Fiber Fiber Fiber – Eat lots of it.

This is a direct quote from my graduate supervisor, Dr. Lorraine Chalifour at McGill University. She did a presentation on colon cancer, and that was basically the take-away.  I have never forgotten it. Though perhaps a delicate subject to start the New Year, this is an easy addition to your diet and has gratifying results. The mucosa of your intestinal tract absorbs nutrients in the upper part and water in the lower part. It can also absorb toxins if they exist in your food, so its best to keep things moving along so they don’t contact the mucosa for too long a period of time. Ways to do this include exercise, adequate hydration and fiber.

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that we do not digest. It exists in soluble (pectins and gums – think oatmeal when it solidifies in your pan) and insoluble forms (think roughage from vegetables). Soluble fiber provides food for your gut bacteria and keeps them happy – this is a good thing. It does give you a few calories. Insoluble fiber scrubs through, collects material, and bile salts (made from cholesterol, so adequate fiber manages cholesterol levels)  and passes out without much change. You don’t obtain calories from insoluble fiber. What you do gain from both forms is satiety, a feeling of fullness that you don’t get from other types of carbohydrates. Adding more fiber to your meals will boost your feeling that you got enough to eat without providing you with any extra calories.

How to do this? Your most nutritious bet is to add more green leafy vegetables to everything. Spinach to smoothies, kale to soups. Spaghetti sauce over broccoli or julienned collard greens instead of pasta. Roasted Brussels sprouts to a pan of vegetables. Don’t take the skin off your veggies and applicable fruits:  potatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, apples.  Most of the fiber is the skin and just under it, so buy those organic and scrub them well. And eat lots of berries – they are packed with fiber and antioxidants and delicious. Other possibilities: Psyllium power (*sugar-free is available at Trader Joes and Hannafords) mixed into water – drink it quick, or you’ll get a first hand experience of soluble fiber in your glass. All-bran style cereal to your yogurt and berries (careful of the sugar content of that processed stuff though). Even whole grain has many carbohydrate calories that will boost blood sugar and insulin response, it’s better than white grain products, but not as good as vegetables. get the biggest nutrition bang for your intake buck.

Holiday Season Drinking (and Eating)

I don’t know about you, but if I’m a bit buzzed, I don’t make great food choices. In fact it’s more like … ” Tra la la! This wine is great! Ooh buffet table! Yummy!” (Tazmanian Devil-like activity ensues.)

We’re coming up on party season central and my plan is to space out beverages with a large glass of water before, between and after each alcoholic one. This has as number of effects;

1) Pre-hydration, hydration and post-hydration is always a good plan no matter what you are doing, exercising or merry making.

2) More water decreases the amount of alcohol consumed (BTW, alcohol calories weigh in at 7 cal/g, almost as much as fat).

3) Better beverage choices decrease the likelihood of buzzed mindless eating.  Wise choices are the really good stuff made by hand with lots of love, not the processed crap simply because it’s there.

4) Don’t lose your glass! Drop a berry in your beverage, or bring a wine charm for your wine glass stem. (I detest searching for my glass.)

5) Add ice. Melting ice dilutes a cocktail and creates more liquid. So order your drink on the rocks to try to avoid a quick buzz.

6) Moderation is important. According to Health.gov moderate drinking is up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men. NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and alcoholism) defines binge drinking as a pattern that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men in about 2 hours. Moderate to low-risk drinking for women is have no more than 3 drinks a night  and no more than 2 nights of drinking a week (Men: 4 and 2). And there is something called Holiday Heart Syndrome which happens to people who aren’t heavy drinkers except sporadically on holidays. It causes atrial fibrillation, or irregular heart rhythm. It does go away if you just stop drinking.

Holiday event take away -> drink more water than alcohol, and focus your holiday party time as opportunities to reconnect with friends, slow down and hang out, make new friends, and have Uber and Lyft on speed dial. Wise choices include food, beverages and holiday transportation forward-planning.

“Plant-Based” nutrition

This is a new and sexy media catch-phrase created to sell a new load of books and diets to those still looking for a silver bullet. What does it really mean? “Vegetarian”.

