Organic & Raw Coconut Butter for mothers and babies

 As promised.... here is the article about the benefits that coconut oil can introduce to mother and baby




Virgin Coconut Oil Increases Beneficial Properties in Human Breast Milk
by: Cori Young

VIRGIN OCONUT OIL FOUND BENEFICIAL FOR LACTATING MOTHERS...
The unique composition of human breast milk fat includes the fatty acids, lauric acid and capric acid, which have potent antimicrobial properties. These fatty acids offer the nursing infant protection from viruses such as herpes and HIV, protozoa such as giardia lamblia, and bacteria such as chlamydia and heliocobater.

A study published in 1998 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that lactating mothers who eat coconut oil and other coconut products, have significantly increased levels of lauric acid and capric acid in their breast milk. Thus, the milk supply has increased amounts of the protective antimicrobials , which will give even greater protection to the nursing infant.
Pregnant females store fat to assure successful lactation. Any lauric acid and capric acid in the diet becomes part of the adipose stores. The milk fat of a lactating mother is made up of these stores as well as her current diet. If her diet doesn´ t contain lauric acid, then generally her milk fat will contain around 3 lauric acid and round 1 capric acid.

When a lactating woman adds foods rich in lauric acid to her diet, the amount of lauric acid available in her breastmilk increases substantially to levels three times the original level and nearly double the amount of capric acid. In countries where coconut oil is a diet staple, levels of lauric acid in the mother´ s milk can be as high as 21 and capric acid can be as high as 6 giving her infant even more protection against viruses, bacteria, and protozoa.

Coconut oil can be used instead of butter in cooking and baking. You can stir it into oatmeal or even use it as a spread. Also, this oil´ s antimicrobial properties are beneficial for the skin. Pregnant women in many cultures the world over rub cocnut oil on their expanding bellies to keep skin soft and prevent itching.

Virgin coconut oil can also be used to massage baby... 



This article wasn't written from a raw food perspective, but it really does spell out what an amazing food coconut butter is and the great effects it can have when added to the diet during pregnancy and the postpartum.  If looking for ways to incorporate raw coconut butter into meals, it can be blended into smoothies, sauces, soups, or curries.  It's also a great ingredient to include in raw desserts and treats :) 

 I will follow up with a post about the benefits of eating dates during pregnancy and the postpartum really soon 

Raw Foods benefits for mothers and babies

In addition to my Raw Faerie Creations activity I also spend a lot of my time supporting mothers through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum.  I have tended to keep these two areas very seperate but what seems to be happening quite organically over the last months, is a merging of the two.  I'm finding that the many of the soon to be new mothers that I meet and work with are keen to choose the healthiest food options for both themselves and their new baby.  A healthy body that is fuelled by the right foods in the postpartum can help make for an easier recovery.

I'm not talking about supporting pregnant mothers to 'go raw' during pregnancy, I want to make that really clear.  What I'm tallking about is helping them to increase the quantity of nutrient, mineral and enzyme rich foods  in their day to day diets. Pregnancy is not a suitable time to be starting a detoxifying or cleansing diet, but it can be a great time to increase the quality of the foods in the diet.  Ideally, changes to the diet can be made during pre-conception preparation, but if that's not possible then there is no reason why you can't start during pregnancy.  Adding extra foods such as raw greens, hemp, coconut and dates can bring benefits.

Coconut Butter is an amazing healthy fat that brings with it many benefits to new mothers and their babies.  For this reason, it is one ingredient in the New Mama Cakes that I make for mothers in the postpartum.  Coconut Oil and Dates both have positive effects and are great to incorporate into the diet throughout pregnancy and the postpartum (For the New Mamas who need a low GI diet then it would be best to be careful with the dates are known to be a higher GI fruit).


There are many ways to incorporate coconut butter into the daily diet.  It can become part of your desserts, added to cakes or salad dressings and it is also a stable oil for cooking food and baking. 


The New Mama Cakes that I make to order are intended for the mother to enjoy (and share of course!) either at the end of her pregnancy or in the postpartum.  They have a date fudge-like creamy filling on a seed and nut base and they are available with either a carob or white chocolate and vanilla icing.  Containing lots of raw coconut butter and dates, they are great for new mothers.  For those mums who need to avoid dates, there are other options available.  Cakes are Raw, Vegan and free from processed sugar, wheat and gluten.  All ingredients are natural and whole foods.


Read my next post, an article by Cori Young, to find out more about the benefits (to mother and baby) of incorporating coconut butter into your diet