithin. Good or bad???

BAD BAD VERY VERY BAD.
We need to try to keep the ratio of omega 6 <> omega 3 as near to 1<>1 as possible.
It's acceptable to veer to 5 <> 1 as below that level the omega 3 can still work it's anti inflammatory role and win but Most of us eating typical western supermarket foods end up with 10~20 times too much pro inflammatory omega 6 so we shouldn't be adding any more pro inflammatory foods into the digestive fire.
Butter, coconut oil olive oil are all fine because they don't add more inflammatory agents and while they aren't anti inflammatory because they replace the omega 6 vegetable oils they dilute the pro inflammatory environment.

I eat hardly any red meat. I eat tons of chicken though.

I'd rather it was the other way round. Red meat has an undeserved bad reputation because people tend to assume that all red meat is produced by the US feedlot system that produces very highly inflammatory omega 6 rich meat. Most UK meat spend most of it's life on grass, out in the open eating traditional foods. While it's not quite as good as entirely grass fed grass finished meat it's generally better, particularly lamb than intensively reared highly omega 6 rich chicken.

Hope you're having a good day, Ted.

Yes indeed, just returned from a brilliant concert with pianists Ashley Wass and Ron Abramski terrific fun and a standing ovation at the end.

[piedwarbler]

Oh my word. I thought you'd be pleased about the chicken. Is fish allowed? I hate red meat - I don't like the taste, the texture. I was a veggie for 20 years. Now you're going to tell me that's bad... Help!
Glad you enjoyed your concert. I've not heard of the pianists you mentioned.

[TedHutchinson]

Oh my word. I thought you'd be pleased about the chicken.

I suppose free range isn't too bad but it's very expensive.

Is fish allowed?

Well wild caught fish is fine but farmed can be dodgy as much is grain fed so about as omega 6 pro inflammatory as indoor industrially raised meats. Tilapia is probably one of the worst farmed fish. Sardines are brilliant.

I hate red meat - I don't like the taste, the texture.

Probably the best choice for you would be liver because it's so nutritious but I think you may be throwing up at the very thought of offal.

I was a veggie for 20 years. Now you're going to tell me that's bad... Help!

I think there is a lot of overlap between the ethos of veggies and low carb paleo's and I don't think we should be fighting each other. But humans are a PREDATOR species. We should eat like predators species and not like prey.
Why cooking counts
Study finds an increase in energy from meat, suggesting key role in evolution It was learning how to cook meat that gave us the key advantage over other species.
It seems perverse to throw away or ignore the advantage that enabled our brains to function better.

Glad you enjoyed your concert. I've not heard of the pianists you mentioned.

Ashley playing List
Ron playing Ravel Not the same pieces they played tonight but similar type of music for the serious bits but they had a few duets on the same piano that were pretty hilarious and showed off their tremendous skill. It was a recreation of a concert List performed at the same venue.

[virg]

I decided to do some baking with coconut oil for my Mum (with alzheimers) and her blood thickness levels have changed. She is on warfarin and it seems that coconut oil is a good source of Vitamin K which interacts with warfarin and therefore affects these levels. This is just a bit of a warning in case anyone else was thinking of trying it when they are on blood thinning drugs.

(I'm not a scientist so am just warning as there may be a connection).

[TedHutchinson]

I decided to do some baking with coconut oil for my Mum (with alzheimers) and her blood thickness levels have changed. She is on warfarin and it seems that coconut oil is a good source of Vitamin K which interacts with warfarin and therefore affects these levels. This is just a bit of a warning in case anyone else was thinking of trying it when they are on blood thinning drugs.

(I'm not a scientist so am just warning as there may be a connection).

The lack of nutritional training most health professionals get leaves them open to talking utter nonsense a lot of the time. Why else are their efforts to reduce the obesity crisis failing so abysmally?
We can soon see what nonsense this claim is by looking at the Warfarin leaflet showing reactions with Vitamin K food sources.
Where does Coconut oil come on this list?
If the list went down to trace amounts then perhaps we should worry but they stop at 48mcg per portion and Coconut Oil provides around 0.5mcg that's half a mcg. per 100grams and it's as likely you'll eat 100grams of coconut oil as you'd eat half a pack of butter. A tablespoon or perhaps 2 are possible.
It's simply implausible that the action of half a mcg at most of vitamin K could have a measurable impact on warfarin.
There must be another reason we don't know.

[Owly]

I really appreciate this nutritional information from you Ted, and from others.

We are what we eat. It's appalling that doctors are given so little nutritional training. My mum asked at her memory clinic what foods she should eat to help her dementia and the doctor just acted exasperated and said "look, we're giving you Aricept...." with the implication that my mum didn't need to bother her head with what she ate.

Do you think dessicated coconut is good? It's sold in packets as an ingredient to put in cakes. I wonder why it's impossible to buy coconut cake in the major UK supermarkets. I've been making coconut fairy cakes to take to my mum, but it would be nice if we could also get it ready made. Of course then they might contain other dodgy ingredients like that glucose-fructose syrup that is creeping into everything.

How about cheddar cheese? Other cheeses? Full fat presumably?
What sort of yoghurt is best?
I presume that spread starting with Fl..... is VERY BAD?

We are life-long vegetarians so I won't ask about meat/fish. Any other vegetarian tips? I've been a studious low-fatter, but after reading The Great Cholesterol Con book, I started changing my mind and favouring more cheese based dishes, rather than the usual ones based on rice, pasta, bread, which it seems are not so helpful after all!!

Do you think coconut can help with vascular dementia, or is it specifically useful for Alzheimer's?

Thanks, Ted.