Broadly, it can mean anything from including more vegetables on your plate to a completely vegan lifestyle to virtuous-sounding products like “plant-based milk or plant-based protein powder. Beware of any program selling a lifestyle or product delivering “complete or perfect health” (here’s an example of someone trying to sell you something you already know).  As always, nothing is black and white, and you have to use your judgement instead of taking things at face-value. If it sounds like snake oil (as opposed to fish oil, see below) its probably an expensive unsubstantiated hoax.

At it’s most innocuous and helpful, anything “plant-based” would be something that leans towards less meat and more vegetables. It’s based on the premise that resources (land, water, time) would be more efficiently used to create large-scale vegetarian crops than similarly-sized animal operations. Also, a more vegetarian, or plant-based diet is likely healthier, as long as the plants you are eating are green leafy vegetables and fresh fruit. The catch phrase could equally describe french fries and danishes (because wheat and corn are plants, right?)

For me, the take-away here is beware of re-packaged shiny new catch-phrases that you already know. They are simply designed to sell you things. Buy and eat a variety of local and fresh food, mostly vegetables and you’ll be fine.

Fish oils – Which ones?

Eating oily fish 1-2 X week is good for you (salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines). Yes, eat the skin, that’s where lots of oil is. You can also take fish oil or other supplements. Here’s why. Fish oil supplies three essential fatty acids (EFAs) known as Omega 3′s (acronyms: ALA, DHA, EPA). Essential means we don’t make them in our bodies, but have to get them from our diets. Also, the omega three part comes from chemistry nomenclature describing chemical structures located at the tail end (omega, vs alpha) of the fatty acid. You can also get EFA’s from animal products such as grass fed meats, dairy and eggs. Best vegetarian sources include walnuts, algae and flaxseed. Vegans should probably take a supplement, because its hard to get enough from these sources unless you’re really focusing on the levels. (Same with vegan iron and vitamin B12).

1) DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is beneficial for skin and eye structure and health, as well as brain development. DHA is the predominant structural fatty acid in the central nervous system and retina and is crucial for fetal brain development. It is recommended that the pregnant and nursing woman should take at least 2.6g of omega-3 fatty acids and 100–300 mg of DHA daily.  There’s also lots of documentation of this fish oil having benefits for ongoing cardiovascular health and reduced heart disease.

2) EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) has anti-inflammatory properties, and has been implicated in reducing depression andhot flashes.

3) ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) has to be converted to one of the above EFAs to be used in the body and we do it inefficiently (less than 10%). Better to either eat the whole food, or buy DHA/EPA supplements.

So bottom line is: eat more fish, and if you are going to supplement, aim for less ALA and more EPA and DHA.

Green vs Red Cabbage

Both green and red cabbage belong to the cruciferous vegetables which also contain powerhouses like broccoli, collards, kale, radishes and arugula, among many others.  You can’t go wrong eating either of them, really, but there area few differences. One cup of red cabbage has 51 milligrams of Vitamin C vs  37 milligrams for green cabbage. One cup of chopped green cabbage has 57 percent of the daily intake of Vitamin K, compared to 28 percent in red cabbage. Vitamin K is important in blood clotting to heal from injury and bone mineralization. One cup of chopped red cabbage has 33 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A. The same portion of green cabbage only has 3 percent. Cabbage vitamin A is in the form of the carotenoids beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that can also be converted into the vitamin A you need for vision and to keep your skin and immune system healthy. Lutein and zeaxanthin function only as antioxidants in the eyes and can prevent early macular degeneration.

You can eat both colors of cabbage raw and cooked. A really yummy and easy peasy fresh salad is: sliver 4 C of cabbage (mix the two colors), a chopped bunch of cilantro leaves and then toss in the juice of 2 limes, 3 T of olive oil, salt, pepper. I have heard that to preserve the sweetness of the cabbage, either cook for less than 6 minutes, or braise for a looooong time -this increases flavor and digestibility. An Epicurious recipe of braised red cabbage is here.  I’m sure you could substitute green cabbage for equally delicious results. Both recipes are excellent and visually vibrant side dishes for the holidays.

