Friday Q&A: Is Coconut Milk Too High in Saturated Fat?

Hey, it's J.J. here. You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners. Those brighteners don't actually clean anything. They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family's sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze. It looks like a dryer sheet, but it's actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is and how fresh and clean everything comes out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on your first order. Hey JJ here. Every year around this time, I get the urge to make my home feel a little extra special. A space that feels just like the holidays. And Wayfair is my go to for that. Think cozy textures, twinkly decor, warm lighting, and all those little touches that make you want to curl up with a good book and a blanket. You'll usually find my book stacked on a great little end table I got from Wayfair, proof that function and style can coexist. Now, whether you're adding last minute hosting essentials, picking out gifts for loved ones, or refreshing your decor for the season, Wayfair makes it easy with beautiful finds, great prices and fast delivery. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Plus, with free shipping for any order over $35, that's fast delivery and a total peace of mind. It's the perfect mix of joy and order, bringing the holiday spirit in, then storing it all with EAs ready to make your home feel as good as it looks. Get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair Every style, Every home That's W a Y F A I r dot com.

Some people think nature is like this, but actually it's like this. Mother Nature's not all sunshine and rainbows. Nature can be hotter than a sauna and colder than an arctic skinny dip. That's why Colombia engineers everything we make for anything nature can throw at you. Columbia engineered for whatever.

Naturally, saturated fats have a very different impact on your health than artificially saturated fats. So what you want to avoid are artificially saturated fats, and what you want to avoid are oxidized fats.

Here's JJ Virgin triple board certified nutrition and fitness expert and four time New York Times best selling author. It's time to reignite wellness.

Hey, welcome to Friday Q and A. So I was just doing a Facebook and Instagram live recording podcast and Dolores popped in because I was talking about kitchen staples. And one of the kitchen staples that you'll want to make sure you have, especially when you're on a budget, is coconut milk. And she asked the question that I just keep hoping that our whole view of fat will start to shift. But her big question was, wait a minute, coconut milk is so high in saturated fat. So, so glad that she asked that question. And it was really a question. She said, so isn't coconut milk too high in saturated fat? And so we've got to look at fat and go, all right, first of all, I think we've gotten to a point where we understand that we need fat to be healthy. That one of the most significant things that you can do in your diet is a, to make an oil change to move into foods that have anti inflammatory fats, not pro inflammatory fats. Right. We tend to have a diet that's very high in pro inflammatory fats, very low in anti inflammatory fats. And what we want to do is shift that equation to focus more on monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fats, minimizing omega 6s. And then as far as saturated fats go, what we really want to look at is are they naturally saturated like coconut milk or are they artificially saturated like hydrogenated oils, like those crappy oils that are in the grocery store in the plastic containers? Couldn't be worse. That's just leaching, you know, the chemicals and estrogens out of the plastic into the oil. Right. I mean, it's just a double whammy with the light hitting down on it, making it rancid. But remember, they, they pumped in hydrogen ions into oil to make it more saturated so that it would not Oxidize, that's the whole point of it. Naturally saturated fats have a very different impact on your health than artificially saturated fats. So what you want to avoid are artificially saturated fats. And what you want to avoid are oxidized fats. So even something good like flaxseed, if you've got it ground and sitting out and exposed to air will become bad because it will start to oxidize. So this is where you need to be, be careful. Now, saturated fat for a long time was implicated in heart disease. But when you start to look at the research, you can see it's a lot, there's a lot more to it than that. Of course genetics come into play. There's a specific type of person that can have the genetics that don't do well with fats. It's the type of fats if they're oxidized or rancid or artificially saturated. So the actual coconut milk, I think they did a study out of, I remember it was one of the tropical climates and they found that people who were eating a more rich diet and coconuts had a lower risk of heart disease and especially second heart attacks because of the antimicrobial effects of that coconut milk. So there's always more to it. And I think the biggest part with fat is we want to eat from the trifecta of protein, fat and fiber. So modern amounts of clean protein, you don't need to go overboard here. But, and depending on what's going on with your life, these needs shift up or down. If you're, you know, working out super hard, if you're recovering from surgery, you'll need more protein. If you're, if you're more sedentary, older, need a little less protein. But moderate protein, your optimal amount, loads of non starchy vegetables, five or more servings, more is better. Little bit of low sugar impact, starchy carbs and then the rest is healthy fats. And it's really that balance of healthy fats. It's making sure that you get some good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Things like avocado, raw, raw or slow roasted or dehydrated nuts and seeds, wild fish. And then some saturated fat would come from things like coconut and some grass fed beef. So it's really about getting that blend of it. It's not eating all anti inflammatory because we actually need to have a balance between inflammatory and anti inflammatory. Otherwise if you like cut your finger, you just bleed out. So you need both. But we tend to eat way too much of the inflammatory fats and not enough of the anti inflammat fats. So that's why we always stress those. So again, let's talk healthy fats, the ones you want to be focused on. Grass fed beef, wild fish and wild seafood, raw nuts and seeds. And actually what I like to do with the nuts is soak them overnight in a water with some sea salt and then low roast them or dehydrate them. And we can put that recipe in JJ Virgin. Questions jjvirgin.com questions is where we put our Friday Q and A information and then avocados. And the oils that we use are avocado oil, grapeseed oil, real olive oil. Shout out to my buddies over at the Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club. We can put some information about that as well here. And if you're not intolerant, of course the egg yolks, pastured egg yolks can be amazing as well. And coconut and coconut oil. All right, there you go. That'll do it for today. If you've got a question, pop on over to my Instagram JJ Virgin or Facebook JJ Official JJ Virgin Official and you can leave a question. DM me leave one on my wall. We pull them up. I answer them here and love hanging out with you live too while I'm recording my podcast. So thanks again for your support. Support. Remember, subscribe to JJ.com you can subscribe to the podcast, leave a review. Bye.

Hey JJ Virgin here. Okay, real talk. So often the holidays sneak up on me, travel, gifts, hosting, you know, all the things. And suddenly it's like, wait, who spent what and where? And I know I'm not the only one who's looked at a bill in January and thought, wow, that escalated quickly. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal' budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface. On your laptop or on your phone. Monarch lets you link everything and gives you real time visibility so you're not shocked later. Right now, I've been checking the holiday spending category so I don't accidentally start the new year with that dreaded debt hangover. And honestly, just seeing everything laid out is already helping me stay more aware. This season, Monarch does the heavy lifting. It links your accounts in minutes, gives you smart categorization and super clear visuals. Yes, that end of year reset could be a real goal. This time. Don't let financial opportunities slip through the cracks. Use the code virgin@monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monarch.com with the code Virgin.

This episode is brought to you by Buffalo Trace Distillery. Powerful yet smooth contained but never tame. Proudly going their own way but never going alone. This is the spirit inside Buffalo Trace Bourbon made at Buffalo Trace Distillery, the world's most award winning distillery. Buffalo Trace is always perfectly untamed. Distilled, aged and bottled by Buffalo Trace distillery, Franklin County, Kentucky 90 proof 45% alcohol by volume. Learn more at buffalotracedistillery.com Please drink responsibly. Toyota Thun is on. So stop by your local Toyota dealer.

And test drive a stylish new Camry.

Or sleek and capable Corolla with great financing and lease options available to qualified customers.

Visit buyatoyota.com for more toy Yoga let's go places.

Hello listeners, this is Anne Bogle, author, blogger and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week I take all things books and reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately, and I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment. Whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change, or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything, you'll learn something about yourself as a reader and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read, with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and visit our website what Should I Read Next? Podcast. Com to find out more.