Coconut oil: we love it for our hair and skin, but it turns out drinking it might also help your waistline. Brimming with metabolism-boosting fatty acids that fire up fat burn and banish cravings, we rounded up three delicious coconut-oil based drinks to add to your rotation today — and they’re all holiday-themed! But before we get to the recipes, how can coconut oil help you stay trim?
Boosts Fat Burning
Slightly sweet coconut oil is a rich source of medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs. These fatty acids provide a readily usable source of fuel for cells that lower fat storage and helps women burn an extra 190 calories per day. The payoff? Up to a 56 percent increase in fat burning.
Revs Metabolism
Coconut oil’s MCTs stimulate the thyroid to produce more of the metabolism-revving hormone thyroxine. The effect is so powerful, in fact, that a study in the International Journal of Obesity found that subjects who got a daily dose of MCTs lost 40% more weight than those who didn’t.
Dials Down Hunger
According to scientists at the Rowett Institute, a top health research center in Scotland, subjects who consumed a diet rich in MCTs ate an average of 256 fewer calories per day than those who didn’t get the fat. The reason: These abundant fatty acids prompt the brain to increase the output of appetite-suppressing hormones.
Keep scrolling for three coconut-oil rich holiday drinks that’ll keep you slim and satisfied this season.
Holly Jolly Pumpkin Nog Recipe
1 cup light eggnog
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1/4 cup whipped cream
Pumpkin pie spice
In a heatproof pitcher, combine the first three ingredients; microwave three minutes. Top with cream. Sprinkle with spice. Makes two servings.
Per serving: Cal. 292 Pro. 7g Carb. 14g Fiber 2g Sug. 11g Chol. 104mg Sod. 85mg Total fat: 23g Sat. 17g Trans. 0g
Bonus! The vitamin A in pumpkin strengthens immunity
Sweet Matcha Surprise Recipe
2 Tbs. coconut oil
1 Tbs. matcha tea powder
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 cups milk
2 Tbs. honey
Divide the first three ingredients evenly between two mugs. In a heatproof pitcher, microwave milk three minutes; whisk until foamy. Pour into mugs; stir in honey. Makes two servings.
Per serving: Cal. 340 Pro. 9g Carb. 29g Fiber 0g Sug. 29g Chol. 24mg Sod. 106mg Total fat: 21g Sat. 16g Trans. 0g
Bonus! EGCG in matcha boosts liver detox by 69%
Choco-Coffee Contentment Recipe
2 cups hot coffee
2 Tbs. chocolate coffee
creamer
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs. coconut oil
Divide the first three ingredients evenly between two mugs. In a heatproof pitcher, microwave milk and oil for one minute. Whisk until foamy; spoon over coffee. Makes two servings.
Per serving: Cal. 179 Pro. 1g Carb. 7g Fiber 0g Sug. 23g Chol. 3mg Sod. 23mg Total fat: 16g Sat. 12g Trans. 0g
This story originally appeared in our print magazine.
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