Frosting for Breakfast: What Can a Therapeutic Dose of Coconut Oil Do for You?

I have two recipes to share…and unfortunately I had a hard time getting “good” pictures! Maybe it’s just because they aren’t pretty foods…or I just don’t have the right lighting at the time I’m photographing them. Whatever the case may be, please do not pass these by based on looks! (and I’ll try to get a better pic tomorrow!)

A while ago, I wrote a post about saturated fat benefits, coconut oil, and why I eat so much of it. Well, nothing much has changed about my diet since then, except that I did the elimination diet and realized I was overdoing the omega-6 fatty acids sometimes by eating too many nuts. Also, I’ve added a couple new supplements that seem to be awesome so far. I’m going to actually post (for real this time) a couple days of my daily food intake. I get a lot of requests for it, and I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I want to make sure I’m showing it accurately as well as not giving anyone the idea that everyone should eat how I do (you know, it’s that Many Roads to the Same Place thing…).

As a precursor to that post, I want to share these recipes and talk about why the heck I’m eating this everyday…

I’m calling these “frostings” and you could definitely use them as frosting (on something chilled…or they’ll just melt), but I’m just eating one or the other out of a bowl every morning for breakfast (I skipped 2 mornings for 2 different reasons).

Peanut Butter Frosting

3 Tbsp solid coconut oil (NOT melted!)
1 heaping Tbsp natural peanut butter or other nut butter (if you’re worried about the mold content in peanuts or if you’re avoiding legumes…but I’ll be honest, pb tastes the best in this but any nut butter works!)
1/2 tsp grade B maple syrup (to taste)
pinch of sea salt or himalayan salt

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients with a spoon until well blended…. Eat it straight or frost something with it. Note: if you use a warm bowl or if you frost something warm with this, it will just melt—so use a cold bowl!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

3 Tbsp solid coconut oil (NOT melted)
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter or other nut butter
1/2 – 1 tsp grade B maple syrup (to taste)
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (to taste—this depends on the brand of cocoa and your taste buds!)
pinch sea salt or himalayan salt

Follow the same instructions as above!

Like I said, no attractive pictures, but I had to share this somehow!

I’ll admit, I like the chocolate one better—I didn’t start adding chocolate till a couple weeks ago, and I think the bitterness of it balances out the sweetness of the rest of it… It’s especially good with coffee 🙂

Now for the explanations…

Why Grade B maple syrup?

I actually would use stevia in this if I had some that tasted good (I’m out of the brand I prefer!). However, I’m also a fan of small amounts of grade B maple syrup due to its awesome micronutrient properties. Specifically, it is high in B vitamins, amino acids, and Manganese. Manganese may play a role in gray hair reversal, and that, frankly, is on my list of things to accomplish this year 🙂

Another note about the syrup: You know I’m not a sugar-fan. But, I can justify adding it to things that are high in fat and/or fiber, like this frosting or the coconut flour mini cakes. The reason for this is because the high amount of fat and fiber slow down the absorption of the sugar into the bloodstream.  It’s like turning on the slow-release function. This is ideal for me (and really, I think for most people) because it keeps blood sugar more stable and heads off cravings and artificially induced feelings of hunger.

Why So Much Coconut Oil?

First, if you haven’t read the explanation of how and why coconut oil is good for you, please read this.

Coconut oil is truly a superfood, and since it has antimicrobial properties, can improve the health of skin and hair, and also causes an increase in metabolism, it just seemed like I should experiment with a therapeutic dose for myself. It’s no research study, but unfortunately, there aren’t many credible studies going on to prove coconut oil’s worth because there’s not much money in it (you can’t patent a natural ingredient). There is even some speculation about the role coconut oil may play in relieving symptoms of (reversing?) Alzheimer’s disease. (It has something to do with ketone production and the brain). My grandma has Alzheimer’s, and I’d love to test this on her, but unfortunately, I’m 100% sure she’d tell me to go fly a kite if I suggested trying it.

Side note about the thyroid and metabolism: One reason coconut oil may improve thyroid function (and thus metabolism) is because unsaturated fats (canola, etc) actually can bog down the thyroid… if you swap in coconut oil, this can help to un-bog the thyroid by default. People do, however, claim significant weight loss by using coconut oil in cooking and ingesting the therapeutic dose everyday (without changing other things about their diets). I can’t comment on this definitively, but I don’t think it hurts to try.

The therapeutic dose is 3-4 Tbsp per day. I usually cook with coconut oil (except when I’m jonesing for that awesome toasty walnut oil…. or indulging in a fancy olive oil), so I figured if I do 3 Tbsp coconut oil in frosting in the morning, I’ll probably end up with about 4 by the end of the day. (Besides, 3 is probably plenty for me—I’m not that big).

I’ll tell you that I definitely noticed a boost during the first week of following this. I was starving in the evenings and I felt more lean after just 3 or 4 days. I had more energy too, and my skin wasn’t dry on my legs anymore. I’ve been doing this for almost a month, and so far I like how satisfied I feel in the mornings. I do not thrive on eating many times throughout the day, so I love it when I find something that will hold me over for half a day (till I get my green juice). I feel pretty energized, but I need to give this a little more time (and stop staying up so darn late on the weekends), so I can be more accurate in my assessment about the coconut oil’s role in my energy.

I’ll weigh myself and check my body fat too, so I can reflect on that changing (or not) over time.

I’ll keep you posted!

Are you a coconut oil fan? Have you tried the therapeutic dose consistently?

Side note: I’ve made this with mac nut butter and a couple drops of essential oils (peppermint!). It’s really good. Like, really really good. But I still like the pb version best!

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