Thanksgiving recipes and ideas

I’m going to a Thanksgiving at a friends house, and its going to be a food extravaganza. I’m bringing kale because I know no one else will, plus it’s delicious, plus I need to be responsible for my own healthy choices on this holiday. I’m also doing the Thanksgiving Day 4 miler in the morning – there, I typed it, so now I have to do it.

So here is a link to some excellent recipes (savory and sweet)  gathered from class participants:http://emmaholder.com/happiness, a few more recipes here, and some thoughts about how food can bring both pleasure and happiness, but sometimes not at the same time.

An excerpt.  Ask yourself:  “… will this bring me pleasure? Or will it bring me happiness?…”

Which I interpret as “Will this thing I’m about to eat/do bring me only momentary pleasure? Or will it contribute to my long-term happiness? (So perhaps I should rethink whether I eat/do it.)” Of course, this is applicable to all aspects of our lives, but I’m only going to focus on what we eat/drink. What we put into ourselves shuld be the highest octane fuel possible to avoid nasty build up and residue. Think of yourself as a Ferrari purring along – you’d take care of it wouldnt you?  So why does your body deserve less than a car?!

I think we could use some more happiness around food. So much of the food during upcoming season is based on pleasure and instant gratification, but then we have a hard time later dealing with the outcome, mostly weight gain, lack of energy, feeling icky because we really are sensitive to certain things, but pretend we aren’t so we can have that Xmas cookie, pie, brownie… insert your particular Waterloo item here…  Check the regret factor before you eat it. And know that alcohol will almost certainly impair your judgement regarding regret.

Drink a lot of water, and plan your movement schedule NOW.

Happy Thangiving!

Nutrition for the mind : The 4 Agreements (Miguel Ruiz)

The Four Agreements are:

1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best.

Exercising with a cold - good idea or bad idea?

Am I being a wuss? Should I just move around a little? Should I ‘sweat it out?’ Have I recovered enough, or will I just drag this out longer? What if I make someone else sick? How do I prevent this in the first place?

All great questions. The first rule of thumb is don’t force anything. If you are just plain exhausted, listen to your body and rest and drink fluids. There is a ‘neck down’ rule that states that if things are bad from the neck down (nausea or vomiting, coughing, body aches) then back away from exercise. Lay low if you have a fever – you don’t need to further increase your temperature. Some decongestants will increase your heart rate, so walk instead of run. Same if you feel bronchial tightness. But a walk in the sunshine and some deep breathing might make you feel better if you simply have a stuffy nose and sniffles. Movement may benefit you, open some of the congested air passages and improve circulation and immune cell delivery to the site of infection.

Other types of exercise that may be beneficial depending on your mood and stage are Qi Gong,  Tai Chi, Yoga (not a terribly strenuous kind), Pilates, stretching, or a dance/fitness class. There can all be done at a gentler level and individually, thus avoiding transmitting germs by hand or common surface contact. Cold viruses can survive infectiously on hard surfaces for about 24 hrs. Also, some bad news here is that you are contagious with rhinoviruses from 1-2 days before your symptoms show until ALL your symptoms are gone. (Flu and stomach virus info here. )

Avoid intense or prolonged running as for marathon training, swimming (might be too cold? personal choice), biking (might dry out mucous membranes? personal choice), team sports (where you pass items around), weight training in a club (with common equipment), or being outdoors if there is a risk of getting cold. It’s important to maintain a constant body temperature for your immune system to work optimally.

Interestingly, the two ends of the exercises spectrum: both sedentary and intense prolonged exercise (ie marathoners) showed higher susceptibility to viral infection risk. However moderate exercise is thought  to increase your resistance to illness, so keep moving  (and wash your hands a lot).

An apple a day, plus the skin.

It’s apple season in Maine! Heck, it’s harvest season in Maine, one of the best seasons ever! Apples have lots of good things, and deserve to be part of our daily regimen. They’ve been associated with decreased cancer risk and improved lung function. The apples have antioxidants in the skin of the apple. For the highest amount of nutrition you have to eat the skin. This means finding organic or low spray apples. Ask at the orchard or produce department- your voice counts and stores respond to demand. Do wash the apples by scrubbing them with your hands or a scrubber. Fruit sprays etc. have not been evaluated by the FDA and are expensive and IMO unnecessary.  Apples contain pectin also mostly under the skin, a soluble fiber (like oatmeal) that helps move material through the intestine . Apples are members of the rose family of plants. Their seeds are poisonous when chewed in quantity, but you’d have to eat 18 apples to get a fatal dose. Swallowing a seed or two will pass through without harm.

