I'm Coco Over Coconuts!

A couple years ago I started learning about the benefits of coconut oil for arthritis. My mother has horribly painful and bone distorting arthritis, and we tried supplements and herbal remedies of many types. The research led to anti-inflammatory remedies, which were always most successful when using food as medicine. It was an exciting theory, and I really delved into all I could find on the subject, which took me straight to virgin coconut oil....

Since then, we have been extremely successful in battling mom's arthritis. The bone distortion can't be reversed (that I'm currently aware of, but I won't stop looking for information), but the pain is virtually gone! After 3-4 weeks of eating unrefined, organic virgin coconut oil on a daily basis (3-5 tablespoons a day), her pain diminished to only occasional low levels if she over uses her hands. The arthritis pain developing in her elbows, knees and ankles hasn't flared up since she started, and her hands rarely feel discomfort, even in winter when the cold made it nearly unbearable for her. This has sustained for nearly two years now!

She was able to stop the very expensive glucosomine/chondroiton/uber supplements she had been trying, and now she thoroughly enjoys her virgin coconut, eating it and using it to clean her face nightly, as a skin moisturizer, lip salve, cooking. One of her favorite ways to ingest it is a tablespoon in her morning coffee, with 1/4 cup of fresh coconut milk she makes from organic, natural shredded coconut. The woman is coco for coconuts! And so am I!

It didn't take long to find the very best coconut oil, in terms of quality and health benefits, that I could. Offered by what has become one of my favorite "go to" shopping websites, Tropical Tradition's Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is by far the best quality, best tasting and most beneficial (in terms of natural, sustainable and nutritional, across the board) available. After learning how it's harvested, treated and the benefits to the people who harvest, as well as their families and community, I was convinced that this is a truly exceptional product.

However, there are several good coconut oil products out there. BUT, just be sure to do a little research. Be sure it's non-GMO, organic, and unrefined. It must be virgin, too, in order to get the full nutritional and health benefits.

The old false beliefs that coconut oil is bad for our cholesterol, etc., stems from when the only coconut oil available was altered into a trans fat. But there is an incredible amount of supporting documentation and case studies that prove how extremely beneficial virgin coconut oil is today, and it truly is a "miracle food" in mine, and many other people's, opinions. Just ask my mother! I would be sold on it just from her pain relief alone, but with all the other research I'm reading, it goes so much further than that. (They are even finding it is helping slow down, and in some cases actually reverse, Alzheimer's!)

So, I am a true believer in natural, virgin coconut oil. A coconut-ophile, if you will. The more I learn, the more I use it. I currently use it in so many ways:

• a hair conditioner
• skin moisturizer and lip balm
• face cleanser and moisturizer/night cream
• toothpaste base (with a little aluminum-free baking soda and xylitol, with drop of peppermint essential oil)
• tooth whitener (oil pulling)
• deodorant (plain or with a drop or two of grapefruit essential oil)
• I ingest 4-5 tablespoons a day through cooking and adding it to foods (hot and cold)
• feed it to my dog (who suffered from arthritis in her hips, back leg joints and in her lower back, and now she acts like she did when she was a puppy, and lost 12 lbs she'd gained from not wanting to move when she hurt so much)
• make my own "Vicks" cold rub (add drops of eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils--works GREAT!)
• use it to season my cast iron pans
• polish my wood furniture... 
• and I buy coconut oil-based soap!

I know I'm forgetting some uses, but that's all on a regular basis. And I can't imagine not having coconut oil in my daily life now!

I also buy natural, dried organic shredded coconut to make fresh coconut milk (a very easy process if you have a stick blender and a French press style coffee maker!).

One last point... virgin coconut oil definitely has a coconut flavor. To me it's fairly mild, but it is there (and I love the flavor and scent). However,  there are times that even I don't want to taste coconut in my food (such as scrambled eggs or deep frying), so I keep Tropical Tradition's expeller pressed organic coconut oil on hand for those times, since it is deodorized (naturally). It reduces some of the nutritional benefits, but not enough to worry about. The bulk of the benefits are still present. (Caution: not all expeller pressed coconut oils are beneficial. I like the careful and old fashioned method Tropical Traditions uses on their expeller pressed coconut. I've found many that use chemicals or methods that make the oil virtually useless for nutrition and health benefits. So be sure to check what your brand's methods are for pressing the oil, and its quality, before purchasing. Especially if you are interested in the health benefits of coconut oil.)

