Coconut Oil: Tropical Traditions

UPDATE: In my 02 JULY 2005 post Up and Down, Up and Down, I wrote about using coconut oil to treat my mold allergy itch; with success. I'm back to tell you more about the specifics of Coconut Oil and the brand I recommend.

A BIT ABOUT COCONUT OIL

What is coconut oil?
Well, first off, it's from coconuts. That much everyone is pretty well aware of. But not all coconut oil is alike. Like many products on the market today, there are premium quality coconut oil and coconut oil you should just plain avoid.

What can you use coconut oil for?
Prior to World War II coconut oil was used as a primary cooking oil; second only to olive oil. The war cut off access to coconuts - since the Philippines is the primary source. So, cooking is one use. Coconut oil is also a healthy food; used as a spread on bread or along side other foods. Coconut oil is a natural skin softener; lotion. Coconut oil is high in antioxidants and is therefore a healing salve as well. So, coconut oil has many uses.

Isn't coconut oil bad for you - to ingest: unhealthy fat content?
Actually coconut oil is quite healthy. Coconut oil is not hydrogenated, thus has no trans fats. Coconut oil produced in the time honored tradition of slow, gravity separation of oils and coconut water, are high in antioxidants. The notion of coconut oil being unhealthy, is a marketing propaganda, used to bolster sales of corn, soy and other mass produced oils.

Is coconut oil an effective 'healing oil'?
Coconut oil is not a medicine and should not be considered as such. However, the high levels of antioxidants, natural lubrication, levels of lauric acid, absence of trans fats, means the oil itself does not 'bring to the body' any unnatural entities to deal with. Thus it is healthy. And good health assists the body's natural healing properties.

Solid at temperatures below 76º F, why?
This is the natural property of coconut oil. Also good to remember that when coconut oil is ingested it, the temperature it is subjected to in the body is well above its emulsifying level and is therefore highly digestible.


WHAT BRAND WORKS BEST?
I've tried a number of brands of coconut oil, but nothing works as well as the brand Tropical Traditions. Other brands provide adequate lubrication, offer skin softening and are in general 'OK' products - but none are equal across all criteria to Tropical Traditions.
Tropical Traditions may be difficult to find in your local brick-and-mortar store, but it is available ONLINE without any difficulty. Tropical Traditions Coconut oil is sold under 4 different labeled types:

• Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil: Highest Quality
  
• Green Label Virgin Coconut Oil: Very Good Quality
  
• Organic Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil: High Quality
  
• Non-Certified Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil: Better than most (bargain brand; not organic; chemical free)
  

Tropical Traditions runs Specials so you can purchase quantities throughout the year at very good savings.

Here are a few basic points to know to make your choice of Coconut Oil:

Organic:
You want to be sure the coconut oil comes from native coconut palms and is grown under true organic principles. No pesticides, insecticides or chemical fertilizers are used in the production of the coconut.

Virgin Coconut Oil:
Only achieved by using fresh coconut meat or what is called non-copra. Chemicals and high heating are not used in further refining, since the natural, pure coconut oil is very stable with a shelf life of several years. Virgin coconut oil has the full, natural scent and taste of coconut. VCO remains solid below 75°F.

There are currently two main processes of manufacturing Virgin Coconut Oil:

• Quick drying of fresh coconut meat which is then used to press out the oil. Using this method, the coconut meat is quick dried, and the oil is then pressed out via mechanical means.
• Wet-milling. With this method the oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat without drying first. "Coconut milk" is expressed first by pressing. The oil is then further separated from the water. Methods which can be used to separate the oil from the water include boiling, fermentation, refrigeration, enzymes and mechanical centrifuge.

Expeller-Pressed:
Coconut oil that is separated by use of mechanical extraction. No chemicals solvents used. Not hydrogenated. No trans fatty acids. It is tasteless (no coconut odor or taste) and remains solid below 76° F. Expeller-Pressed coconut oil is works, but not as good a Virgin Coconut oil.

RBD (Refined-Bleached-Deodorized) **AVOID**
Most commercial grade coconut oils are made from copra. Copra is basically the dried kernel (meat) of the coconut. Standard copra starting material is not suitable for consumption and must be purified, that is refined. The way copra is dried is not sanitary. The standard end product made from copra is RBD coconut oil. RBD stands for refined, bleached, and deodorized. High heat is used to deodorize the oil, and the oil is typically filtered through (bleaching) clays to remove impurities. Sodium hydroxide is generally used to remove free fatty acids and prolong shelf life. This is the most common way to mass-produce coconut oil. RBD oil is also sometimes hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Hydrogenated oils contain trans fatty acids.