Bone density for women (and men), Calcium etc., Impact exercise

Bone density for women starts to decrease in our 30′s, so if we haven’t laid a good amount of bone down by then, we are at risk for bone loss in later life. Other things that are associated with decreased bone density include genetics, menopause and decreased estrogen, lack of Calcium, Vit D, a sedentary lifestyle, exposure to certain anti-inflammatory steroids, a high salt diet, alcohol, soda and smoking. For men osteoporosis can also be a consideration. Male issues include age, steroid drugs, and hormones: there’s an age-related decrease of the small amount of estrogen men need to keep bones healthy.

Some of these things we can tackle to decrease risk of osteopenia/porosis as we age.

Firstly, diet. Calcium (Ca++) sources include canned sardines (with bones), dark green vegetables like broccoli, collard greens and bok choy, as well as tofu and calcium-fortified juices and soy milk. Colas may be associated with Ca++ loss due to possible displacement by phosphoric acid or a caffeine effect. More Ca++ in the diet, or switching to a non-cola fizzy drink neutralized the risk. Antacids are not a good source of Ca++ because a low-acid environment decreases the body’s ability to absorb it.  Luckily dark green leafies also include vitamin K, also associated with good bone density. There was a question about vitamin A, but it turns out that natural sources like veggies and fruits (as opposed to pre-formed retinol) supply lots of bone-supporting Beta-Carotene. SO; VEGGIES. 

Then exercise: Impact and weight bearing exercise challenge and strengthen our bones. We can challenge our bodies with low to high impact exercise (depending on your circumstance) and by weight training. Bones responded to stress by laying down new bone structure. Swimming and bike riding though great for cardiovascular training, do not challenge the bones enough to boost bone density (!! this was a bit of a wake up call for me.) Walking, running and jumping do, as does Strength Training which tugs on the muscle-bone attachments. Sometimes it’s all about the right gear – supportive clothes and the right shoes make bouncy movements more comfortable. Site- specific work applies, so to boost lower body bone density do squats or leaps. For upper body, push ups or weights are helpful. This information is inspiring me to make walking/jogging a more frequent part of my workout schedule.

As usual, it’s all coming down to eat lots of varied and fresh fruits and veggies and get lots of varied exercise.

Magnesium and Sleep

Magnesium (Mg) is one of the most abundant and important minerals in the body. We store most of it in our bones so blood tests and plasma levels don’t really show you if you are Mg-deficient. Mg and sleep seem to be related, and many insomniacs have improved sleep duration and quality by increasing Mg levels. It may act in a few different ways. 1) By activating the parasympathetic nervous system and Vagus nerve to calm the body, 2) boosting melatonin levels and 3) by acting on GABA receptors – the same ones that sleep drugs like Ambien also affect.

We seem to have an optimal level, so over-supplementation is not recommended. Boosting Mg-containing foods is your first best attack. Ty increasing green vegetables, nuts, cereals, meat, fish and fruit (surprise… a fresh and varied diet with lots of green veggies!) If that doesn’t work, the optimal level for supplementation for women is 350mg/day (men 450) unless otherwise prescribed by a doctor. Other things to improve sleep include a dark and quiet bedroom, limiting caffeine and screen time before sleep and good amounts of exercise!

Vitamin D – you need more than you think.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble substance that we mostly make in our skin in reaction to UV-B rays and is modified by our liver and kidneys to a version called ‘cholecalciferol’ or D3. It plays an important role for calcium and phosphorus absorption across the GI tract, and thus is integral in bone growth and stabilization. It’s also indirectly implicated in immunity as well as protection from heart disease, cancer,  some neurological disorders, and likely other functions we don’t yet know about.