So, there you have it. Now you know why I'm absolutely coco for coconuts, too! I hope you'll start utilizing this incredible nutritional resource, because the benefits are nearly endless, and so many skin ailments and other physical conditions can improve from this miracle of nature!

ToTEAly Delightful - Dessert Blend Teas

Ever wish you could have a delicious slice of pastry or a refreshing dessert, but you didn't want the calories? (Seriously, who hasn't?) The great quest is often trying to find something very satisfying on the tongue, yet not devastating to the waistline, or worse, to your efforts to be healthy.

Recently, I have been introduced to a very satisfying alternative to those devastatingly naughty desserts. Before you wrinkle your nose and mutter, "ya, right" and click away, keep reading just a little longer... I believe you'll be glad you did!

I never believed that I'd enjoy a beverage as much as a slice of Carrot Cake or a generous sliver of Strawberry Cheesecake, but The NecessiTeas has made me a believer, and I've become a VERY satisfied customer - after one order! (And now after three orders, I am quite impressed with the consistent quality, flavors and exemplary customer service.)

Ok, down to the details. The NecessiTeas (www.thenecessities.com), owned and operated by tea blender extraordinaire, Linsey Weaver Manning, is an online store dedicated to specially blended dessert teas. Headquartered in Utah, Linsey caringly blends her own specialty flavors using quality teas, fruits and other natural flavorings, and a few indulgent tidbits to arrive at some of the most incredibly delectable flavors you'll ever find in a cup! We're talking flavors such as Strawberry Shortcake, Carrot Cake,  Mint Chocolate Chip, Orange Creamsicle... and the list goes on and on. There are over 80 tea blends available at the time of this review, including herbal, fruit, rooibos, oolong, green, white and black tea varieties. Some of her newest creations include Blackberry Maple Waffle (yes, waffle!), Banana Nut Bread, and coming soon... Raspberry Almond Torte.

But don't think that all The NecessiTeas offers are bakery flavors, because there are also a great number of milder, lightly flavored teas, decaffeinated as well. And if you're a Chai cheerleader, there are a number of varieties, such as Caramel, Marsala, Chocolate, Warm Vanilla and Green Tea chais.

As I mentioned before, I've placed three orders now. Each time the customer service was great. You can actually interact with Linsey and The NecessiTeas personally on their Facebook page. They seem to love suggestions, and you can even participate in what the newest blends might contain. Along with great recipe and serving suggestions. There was a fun one about freezing the Orange Creamsicle rooibos into popsicles for the kids. (After having tried the Orange Creamsicle, I definitely will have to make popsicles!)

The first two blends I tried were Strawberry Cheesecake black tea and Carrot Cake rooibos. The aroma of the "Cheesecake" blend is unbelievably convincing. Once brewed (steeped), the scent was fantastic, and the flavor was a surprise. Usually when I've tried "flavored" teas or coffees, the flavor is more like a hint of flavor. With the Strawberry Cheesecake, there was a distinct cheesecake flavor. It wasn't too sweet or heavy, and it didn't distort the tea flavor at all, rather, it was reminiscent of having just eaten a bite of cheesecake and you take a sip of a good black tea. Very pleasing. I also have never really liked milk in my teas, but when I added a splash to my cup, it transformed it into a true dessert.

As for the Carrot Cake, when you first open the tin (yes, their teas all come packaged in silver air-tight tins, which I love), you smell walnuts and a variety of spices. When you look inside, you see bits of carrots and chunks of walnuts, among the blend of various spices and bits of goodness mingling with the red rooibos. This tea I felt was good plain, better with a touch of honey or sugar, and fantastic with a splash of milk...and OMG delicious with coconut milk! And to add just a little more dessert richness, try sweetening it with a little brown sugar. This one tastes like you've been dunking carrot cake in milk, and then you drink the flavored milk. Mmmmm.