PERSONAL NOTE:
I have used several brands, as stated earlier, of coconut oil to treat my body rash; a form of eczema; and it has helped immensely. Coconut oil relieves the itching and soothes the skin. It also helps to restore moisture. The relief does not last as long as some medications. Therefore, reapplication is required more often. But there are not 'side-effects' from the use of coconut oil either. I will take the annoyance of having to attend to application, over side-effects, any day.

I would highly recommend anyone with skin rashes, due to allergic reactions to consider using coconut oil.

However, I will caution anyone who may wish to try coconut oil... CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR to be sure you ARE NOT ALLERGIC TO COCONUT!!!

moldchron, mold, allergy, skin, disorder, dry, itch, coconut, oil, Tropical Traditions, virgin, expeller-pressed, healthy, cooking, antioxidants, lauric acid

Weather Cycles

It's been a while since I've posted to MoldChron - I've either been busy trying to find another job, working on other projects or just trying to get my 'act together'; and when you feel louzy, that's hard to do.

The weather this year in Hooseirland has more than made up for last year's - to some - dismall lack of HOT WEATHER. But for me - not yet knowing I was suffering from an allergy to mold - but suffering with a rash that would NOT let me either set down or go anywhere with clothing on - was a real 'god-send'. The weather was cool; that allows you to NOT sweat. Sweat causes body-parts to chaffe and get raw. When they are already RAW, the sweat - bearing all the salt that normal folks exude - stings anyway - but on RAW flesh, there's not stings - there is INCREDIBLE PAIN and a lot of SCREAM.

So, fortuntely the cooler weather we were having was keeping a lot of this misery away. However, it did allow a good deal of moisture to exist and persist which affords great growing climate for mold. And the mold took advantage as well.

This year, we've had HOT WEATHER; 22 days of over 90 degrees farenheit. Last year at this time we'd only had 2! The humidity has been tagging right along as well. For me, I am very fortunate to have a place that is 'relatively mold free', which in Indiana there is no such thing as 'mold free. Unless you live in a completely hermidically sealed and climate controlled environment; both expensive and very confining, you are compromised by mold spores. We are able to keep the air conditing on, and as yet have not had to acquire the very expensive filtration system that keeps the mold count down quite low: hepafiltration. But we do have hepafilters over all ducts in the house. I don't check the moldspore count in the house - can't afford the system to do so. But as long as I stay inside and limit the number of compromised situation I will not [have not so far to this date] have reactions. I also have seen the results of compromise be elimnated once confinement is maintained. Oh how wonderful!!

NOT!

Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have a 'place' where I am relatively safe from exposure and thereby compromise - but for sure, I am not a happy camper with this. I am an OUTDOOR person. I love nothing better than to slog through the muck and dirt of outdoors. But I cannot do this here in Hoosierville; not as long as the outdoor temps are above 25 degrees F. !! And then the water gets a bit hard to wade in.

I will begin posting daily tomorrow. The posts will either be made to build the 'history' - so the dates will fall chronologically - or the current situations. Sometimes both as need dictates.

Until then.

MoldChron

Aug 6 and Mortality

Today ... Sunday, August 6, was the 26th anniversary of my father's death and it was also the 33rd anniversary of meeting my wife. So, it's both a day of very pleasant and horrible memories. I can now add another horrible memory to it ... it was the day I underwent another round of eczema rash display due to mold toxicity. How long this bout will last ... only time will tell.

I am just a month into my immuno-therapy shots from Dr. Houser ... and I don't see an improvement. But of course this is a 3-yr process and I didn't expect to see any changes this soon. I sure do hope this will be 'an answer', for I don't forsee any 'one thing' being 'the answer' to this condition. Getting here has not been on a single path, so I don't see getting off of it to be done singularly either.

MoldChron

Rain and Mold ... Common Ground

We got rain. We needed rain. Badly. Now we'll have mold. It's a natural flow. But for me and those who suffer from mold allergies - it's a difficult time.