We only get a smallish amount (10%) from our diet and it’s found mainly in fish oils (remember cod liver oil?), egg yolks, animal products, and fortified foods. 
Fortified foods have mostly D2, and we need D3, so its better to take a D3 supplement than rely on processed fortified foods. 
Dr Weil recommends 2000 IU a day and I believe him. It’s also a good thing to get some sunshine. Summertime is great for us to make Vit D, but from September to May,the skin makes little if any from the sun at latitudes above 37 degrees north in the United States —>

SO, a couple of 1000IU vitD3 capsules a day after Labor Day to Independence Day should do it. And add some sunshine time (10-30 minutes, a few times a week at least) in the summer – less if you are lighter skinned, and more if you are darker.

UPDATES 9/12/17: Beth asked about absorbability: Vit D is absorbed in the small intestine downstream from the stomach without any extra cofactors needed. However, Magnesium is also an important player in the mineral->bone pathway and needs to be consumed in adequate amounts for VitD3 to have it’s desired effects.

Jaynie spoke about taking a liquid form vs a capsule, so I had a look at that. Seems like oil-emulsified VitD3 drops are an efficient way of getting 2000IU/d, but oil caplets and chewable tablets were effective too. There is also a sublingual spray available according to an MD commenter – I didn’t follow up on that. These are options to ask your health practitioner if your blood Vit D is low.

Healthy Travel Hacks

Places with lots of people like airports and bus stations are just part of travel. Picking up germs doesn’t have to be. Wash your hands a lot. Here some advice from my acupuncturist. Decrease your risk of airborne bugs by swabbing inside your nose with a Q-tip tipped with antibiotic cream before entering a highly populated area or a plane with recycling air. Repeat a few times per trip. Also, decrease your risk of increased blood pressure or blood clots by lowering your sodium intake while traveling on planes. Avoid salty snacks and bring your own (fresh and dried fruit, raw or toasted nuts and seeds, little tomatoes, radishes, veggie sticks). Another way to decrease stress and viral risk is to avoid sugar which has been associated with decreased immune system function.

Food choices and cataracts

It seems like lots of fruits and vegetables (high in antioxidants) are key to preventing cataracts, as well as sunglasses to protect the eyes from radiation. Colorful fruits and vegetables and dark leafy greens contain good amounts of Vitamin C and E as well as minerals and  lutein and zeaxanthin. Eating fish with lots of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with prevention also. Overall, high levels of antioxidants in the diet and low levels of simple carbohydrates correlated with better vision. Cataract risks increase with the consumption of fried and sugary foods/beverages as well as high salt and exposure to pollution and cigarette smoke.  Some good research is presented in this article.

Almonds; gassed or steamed?

So it turns out that your almonds are pasteurized if you they originate in the US – almost always CA – and you buy them at the store. There are a number of ways to do this, but the top two are to 1) steam them and then dry them, or  2) fumigate them with a toxic chemical called propylene oxide (PPO) which is a known carcinogen. 

There are downsides to both, but bigger downsides (IMHO) to the carcinogen. Steaming and then hot-air drying the almonds causes a loss of nutrients, so you aren’t getting the vitamins and minerals you think you are. PPO, however has been shown to still exist on almonds up to 300ppm post-process and been associated with respiratory cancer upon inhalation and mucous membrane cancer upon ingestion. You don’t want to know how they found this out, but let’s be glad they did.

So, which brands use which technique? I wondered to myself while munching with sudden trepidation on Trader Joes “raw” almonds. Luckily someone else has also had that thought and done some phoning around to ask.  Both Trader Joes and Whole Foods were quite righteous about fumigation ‘not meeting their standards’ (hooray) and Planters also uses the steam technique. Costco brand and Diamond uses PPO. Blue Diamond (confusingly named) seems to use a mix of techniques.

so GAH. It seems like the best bet for raw almonds/nuts etc. is to get them from companies NOT  in the US that don’t have such draconian pasteurization requirements and can legally sell raw untreated nuts. And since I am avoiding Amazon like the plague due to its disgusting Breitbart connection, I’m going to go here: http://www.terrasoul.com

Let me know if you want to do a group order.

