Coconut Oil

This week we're going to talk about something I've recently started to use, coconut oil.  You can use this stuff for everything!  I'm just going to do a simple list style of some things I use it for as well as what some of my friends use it for.

Quoted from Mercola's Blog 

"Virgin coconut oil's many health benefits come from the medium-chain length of its fatty acids, or triglycerides (MCTs). Most of the other edible oils on the market today are comprised of long-chain fatty acids. MCTs have many health benefits, including raising the body's metabolism, and fighting off pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and others.
Coconut oil is nature's richest source of MCTs outside of human breast milk. Virgin coconut oil is very stable oil that does not oxidize and break down quickly like other oils. It also has a shelf life of more than two years."

"Hypothyroidism is truly one of the biggest epidemics of our time, and we have met so many people who have been told that their blood tests are normal, and yet find themselves with symptoms of hypothyroidism. There are very few options today offering any kind of hope of dealing with the underlying cause of this condition.
Probably the most dramatic results we have had reported to us are from those who have thyroid problems and have eliminated polyunsaturated oils from their diet, and started incorporating virgin coconut oil in its place. People's body temperatures increase, they have more energy and some, for the first time, are actually able to start losing weight."

Coconut oil is not only beneficial to eat, but can be used topically.  One of my recent finds is a homemade deodorant made by a good friend.  One primary ingredient is coconut oil.  It helps fight the bacteria that can cause smell.  Below is my list of uses for coconut oil.  Feel free to comment and add what you use it for!

Deodorant recipe
Anti fungal topical application (thrush, ring worm etc...)
Moisturizing a pregnant mother's belly
Moisturizing rough skin
Lip balm
Eczema
Baking
Cooking (pan frying, saute, stir fry...)
Diaper rash ointment
Sunburn treatment
Eat/cook with it for insulin resistance (LOOK HERE FOR MORE INFO) 

If you can share another way this can be beneficial, please comment below.  I buy my coconut oil in huge amounts from vitacost.com  I like the NSI brand or Nature's Way because it tastes like coconut.  If you want a taste free oil, try Jarrow Formulas, it has no taste, but still has the benefits of the type that does have taste.
 

Family Portraits Made Simple

Brian and I had been looking into purchasing a good DSLR camera for a long time.  We kept holding out for a good deal and kept our eyes peeled for reviews etc.  Brian finally decided on the Pentax K-x DSLR camera and we used some of our tax return to buy it.  It's been so fun getting to know how to use the camera and playing around in Photoshop.  The best part about owning a good camera is that you won't ever have to pay for getting family and child portraits again!  That was our main reason we wanted to get the camera in the first place.   Of course you need to read on how to properly use a DSLR camera and how to use the one you have especially.  I'm still learning and it's really fun.  Also with digital cameras, you can take a gazillion pictures and delete the ones you don't like later.

Yesterday I had a blast out on the Greenway shooting Wesley.  I played around with the settings and tried to learn all about my lens.  It's a manual focus (meaning the camera doesn't do it for you) so it's a bit hard when you're trying to shoot kids who move quickly (IE Wesley).   It is a 50mm f/1.8 Pentax lens.  We also have the kit lens and a zoom.  I did end up with some really good shots though.  I will post some of them below.  I also like to print a bunch of these for albums and to put on the walls.  I like Snapfish or Shutterfly and you can often find deals on the cost of prints or get free photobooks too.  Enjoy the pictures :)