Healthy Ways Newsletter Quick Index to Past Issues.

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 2 Number 1

Ask Dr. Coconut:

Will Eating Coconut Oil Raise My Cholesterol?

This is the most often asked question I receive regarding coconut oil. This is a legitimate concern because we have been conditioned to believe that all saturated fats raise cholesterol. Since coconut oil contains a high amount of saturated fat it would stand to reason that it too would raise cholesterol…

Coconut Flour: A Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Alternative to Wheat

I love wheat and all the things that are made from it—cakes, cookies, pies, pizza, pasta, pancakes, muffins, the list goes on and on. Wheat products are the most popular foods in our diet…

AIDS Victim Tells of Healing Virtues of Coconut Oil

In coming out of the closet to tell his story Tony, 38, lends hope to thousands of AIDS sufferers worldwide…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 2 Number 2

Coconut Oil May Help Prevent Vision Loss

Macular degeneration is the most common cause of blindness in the U.S. affecting more than 10 million Americans. This isn’t just an American problem it’s happening all over the world at an ever-increasing rate…

Ask Dr. Coconut:

How Do You Identify A Good Quality Coconut Oil?

To be honest with you, I have tasted some very poor quality coconut oils. In fact, some have been so bad I had to spit them out. Oils like this give the coconut oil industry a bad name. I have also tasted many good quality and a few extraordinary quality coconut oils. So how do you tell the difference?…

Coconut Research Center Launches New Website

The Coconut Research Center is a not-for profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public and medical community about the many benefits of coconut…

Coconut Oil Goes Mainstream

When I first wrote the book The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil a few years ago I was advised not to publish it. It will never sell, I was told. People are too afraid of saturated fat. When I published the book I did face a lot of resistance and received criticism for promoting the use of saturated fat…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 2 Number 3

Ask Dr. Coconut:

Is coconut oil good for cooking?

Cooking can significantly affect many fats and oils causing the formation of toxic compounds. Some fats are more resistant to heat than other fats. Some of the most common cooking oils are the most likely to breakdown during heating…

Study Shows Coconut Oil Protects Against Environmental Toxins

In the largest study of chemical exposure ever conducted on human beings, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported recently that most American children and adults are carrying in their bodies dozens of pesticides and toxic compounds used in consumer products, many of them linked to potential health threats…

Coconut Cures

You’ve heard about the healing power coconut oil but did you know that the entire coconut is a virtual medicine chest? Coconut meat, milk, and water all have medicinal as well as nutritional value…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 2 Number 4

Ask Dr. Coconut:

I hear some people claim that one brand of coconut oil is better than another because it has a higher lauric acid content. Is this true?

The character of each fat or oil is determined by the amounts and the types of fatty acids it contains. Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). This is what makes coconut oil so different from other fats and what makes it incredibly healthy…

Coconut Dietary Fiber: A New Dietary Supplement

Nutritionists recommend that we get 20-35 grams of dietary fiber a day. Most Americans only get about 15 grams. Good sources of dietary fiber are whole grains, legumes, and nuts. Coconut is an ideal source of dietary fiber. Coconut has one of the highest percentages of fiber among all plant food…

Fluoride Alert

The fight against fluoridation continues to rage years after fluoride was scientifically proven to be unrelated to dental caries and very toxic to all life on earth. If fluoride is a voter issue in your city or state, this information will be valuable to you, especially if you have been told that fluoride is safe…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 3 Number 1

Ask Dr. Coconut:

I went to the health food store to buy coconut oil, but all the brands they carry were solid. None were liquefied. Is this how it is always sold? Can you eat it solid? Does it matter?

One of the characteristics of coconut oil is its high melting point. At temperatures above 76 degrees F (24 C) coconut oil is a liquid. At temperatures below this it becomes a solid…

Coconut and Avian Flu

According to experts, the threat of pandemic influenza is not a question of if, but rather a question of when. The possibility of pandemic flu—though always present—has received more attention in recent months because a lethal strain of avian flu, known as H5N1, has emerged in Asia and is spreading around the globe…

Coconut Oil for Clean Air

Coconut oil has gained recognition as a safe and natural product with a multitude of uses. It has proven valuable in treating a variety of health concerns ranging from psoriasis to obesity. Now it is gaining recognition as a means to prevent air pollution…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 3 Number 2

Ask Dr. Coconut:

I’ve tried looking for studies on coconut oil on the Internet and elsewhere and have not found much. Are there many studies on coconut? If so, where do I look?