The plants and animals will benefit - as will all of us humans - from the recently fallen rain: and to come. However, the humidity and heat have fully financed the next bounty of mold spores.

Today has begun as most days have for the past several weeks .. with a headache ... and is accompanied by fatigue and the aching flu-like symptoms; to the point of listlessness: impairing most activity and thinking. And the constant trips to the bathroom are preceded by bouts of regular, persistant and disgusting flatulance. Will it stop? I can only hope it will soon.

MoldChron

Mold-Survivor Site

As you may well imagine, I've scanned the Internet regularly and extensively for information on molds and mold allergy. I've learned a lot and continue to do so. One of the reaons for THIS BLOG has been the discussion and dissemination of information as I find it.

I've just recently come across a site that gives a great deal of information - clinical and researched - on the causes, effects and treatment of mold (fungal) allergy conditions. And they are plentiful!

Take a look at the site and become informed. It will be interesting reading for anyone - especially those who suffer from the allergy to mold.

The site is called, "Mold-Survivor", part of the Mold-Help.com group. How appropriate!

MoldChron

Up and Down, Up and Down ..

Sleep is a good thing. Good sleep is a blessing. I used to be able to sleep without any problem.

Of course I took advantage of that and deprived myself of sleep for many years. In doing so I thought I was serving the better good by producing needed value for education - at my former job in education - and building my business for my own personal empirical desires.

However, academia din not value the extended efforts and I have no empire to show for my ego-driven efforts. What I do have, is a weakened state of physical strength, a compromised immune system and itching .. nerve wracking.. brain numbing .. I T C H I N G !! All due to the allergy to M O L D !

I now awake at least twice each night with my tail itching like a dog with worms: no, I don't have worms - I have an allergy to mold. I take the Allegra 180 and it's good for a while on the other 90% of my body but the blasted 'tail itch' continues. There seems nothing that can be done to curtail .. let alone stop .. this annoyance.

A good friend of mine suggested - several months back - that I try Organic Virgin Coconut Oil.

I asked my chiropractor - who is also a trained Naturopathy professional - about the use of coconut oil to stop the itching. I searched the web for information. I found a lot of information, much of very good. But initially, most of it was pretty confusing; imagine that! So, I needed some professional insight to help sift the value from the Online BS. Never underestimate the power of using someone who knows the subject to provide a ground-truth of the information.

My chiropractor had just received an order of coconut oil. He uses a product from the Philippines. called Tropical Taditions.

I bought the quart jar of the white paste-like material, went home and immediately tried it on for size.

I must say it's nice to go around smelling like a walking-talking coconut. Coconut oil remains a solid until you put it in your hands. It melts or emulsifies at roughly 98.6°F; standard body temp.

It worked!

Another nice side-benefit ( notice this is NOT a side-effect ) is that the oil does not cause your skin to 'grease up' causing pimples and/or other skin eruptions. Coconut oil is very gentile and it does relieve the itching. Unfortunately the relief is only temporary, requiring regular, frequent, reapplication.

Here we step into a most uncomfortable sociological problem resulting from this condition. Maintenance of mold allergy expressions are time consuming and tedious. They are also very private matters, at least this is what you hope.

For the most part it is, however, the reality is simple: when your butt itches - you are going to scratch it! Or go into extreme duress in an attempt to ignore the obvious. Unless a person is devoid of any social decorum, doing so in public is embarrassing. It can be quite detrimental to your employment status - if not your entire acceptance within society. This is definitely one of those topics in which no one really wants to read about, let alone be a first-hand observer! But (no pun intended) it is a reality. So, let's address it an get over it.

To get relief the sufferer must resort to all sorts of sneaky maneuvers and subterfuge to get at the problem. It takes time and dedication to develop the skill of scratching without looking like you're scratching. This function of social dodging takes work.

The mental gymnastics required to gain this new-found talent is, well ... taxing. It diminishes and demeans your self-worth, your self-respect and your willingness to socialize at all. You spend more time addressing the itch, increasing your time away from your work. Thus more time is spent on the dance than at getting work done. Besides with persistence and growing intensity of the itch, you hardly think of anything else.

After all this machination you may scratch the itch and end up loosing your job; or acceptance in public. So the question of.. "To scratch or not to scratch" becomes your life consuming act of mental turmoil.

