Bulletproof Your Low-Carb Diet with Coconut Oil

It can be tough to follow a low-carb diet and stay full, but coconut oil can help. Read on to learn why you need to add coconut oil to your diet.

A low-carb diet helps people achieve stable weight loss results. It focuses on non-starchy and green vegetables and lean proteins, with a conservative amount of complex carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, like sugar, white flour and rice, fruit and starchy vegetables, must be excluded.

Low-Carb Diet Upgrade

To take your low-carb diet to the next level and propel your weight loss results, consider a ketogenic diet plan. This high-fat, almost no-carb diet helps you feel more satiated and eliminates cravings. Because it focuses on fats as the primary energy source, the body begins to burn fat by converting it into ketones to be used as fuel instead of glucose. This puts the body into a metabolic state known as ketosis, which results in stable blood sugar and sustained energy. To facilitates transition to ketosis, coconut oil is a must.

Why Include Coconut Oil in a Low-Carb Diet?

Coconut oil strengthens the immune system due to its antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It regulates metabolism and sleep, boosts energy and weight loss, lowers bad cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, enhances digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, promotes skin and thyroid health, and aids with the treatment of type 2 diabetes and inflammation.

These claims are backed up by coconut oil’s nutrition profile. Coconut oil is composed of medium chain fatty acids (MCTs) that go straight to the liver to be readily converted into energy. They aid weight loss by regulating healthy thyroid function and stimulating hormones responsible for fat metabolism and blood sugar stabilization. The main MCT in coconut oil is lauric acid, found in high concentrations in human breast milk and known for its antimicrobial properties. MCTs don’t need bile salts for digestion and thus are easily digestible even by individuals with gallbladder issues.

Ideal Dose for You

Aim for two to three tablespoons per day, but consider the amount of other fats in your diet. For ketosis, fats must provide about 75 percent of daily calories. Try our app to track your nutrient intake. But since fats are very satiating, it’s very hard to overeat them. If you’re not used to high amounts of fat, you might experience digestive distress in the beginning, so make sure to start slowly. Begin with one teaspoon a day and work your way up.

Versatile Uses of Coconut Oil

Because of a high smoke point, coconut oil is great for baking, frying, and sauteing. It mixes nicely in your shakes and smoothies as well as in healthy homemade desserts, like ice cream, fudge, or brownies. If you don’t eat breakfast, reap the health benefits of intermittent fasting―make yourself a cup of bulletproof coffee by blending it with a tablespoon of coconut oil and butter. It will easily get you through lunch while having you brain at peak performance. Take a tablespoon by mouth or slather it on toast, or take it as a supplement if you don’t care about taste.

Coconut oil benefits go beyond just helping you lose and maintain healthy weight. It supports your body on so many levels that it could easily pass for a superfood supplement. Plus, its versatility makes it easy to incorporate in your favorite recipes. Always remember to consult with your doctor before starting a new diet.

All of the content and media on Lifesum is created and published for information purposes only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Users should always consult with a doctor or other health care professional for medical advice. If you have or think you are at risk of developing an eating disorder, do not use the Lifesum app and seek immediate medical help.