There are literally thousands of studies. I list references to hundreds of them in my books. However, if you tried to find studies using only the words “coconut oil” you may have only limited success…

Slim, Healthy People Eat Fat

Here’s a statistic to take your breath away. At least 155 million kids worldwide – about 10 percent of all children - suffer from being overweight or obese. Countries like the US lead the way with a staggering 30 percent suffering from overweight or obesity. Australia and Europe are not far behind…

Coconut and Cholesterol—Study Reveals Facts

A study conducted by researchers at Mukogawa Women’s University in Japan recently revealed some interesting facts related to coconut and blood cholesterol levels and research practices in general…

Coconut Oil Dietary Supplements

The use of coconut oil has grown tremendously over the past few years. It is regarded as a “functional food,” meaning that it provides health benefits beyond its nutritional content. Coconut oil possesses anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-parasitical properties…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 3 Number 3

Ask Dr. Coconut:

Does coconut oil cause heart disease? I came across a study in which coconut oil was used to induce atherosclerosis. How can this be if coconut oil is heart friendly?

So many people have the opinion that coconut oil causes heart disease that you would assume that there are numerous studies to substantiate this belief. The fact of the matter is that there are no studies that show that coconut oil promotes heart disease…

Low Cholesterol Linked to Parkinson’s Disease: Low cholesterol not so good after all

Is it possible to have too low a level of cholesterol? A new study shows that low cholesterol may increase the risk for Parkinson’s disease. Previous studies have revealed that low cholesterol aversively affects mental function resulting in an increased risk of suicide, stroke, depression, and violence. Now Parkinson’s disease can be added to the list…

The Truth About Good and Bad Cholesterol

Although HDL and LDL cholesterol are commonly referred to as the good and bad cholesterols, this really isn’t the case. There are two other forms of cholesterol that actually deserve the labels “good” and “bad”…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 3 Number 4

Ask Dr. Coconut:

In my newspaper there was an article recently that reported on a new study which showed that coconut oil had a harmful effect on the arteries. Can you explain this?

I’ve received many inquires about this new study. This is just another example of saturated fat bashing that is common in the media…

Are High Saturated Fat Meals Dangerous? A Classic Example of Mumbo Jumbo Science

The truth about the study that provided proof that saturated fat contributed to the development of heart disease, indicating that even a single meal containing saturated fat was harmful. To make matters worse the saturated fat used in the study was coconut oil…

Statins Kill Your Brain - A Book Review of Statin Drugs Side Effects and the Misguided War on Cholesterol written by Dr. Duane Graveline, M.D.

"But statin drugs don't do that." This was the answer Dr. Duane Graveline, MD, former NASA astronaut, heard repeatedly from doctors and pharmacists as he began to question whether Lipitor -- a drug he now titles "Thief of Memory" -- was the underlying cause of the transient global amnesia he experienced while taking the drug…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 4 Number 1

Ask Dr. Coconut:

I often see the iodine value mentioned when describing the properties of oil, including coconut oil. What does this mean?

Most people don’t understand this term and mistakenly believe it represents the iodine content of the oil. It has nothing to do with iodine content. Processed oils don’t have any iodine…

Cerebral Palsy and Coconut Oil

As incredible as it may sound, coconut may hold the key to stopping the occurrence of cerebral palsy in infants…

Drugging of Our Children

This article is dedicated to the thousands of children worldwide who died after being given drugs to control their behavior. Causes of death include suicide, murder/suicide, drug side effects, drug withdrawal effects and being forcibly restrained until death occurs. Now, behavior and emotional problems are routinely being treated with drugs. Talk therapy is out. Drugs are in…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 4 Number 2

Ask Dr. Coconut:

I often see coconut oil being sold in the store right next to palm oil. What is the difference between these two oils?

In some ways coconut and palm oils are very similar. Yet, they are very different in their chemical and nutritional make-up…

The Palm Oil Solution: A Healthy Alternative to Tans Fats

Tans fats are out and now a controversy rages. With a new US federal law that requires all food labels to disclose the amount of trans fatty acids, everyone is becoming concerned about the amount of hydrogenated fat in their foods…

Palm Tocotrienols: A New Super Antioxidant

In recent years there has been a wealth of exciting research on a relatively little known class of nutrients called tocotrienols. Tocotrienols are a super potent form of vitamin E possessing up to 60 times the antioxidant power of ordinary vitamin E….

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 4 Number 3

Ask Dr. Coconut:

Why is the texture of some coconut oils grainy with small hard chunks?

This is a very common experience and has nothing to do with the quality of the oil…

Animals and the Healing Power of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has gained a reputation as a health food and natural healer. Can it be of useful for animals as well?...

Conrado S. Dayrit, MD: Coconut Oil Pioneer (1919-2007)

Dr. Dayrit’s groundbreaking research published in 1999 provided the proof that coconut oil did possess antiviral effects in the human body and could be used in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and other diseases…

COCONUT OIL: Atherogenic or Not? (What therefore causes Atherosclerosis?)

