Showing posts with label coconut oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coconut oil. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

No Bake Power Protein Bars

One of my besties sent me this easy, delicious and healthy protein bar recipe. It's so easy that I don't think I'll ever buy granola bars ever again. Plus, I know exactly what's going in it. I recently read the ingredients on several granola bar boxes and let me tell you, they are not healthy! Shame on you food industry for wrongly claiming your granola bars are healthy when they are not. Tsk tsk.


Recipe Cred Dailyhiit.com

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup unsweetened thick cut coconut
1/3 cup raw honey, real maple syrup or blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup nut butter
1/2 cup ground flax meal
1/2 cup dark/bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tsp unrefined coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla


Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Pour into a baking dish and press down firmly. Let sit for 30 minutes. Cut into bar shape and enjoy!
  
Julia's Notes: I used peanut butter and ground my own flaxseed. I am excited to try this again with a different nut butter and maybe throw in almonds.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Oil Pulling


I'm a girl who loves to try anything once. There's no exception when it comes to healthy living. Earlier this year, I learned about oil pulling. It sounded so odd and weird, but noticed several celebrities who swore by it. I had coconut oil in the pantry and gave it a go.

What is oil pulling?

It's an ancient Indian practice that consists of swishing oil (vegetable-based like coconut, sesame and olive) around your mouth for 20 minutes. The swishing helps pull the bad bacteria and traps it in the oil. Timing is important as 20 minutes is long enough to pull the toxins, yet short enough that the toxins don't go back into your body. Then, you spit it out in the trash and rinse your mouth with warm water (do not spit it out in the sink as it can clog your pipes).

Benefits
  • Whiter teeth
  • Reduce plaque/gingivitis
  • Get rid of bad breath
  • Strengthen teeth and gums
  • Helps with allergies, asthma, eczema

Final verdict? 
I tried it for 3 months and re-started it recently.  Whiter teeth, shinier teeth, fresh breath and helped with digestion. I don't know if bacteria really is being pulled into the oil, but it's not harmful. I may not do this every day, but I'll definitely be continuing this.


Resources:
http://www.oilpulling.com/

http://wellnessmama.com/7866/oil-pulling-for-oral-health/