Man! How low can you go? Well, stick around and you will find out. The really sad part is this, You ain't 'rock bottom' yet!
Believe me, I've been there - on a regular basis. That's why I constantly say, This condition SUCKS!

Yet, the real reason why you should NOT itch is missed or ignored.

ITCHING CAUSES DAMAGE.
When an itch reaches the level of intensity, caused by this condition, you don't just lightly scratch; you DIG THE HELL OUT OF IT! It's a near maniacal effort. It feels SOOO Good! That is until you stop. Because, in the next nanosecond after you stop, you realize you're going to scream your head off with the ensuing P A I N !!!!

Oh dear. That hurts!

You will stand there quivering in pain. Wondering, "What in the name of anything intelligent, was I thinking?"

NOT!

You then attempt to poultice the pain with the incantations that the wonderful scratching moment was worth the pain. As the ripples of pain continue to captivate your lucidity, the mantra is loosing its value - fast!

You know full well you'll be right back here - in this very same scenario - in just a few hours. Just like a junkie to his next fix - you will live to scratch that blasted itch! The cycle continues.

Oh... that this circle -WOULD- be broken!

I now return to my regular scheduled attempt at getting back to sleep. Man - we had absolutely NO IDEA how GOOD we had it as kids. Did we?

MoldChron

YAHOO!! .. NOT the search engine either...

It works! I will be able to POSTDATE my entries BACKWARD to keep the chronology is proper order. This is great! I will be able to reference between posts to items that occur on different time lines, yet share similar and interesting correlations.

Alright, now let's get to work at building this Blog into a real reference on, history of and documentation about -- The Allergy.

MoldChron

The Chronology ...

Journaling something like an illness was not intuitive for me, it should have been though. I am no stranger to keeping notes on projects and activities. But this didn't seem the same. I guess I was more involved in the 'doing day-to-day' in dealing with the effects of my allergy. And as time progressed it became more and more demanding.

Another reason I was ineffective in keeping copious notes during the early stages of this condition, was I just didn't see it as an 'event of note'. Hey everybody has itches, twinges, aches and pains. That's just part of leading an active life. I was active and took it all in stride as just part of the process. So there were wide gaps in any kind of notes on the progress and activity of the 'allergy'.

I bring this to attention because I am now about the begin changing the dates and times of the MoldChron entries to reflect the Time Line of the events; at least as close to it as possible.

My postings will comprise ... REMEMBRANCES, REFERENCES and CURRENTS.

REMEMBRANCES

These are times, actions, events and individuals that played parts in the Time Line of the allergy as it progressed from genesis to current day manifestations. As best as I can piece together with bit so calendar entries, medications, doctor visits and the like, I will attempt to track the movement of The Allergy.

REFERENCES

Here the importance will focus on the medical, social, economic, physical and mental impact of 'The Allergy'. It's my intention that these provide information for others not-yet-diagnosed, but suffering from Mold Allergy, as well as those who know their problems, but due to geo-political boundaries, age or whatever have different experiences. I would hope that a dialog of discussion can be established among those who are Mold Allergy Sufferers. And that such a dialog would serve to provide information, instruction, guidance and consolation to the more than 15 MILLION known sufferers of Mold Allergy... and how many more with the symptoms - but who do NOT know the cause.

CURRENTS

This is will be the current condition of my personal dealings with The Allergy. So they will be seen at the front of the postings. I will intermingle these along with the REMEMBRANCES and the REFERENCES. I will also attempt to link between CURRENTS and the other two and vice verse. I'm not sure how to do this in Blogger - but I'm sure it can be done. This is a link to "How It Began.. I Think". OK, let's test it to see if this works.

MoldChron

First Event ...

Many say they can remember the first time they ____ , fill in the blank. Events in our life that set the flow of the following days, weeks, months or years of our lives remain close and easily remembered. I can remember -now looking back- to the 'genesis' of the expression of my allergy to mold.

At the time I didn't think it was anything other than an 'itch', but it was really so much more. The headaches were thought to be the results of just staying up late and not getting enough sleep; drinking too much coffee or being in need of a good chiropractic adjustment. The fact that I did not get enough rest, drank too much coffee and set for so long at a computer terminal that I needed regular chiropractic adjustments, added to a 'string ready to break' condition. But unbeknown to me, there was a more permanent condition at work.