According to the universally accepted Lipid-Heart Theory, saturated fats cause hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease. Coconut oil has been especially condemned for this reason. However, the countries consuming the highest amounts of coconut oil – the Polynesians, Indonesians, Sri Lankans, Indians, Filipinos – have not only low serum cholesterol but also low rates of coronary heart disease...

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 4 Number 4

Coconut Water: A Natural Rehydration Beverage

The hospital doors burst open and in rushed the medical team carrying the body of Ian, a local resident. Just hours before Ian had collapsed to the floor of his home. Barely alive but conscious…

Coconut Water for Health and Healing

A new book describes the healing miracles of coconut water…

The CocoTap

Creative new tool allows you to access the juice in a whole coconut in seconds…

Coconut and West Nile Virus

In recent years the West Nile Virus has received a good deal of media attention due to the occurrence of several outbreaks around the country. The virus is of particular interest because it can cause severe illness and even death…

News Briefs

Diet, nutrition, and health news…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 5 Number 1

Palm Oil Protects Your Brain - Study shows tocotrienols in palm oil protect brain cells

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have found that tocotrienols protect brain cells. This study also provided the first evidence describing the molecular basis of tocotrienol action. Tocotrienols are a special, super potent form of vitamin E found in palm oil…

The Soy Deception:

How Palm Oil is Protecting the Amazon Rain Forest

The soybean industry is up to its old tricks, attempting to demonize the tropical oils. This time, the attacks are in the guise of environmentalism. However, if the truth were told, the soy industry would be exposed as one of the world’s worst offenders. Palm oil production, on the other hand, is protecting areas like the Amazon rain forest from destruction…

Challenge the Critics

Stand up, speak out…the oil palm sector has much to tell the world

The media constantly bombards readers with information (or more frequently with misinformation) on the ‘evil effects’ of the oil palm industry…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 5 Number 2

Ask Dr. Coconut

I have a strange coconut at home. I opened it 6 days ago. I ate some of it and put the rest in the fridge over the weekend. The next morning I saw that a small area on the white meat had gotten a red …

The Kokonut Pacific Story

On many islands throughout the Pacific there are few resources available by which communities can earn money for basic needs. Coconuts are the primary revenue resource in these areas, but until recently the only market for coconut was as copra (sun dried coconut) for the production of refined coconut oil. Revenue from copra, however, has been so small that these communities have struggled in virtual poverty for decades. In recent years the demand for virgin coconut oil has provided an opportunity for communities to pull themselves out of poverty…

COCOSPLIT – The Simple Way to Split Your Coconut

One of the biggest complaints people have about eating fresh coconut is cracking open the shell. If you are not an experienced coconut opener, breaking open a coconut can be a challenging task. For this reason, coconut enthusiast Mike Foale of Australia, has invented the...

News Briefs

Diet, nutrition, and health news…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 5 Number 3

Coconut Oil and Alzheimer’s Disease

The most effective treatment for Alzheimer’s may be sitting on your cupboard self. Doctor discovers effectiveness of coconut oil in fighting neurodegeneration…

Do Statins Make You Stupid?

Cognitive side effects like memory loss and fuzzy thinking aren’t listed on the patient information sheet for Lipitor, the popular cholesterol-lowering drug. But some doctors are voicing concerns that statins, like Lipitor, may be damaging people’s minds…

The Coconut Oil Story - An Interview with Dr. Bruce Fife

For several decades coconut oil and other coconut products were villainized by the medical profession and the media. Today coconut is undergoing a revitalization. This once scorned fruit is now being hailed as one of nature’s finest health foods. What most people don’t know, is how coconut oil, the bad boy of dietary fats and oils was transformed seemingly overnight into the “world’s healthiest oil.” In this interview, Dr. Fife tells us the rest of the coconut story…

The Coconut Slicing Knife

Crack open a coconut with one strike and peal out the meat with this innovative tool…

Cocos Fries A healthier alternative to fried potatoes are cocos fries—fried coconut. Here’s a recipe for a new taste sensation and snack food that is good for you and provides a tasty and convenient way to get your daily dose of health promoting coconut oil…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 5 Number 4

Ask Dr. Coconut

I heard that coconut oil will help clear up acne. When I put the oil on my face, my outbreaks increased. Why is that?

When people start applying coconut oil to the skin to treat acne they will experience one of two reactions.

1) The acne will clear up nicely without problem.