My second order had the Orange Creamsicle green rooibos, that when you open it, it smells like you melted orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream in a cup. Smells heavenly. And it has a good, full flavor. I was afraid these flavors would disappear inside the tea, but instead, it is as flavorful, sip after sip, as I had hoped. And it makes a delicious iced tea. Personally I enjoy this one as much with or without the milk, so I keep the calories to nothing and enjoy a "creamy" tasting clear beverage. Great stuff!

I think one of my very favorites though, is their Aloha. It's a green rooibos that contains orange, coconut, pineapple and a kiss of creamy vanilla that smells divine and tastes even better. The flavors seem to develop on your tongue. So good, and it's refreshing at the same time. It reminds me of a very good Ambrosia salad made with mandarin oranges. Not too strong, but a nice full flavor that isn't overdone. I also had to try it with some coconut milk, and of course, for a little heavier or substantial dessert substitute, this fits the bill for me.

There are about a dozen blends I've tried to date, and there was only one I wasn't thrilled about, but a friend of mine loved it. (I'm not big on raisins, but she is, so she gave it a huge thumbs up.) That's a very high percentage in my book. I've tried tea blends from other places, and I usually only want to keep one out of every three or so. As you can see, I am a big fan of The NecessiTeas... and I'm planning my next order right now... as I'm steeping a cup of Mint Chocolate Chip black tea for dessert. If you love chocolate mint, I highly recommend this blend that includes just the right ratio of peppermint leaves - and Andes Mints chips. Add milk and get ready to kick back, close your eyes and enjoy tea like you probably never have before!

To learn more about The NecessiTeas, check out the following web pages:

• Website/store 
• The NecessiTeas Facebook page
• Linsey's Facebook page
• TheNecessiTeas on Twitter

Read a review of The NecessiTeas' Lemon Chiffon green rooibos blend at Steepster.com.


[Please note: This review and recommendation was written without any remuneration or compensation, and was in no way solicited by anyone connected with The NecessiTies. There were no products provided, and all items reviewed were purchased by me, for my own enjoyment.]

© Cherie' C. Davidson all rights reserved

New Blog, New Post, New Passion

Welcome friends and fellow foodies,

My newest blog, Healthy Edibles - Delicious Victuals, is now designed and built, and ready to go. All I need are posts...and readers!

I'm actually working on my first review. Sure, I have old reviews I could use, a bunch of them about healthy eating and healthy cooking books, but this blog is dedicated to finding, trying and sharing great food and beverages that will not only taste absolutely great, but will contribute to a better life somehow. Either through its nutritional benefits, or sustainability, or healing properties, or budget-taming assistance. Or maybe just because it's beautiful to look at and fantastic on the palette. But for whatever reason it's chosen, it will be a food or beverage that is good for us in some way.

I've been writing movie, book and product reviews for many years. I've also been writing website content, articles, humor, essays, poetry and emails for even more years. In other words, you may have guessed, I'm a writer, always with either a smile on my face or tongue in my cheek. And now I want to share my love of good, healing, whole...but DELICIOUS, foods. And I want an excuse to try a lot of different and new things, and share my discovery of flavor and texture and healthy deliciousness with you.

And this will be fun. I can't help myself, it has to be! Why share something that isn't any fun? One way to make this fun is the humor. Another is to share fun photos, which I will attempt to take myself (see my Twitter profile pic at right, for an example). But a really great part of the fun will be the giveaways! Once I reach 100 members on this blog, I will begin to have random drawings and Twitter giveaways. Yep, this is going to be a whole lot of fun!

So, follow me on Twitter at @FunFoodReviews and click to become a member of this blog. I hope you'll sign up for email updates, too (top right box above). And post lots of comments. Let me...all of us...know if you agree or disagree with my reviews, and if you have purchased the item because of my review. (Which would be the coolest thing I can think of right now!)

This wraps up the first post on my new blog, Healthy Edibles - Delicious Victuals! Thanks so much for reading this far, and I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

With smiles, in good health,

Cherie' Davidson, a Smiling Writer
(and the girl in the photo, Dixie-Doodle, a happy Beagle-Terrier rescue who loves to try good foods, too)