What I noticed first - now looking back - were three prominent things: 1) anal itch (thought to be hemorrhoids); 2) headaches that came with 'set your clock' regularity (5-6 each week, most often as I woke up - or what WOULD wake me up); 3) flu-like congestion, aches and pains, and a typical low-grade fever (99F - but never above 99.5F). These continued and persisted - no matter how much salve, Tylenol, Excedrin, fluid or medication I took. Then almost as soon as they arrived, they were gone. But would return though; worse, more frequent and more persistent.

Reviewing the past 5 years, in hind-sight, I can see this all began its unveiling in October of 2000 - when my wife and I were in Panama City, FL for an annual church convention. I didn't know what the problem was - but I thought I had a hemorrhoid, didn't get enough sleep and caught a 'bug'. Why it began then, I don't know. Prior to this I didn't notice a 'regularity' to the pattern that began in 2000 and continues.

This was the FIRST EVENT, I see this now, but had not a clue of what would become a 'life controlling' condition. We either learn to live with these conditions and move on - or they will control us even more than they already do. At this stage of my 'mold allergy' I am very 'controlled' in what I can do ... when and where I can do it. But I try to not let it totally permeate my life, conversation and thinking.

The Journals help me to 'get it out and get on' with my life.

MoldChron

Why - the Mold Chronicles?

Well - it's not all that difficult really. Since I began dealing with what I found out later to be a severe allergy to all eleven (11) types of mold, I have kept an unofficial journal of my journey though this condition. I hope that through this series of stories of my plight with the allergy and the information I've gleaned in the process of trying to understand it - I can help others who may be suffering without knowing the source. I've been there. I know the frustration. And in some cases the fear in just 'now knowing'.

I will also be 'back-dating' some of these entries - just so they are more chronologically correct. OK .. it's not really important - but I like to keep things like this in order if possible. Indulge me this one vice. I'll only make this request every few weeks .. whether I need it or not. "8^)

As you might perceive, I've learned far more about mold than I ever thought I would - or than I ever WANTED TO. The education process has been slow - nerve wracking - but cathartic in many ways. However, I believe the benefit comes more from just becoming informed about the condition. Because knowing more has NOT made me any less susceptible or bothered by the condition.

I do not intend to become lewd or disgusting in the discussion of the condition - though some may find the topic, at times, quite distasteful and disturbing. My only comment to this is simply - "you should have been here if you think the discussion is disgusting" !!

Living it is a nightmare.

MoldChron

How it began ... I think

I am allergic to mold .. all molds. Not just one, or two or three .. but all eleven (11) mold species. And I am allergic to them ALL YEAR LONG. But I didn't always know I was allergic to molds. But come to find out I've been 'bothered' by molds all my life.

So where do I begin ... at the beginning of course.

I have been allergic to Penicillin since I was born. My mother was allergic to penicillin and sulfa drugs. So the doctors pretty well assumed that I would be as well. They tested me - and yes, I reacted: violently! I nearly died of anaphylactic shock when I was 3 and that pretty much nailed that problem. I began having problems with Strep-Throat when I was about 3.5 years old. I was administered an antibiotic that was both penicillin and sulfa based -- WOW -- that was NOT good. So that really nailed the door closed on any penicillin and sulfa drugs for me.

That I was so allergic to penicillin - and that penicillin is made from a mold extract - should have been a warning that me and mold might not mix well. But hey, that was the near 'dark ages' of medicine back in the late '50s. There were a lot of mistakes made then. And a lot of them being made today as well. But that is another story.

Now jump forward 47 years; to December 2002 to be exact. That was when I was noticing a 'problem'. An avid kayaker - doing roughly 1500 miles each year on the water - I had my share of 'water rash' incidents. But this was different. It wasn't going away. And because most of my paddling was in the Wabash River - not known as a pristine clean waterway - I was beginning to wonder if I had 'contracted' something in from the water.

I attempted to 'treat it' with the typical remedies: ointments, salves, cremes, and the like. I even resorted to taking some herbs that are to build the immune system. But nothing seemed to work. The 'itchy spot' became an 'itchy area' and then turned to an 'irritating zone' and finally an unbearable pain-in-the-arse .. LITERALLY!

I was at a real quandary. What to do? What was this anyway? More in my next installment.

MoldChron