2) You will experience an increase in outbreaks. The reason for the increase in acne in some people…

What if there was a Cure for Alzheimer’s and No One Knew? A Case Study by Mary T. Newport, MD

There is a growing epidemic of obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and predictions that 15,000,000 people in the United States alone will have Alzheimer’s Disease by the year 2050. My husband Steve, age 58, has had progressive dementia for at least five years…

Oil Pulling for a Brighter Smile and Better Health

“That sounds ridiculous,” exclaimed Rick in disbelief. “It will never work. How could it? It doesn’t make any sense.” The therapy I was telling him about was oil pulling. Although oil pulling has its origins in Ayurvedic medicine, which dates back thousands of years, this modern version is relatively new, at least in the United States. Oil pulling has a very powerful cleansing and healing affect not only on the entire body. It can help those with asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue, diabetes, migraine headaches, PMS, and chronic skin problems. Oil pulling works by detoxifying or cleansing the body. In this way, disease promoting toxins are removed, thus allowing the body to heal itself. As a consequence, health problems of all types improve…

Drugs, Diet, and Saturated Fat: The Debate Rages

The controversy between low-carb dieting versus low-fat and Mediterranean diets is in the news again. Another study demonstrates the superiority of the low-carb, high-fat diet in reducing body fat and improving blood cholesterol levels. These studies aren’t so much about weight loss as they are about the health implications of eating a diet high in saturated fat…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 5 Number 5

Ask Dr. Coconut

Which is better for fighting infections coconut oil or monolaurin?

There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding concerning monolaurin and coconut oil. Monolaurin is a potent antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral dietary supplement derived from coconut oil…

Coconut Oil: A New Weapon Against AIDS

Last year the total number of people with HIV rose to reach its highest level ever. An estimated 39.4 million people are currently living with the virus. In the U.S. 40,000 new cases are reported each year. To date, no drugs have been developed that can effectively eradicate the AIDS virus and cure the illness. Maybe the answer is not more drugs, but healing foods, such as coconut oil…

Asperger’s Disorder: Success with Coconut Oil and Dietary Intervention

Asperger’s is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Diet and coconut oil turned our daughter’s life around…

The Sunny Side of Eggs

After being shunned for many years as a source of artery-clogging cholesterol, eggs are now coming back into popularity as a heart friendly health food…

Flawed Logic Produces Flawed Research

You should always be wary of any dietary studies that are reported in the news that don’t seem logical or go contrary to common sense. For example, a study may be published that states that eating some particular food is bad and provide convincing reasoning and statistics to back up its claim. However…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 6 Number 1

Study Shows Coconut Oil Fights Pneumonia

A new study reveals that the bacteria-killing ability of virgin coconut oil can be useful in relieving symptoms of pneumonia in children…

Good Fat Versus Bad Fat

Some fats are better than others. Some can be consumed in larger amounts than others. Some need to be eaten in balance with others. Some fats, those that are adulterated or man-made, should not be eaten at all. The problem is that many of us are confused as to which is which…

Trans Fats Banned

California became the first state to ban trans fats in restaurants. Under the new law, trans fats, long linked to health problems, must be excised from restaurant products beginning in 2010, and from all retail baked goods by 2011. Opposition to the move came from…

Bugs in Your Food

There may be bugs in your food! This is no accident. Creepy, crawly critters can be purposely added to foods by manufactures without revealing it to customers. The Food and Drug Administration has recently finalized a rule that will require food companies to list insect extracts and carmine on the label when they are used in food and cosmetics. But the new rule contains one glaring omission. It doesn’t require companies to tell you that the ingredients come from a bug…

Bonus Feature - Dave Barry Looks At the Colon

Dave Barry, a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald, takes a look at his health and shares his experience with colonoscopy…

Healthy Ways Newsletter Volume 6 Number 2

Ask Dr. Coconut

When I eat coconut oil I get a burning sensation in the back of my throat. Why is that?...

Trans Fats are Out, but is the Replacement Any Better?

The health dangers of trans fats have clearly been exposed and are now on the way out. However, are the new interesterified fats that are replacing them any better…

Cholesterol Essential for Good Health

Two new studies show that cholesterol protects against neurological dysfunction and reduces risk of cancer. Scientists have found that cholesterol is not just a structural element in nerve and body tissues, but is needed for …

Cholesterol Does Not Cause Heart Disease Study Says

The belief that coronary atherosclerosis is due to high cholesterol from increased saturated fat intake has been perpetuated by powerful forces using marketing tactics to preserve the profit and the reputations of those who promote this doctrine. The adverse effects of the cholesterol campaign on health, quality of life, the economy and medical research are inestimable…

Add Statins to the Water? Not So Fast

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are the biggest-selling drugs in the world. But it’s apparently not enough to give them to people with heart problems. Now drug companies and doctors want healthy people to start taking them too…