How To Make Coconut Oil At Home

One of the things I love in my beauty regimen is coconut oil. It is one of my favourite body oils. I use it for my hair, skin and face.It is one of the best body oils you can use for your skin. I have also come to realise  that the one I make myself works best and that way am sure it's not mixed with other things as the ones I buy. The coconut oil I make is natural, not heated because I learned that the heat destroys the vital nutrients.

Coconut oil is made by extracting oil through different processes from the coconut meat of mature fresh coconuts which are harvested from the coconut palm Cocos Nucifera. Coconut oil is has about 6 different saturated fatty acids which include Lauric Acid (48%), Myristic acid (16%), Palmitic acid(9.5%), Caprylic acid (7%), one monosaturated fatty acid which is Oleic (6.5%), others (5%).
Due to its high saturated fatty acid content, health authorities including the World Health Organisation (WHO) have warned that it should not be consumed regularly because studies have revealed that it increases total blood cholesterol levels, both HDL and LDL, which in turn leads to high risk of Cardio Vascular disease.

Uses Of Coconut Oil

Despite its high saturated fat content (similar to that of animal fat), virgin coconut oil has become widely used in recent years due to its sweet nutty flavour.

1. It is used in cooking especially in frying. I personally like to use it to fry eggs. It is commonly used to make baked goods, pastries, pop corn and sautés. It adds calories and saturated fat to snacks leading to increased energy balance and weight gain.

2. In some parts of the world, such as the Philipines, it is used as diesel engine fuel, to power generators and transport engines. In the islands of the Pacific, it is used as engine lubricants and transformer oil.

3. For beauty and personal uses as mineral oil, moisturizer for mild to dry skin. Studies have proved that, it reduces loss of protein when used for hair.

4. It is a base ingredient in soap making. Soaps made with coconut oil  though hard, retain moisture than those made with other oils.

Other Uses

• It was used in India before the advent of electricity for lighting or illumination.

• Used to make repellents for preventing bug bites.

• Acids derived from coconut oil are used as herbicides.

• Coconut oil and it's fatty acids are used as raw materials in the manufacture of surfectants such as Cocamide DEA and MEA.

Well these are just a few uses, as coconut oil has many uses, according to Wellness Mama, it has 101 uses and you can read them on this link http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/

Reasons To Take A Holiday/Vacation

Holiday is the period I always looked forward to when I was a kid, especially the longest one which was end of the last term of a particular class, I felt so much excitement due the fun, long sleeps, holiday TV programs, long hours of play with friends that laid ahead...

What is Holidays/Vacation? 

A holiday or vacation is a leave of absence  from a regular occupation,or break from studies (period between terms), or a pleasure trip/ journey abroad usually for the purpose of recreation or tourism. They are often spent with family, friends or alone. It can mean either going somewhere or staying in at home, otherwise known as a "Staycation".

The custom of summer break is said to have been introduced by King William the Conqueror from Normandy where it facilitated the grape harvest. In those days, in the summer rich  families(Upper-Class) moved to a summer home, leaving their usual home vacant.

A lot of workers all over the world do not utilise their vacation days according to research reasons being that they do not want to loose their jobs, they are afraid not to fall behind in their work, lack of funds, some do not want to loose chances of being promoted, while some is due to what researchers call the "Martyr Complex"- they believe they are the only ones who can do their job and are do not want work to pile up on their desk when they return.

 Vacation in its real sense suppose to mean absence from office and work altogether but recent developments in Communication Technology such as the Internet, Mobile Phones, Instant Messaging, Presence Tracking, etc have begun to change the nature of vacation such that it means absence from the work place rather than temporary absence from work.

In most parts of the world such as Great Britain, North America and even Nigeria, workers telecommunicate while on vacation by making business calls rather than completely cutting off from work. According to research, in order to get the full benefits of taking a vacation, one has to be completely disconnected from both time out of the office as well as time off work.

People who were more involved with work while on vacation, were highly exhausted and disengaged from work when they returned, while those who were completely disconnected from work were happier, more active and satisfied even when they face heavy work loads.

To completely disengage from work while away,  try not to think about the things that annoy you at work, do not check emails unless it's very important, and limit the use of electronic gadgets. Remaining connected to work during the holidays is said to generate short-term business benefits but has long-term psychological consequences.

My Favorite Banana Cake Recipe

Even though I know cake is not good for the waist line, I still love my banana cake. It is my favourite any day any time. The flavour it give when baking gives me so much joy, lol, YES I mean the one made with fresh ripe bananas not the artificial flavour. I suppose you understand what I mean, and I have a favourite recipe I want to share with you all, I remember my NYC days when I usually made this cake in the weekends and my Copper Colleagues will will shout MAUREEN!!! what are you making? This smells like Mr. BIGG'S in Corper's lodge!!!, lol. Ok before you start salivating I will give you some tips on how to get the best cake out of this recipe, just follow the instructions carefully.

Banana Cake Recipe

 Prep Time: 15 mins

 Baking Time: 35 mins

 Ready In : 50 mins

                                           Ingredients

• 2 cups of flour (240g), sifted
• 1 cup margarine (227g) 
• 1 cup caster sugar (201g)
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup liquid milk (125ml)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavour
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

(c) Maury's Blog