Ticks, repelling them with essential oils

So apparently ticks don’t like certain essential oils – you can put these on your skin Lavender, Penny Royal, Eucalyptus, Lemon, and Lemongrass, and not worry as much. You can dilute the oil in a carrier oil and rub it on, or put some in a spray bottle with water and spritz yourself before hiking. Still do tick checks though! And a sticky lint roller will help take insects off your clothes after a hike.

Soak your rice

You all know that eating closer to the whole food is better for you, so it goes without saying that if you eat rice, choose the unbleached unprocessed brown kind that still has some fiber  and germ in it. I’m pro-organic too, because ick, chemicals – but that’s up to you. But here’s another thing; pre-soaking your rice (As little as 10 minutes to overnight) will increase it’s digestibility and decrease it’s cooking time.

Grains are dried foods. The soak softens the grain and allows it to cook faster. It also neutralizes phytic acid, which binds and prevents absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper. This is a big deal for some folks, especially if you are iron deficient. An overnight soak will be conducive to fermentation and cause a pre-breakdown of fibers we cannot digest, making the nutrients in the grain more bioavailable. 

Chew on this

One of the best ways to increase your nutrition is to make sure you are actually chewing your food. Nutrition experts say 30 times will liquify each bite. There are numerous reasons for this. 1) This initial digestive process increases the surface area of the food providing more points of digestion. The first enzymatic attack is by salivary amylase, a starch enzyme, so chewing well helps you digest starch. 2) If you are eating meals with lots of fiber (you are, right?) chewing a lot helps breaks the insoluble fibers down so they pass through the gut more freely. This will make your microbiome very happy. 3) Longer duration mastication and slower meals will boost your satiety. We don’t really start to feel psychologically full until after about 20 minutes due to hormonal responses as well as stretch responses from the stomach. 4) Chewing adequately will decrease the size of particles in your mouth thus decreasing your risk of choking, and the action of chewing sends signals to your stomach and intestine that a meal is on the way. (Bonus info: a glass of water before each meal will lower your ghrelin levels – an appetite hormone. More about Ghrelin and Leptin.)

Sweet potatoes vs regular ole’ potatoes

Why choose? Well, a number of reasons, but both types are good for you. Here’s a great page that compares P and SP. However, sweet potatoes (SP) are many times higher in vitamin A than regular potatoes (22000 vs 14!!!) SP’s have more calcium and potassium too. Make sure you buy organic and eat the skin of the tuber which contain more fiber and vitamins than the flesh.

A few other potato facts: Purple potatoes contain 4 X more antioxidants than regular white potatoes due to the anthocyanin pigmentation. Also, yams and SPs are not the same, go for the SP. Yams are not as nutritious. One last word – don’t fry them. It pretty much negates the nutritional value by destroying some of the nutrients and adding unnecessary calories. I make un-fries but tossing SP batons in olive oil, salt and rosemary, (NY Times recipe), then in rice flour  (*my own addition to make them a little crispier, but you can still make them crispy by slicing them thinner and cooking them hotter – play with it) and laying them on a baking sheet to cook at about 350 – 400F until you can poke them easily with a fork. I turn them over once with tongs. Boom. Delicious and nutritious and when I dip them in ketchup it makes me very happy.

Coconut oil (organic, virgin) uses and benefits

I love this stuff. I use it to replace butter in cookies, sauté shrimp, use it in stir fries and curries occasionally, and I also use it in the massage therapy room. A dentist client says swoosh it through your teeth for up to 20 minutes to decrease dental issues and infections. Have you tried this? It’s almost impossible! Luckily, eating it is good for you too. Here are some more  benefits to coconut oil. Mostly because they are medium chain saturated fatty acids and are metabolized differently, they affect one’s health more positively than animal-derived long-chain saturated fats.  The references from the site are from medical studies reported in the NIH, so they are not unsubstantiated or unscientific claims. Data suggest coconut oil is associated with decreased abdominal fat, and appetite suppression, antibacterial action, and other uses  such as insect repellant and stain remover.

In other uses, I use it as a make-up remover after performances, and as a skin lubricant in the massage therapy studio (for non allergic clients). As with anything you put in/on your body, make sure you get the good stuff. Organic and virgin unrefined coconut oil only.