My number one go-to in the kitchen is coconut oil. I use it for cooking, for my skin, for oiling the furniture, and for my hair. If someone in the family doesn’t like the smell, the (optional) refined version is odor free. Raw, virgin, organic coconut oil is so inexpensive and lasts a long time. The medium chain fatty acids allow the fuel from the fat to be used immediately by the body. And it keeps my wrinkles at bay. I use coconut oil to swish in my mouth three times a week as a teeth whitener. Just fifteen minutes of swishing and then spitting out will see whiter teeth in about a month. Make certain to spit out the oil, as it is carrying all of the plaque and food particles you have just removed by swishing.
In in the pantry we keep ginger and garlic too. Ginger is an antibacterial and an antiviral. It soothes a sore throat and helps with digestion. If feeling nauseated the ginger boiled up as a tea with lemon and honey will help keep nausea at bay. Lucky for us the ginger oil can naturally help with sugar cravings. Garlic is a natural antibiotic. When suffering from a wound, cut, or infection, I eat raw garlic sliced thin with gluten free bread, raw butter, and pink Himalayan sea salt. I also love to cook garlic cloves slowly in the oven with olive oil as a healthy spread or dip for vegetables. If you have concerns about being stinky from your pores after consuming garlic, try mint leaves, gum, or parsley and cilantro in a dish alongside the garlic dish. This lessons the odor. One may also supplement with odor free garlic capsules but fresh is best for the most absorption.
Olive oil is another must-have in my pantry. I use it mostly at room temperature because the molecules of olive oil change to a not-so-healthy oil when heated at high temperatures. Try cooking at no higher than 400 degrees Fahrenheit if you cook with it. Olive oil is good for us because it is a monounsaturated oleic fatty acid that the body knows how to utilize as an anti-inflammatory. Olive oils have been studied in heart disease research for many years, with favorable results in reducing cholesterol and blood clotting.
I hope this helps you on your health journey.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Personal Trainer, Life &Wellness Coach