Palm Oil and Coconut Oil: Debunking The Myth. Rodney R. Allen-Campbell

      

      Palm Oil and Coconut Oil: Debunking the Myth

      Rodney R. Allen-Campbell

      Copyright 2012 Rodney R. Allen-Campbell

      All rights reserved.

      Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com

       http://www.eBookIt.com

      ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-1034-0

      No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

      Preface

      In the late 1980s I use to suffer from severe stomach pains. All medical tests proved inconclusive and the only advice I was given by my doctor was to take antacid whenever I was in pain. I was not satisfied with this advice, and started looking for alternative treatments to put an end to my suffering. After a year of intense pain, my search for a cure led me to Reflexology. I had ten sessions of reflexology treatments, one treatment a week for ten weeks and the pain disappeared. I was so impressed with the treatment; I enrolled in a reflexology course and trained as a reflexologist. After this experience, I became a fan of alternative therapies, and started reading magazines in alternative treatments, and started attending seminars and workshops in alternative therapies.

      Shortly after qualifying as a reflexologist, I enrolled in a course in Stress Management; because I realised that the cause of my previous health problem was stress related and medical science alone was inadequate. Whilst receiving reflexology treatment, I could feel the stress falling off me and the effect was very therapeutic. I was aware, that there were tens of thousands of people suffering from conditions that medical science could not adequately treat. I decided that with relevant training, I could help treat these conditions. The more I got involved in the alternative therapies; it became apparent to me that in order to maintain good health, it was imperative that one incorporates good diet. Consequently, I obtained a diploma in nutritional medicine.

      In 2010, I was directed to move back to my native land Sierra Leone after being away in the UK for thirty one years to help empower my people. My intention was to get Sierra Leoneans to appreciate local produce. I had heard people from this country living abroad, repeating the propaganda of the vegetable oil industry about palm oil. When you think that palm oil has been a major part of the diet of these people for centuries, you wonder whether our ancestors got it wrong. Did the executives of the vegetable oil industry whose drive was to maximise profits, know better than our ancestors who diligently invested in finding natural foods that would keep them alive and healthy?

      It is also my intention to get my people to become aware of the virtues of natural unprocessed foods. Red palm oil as is used in Sierra Leone is unrefined wholesome food power packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants are the substances that quench free radicals the stuff that cause cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other degenerative diseases. Although coconut oil is not as popular as palm oil in the diet of Sierra Leoneans, it is I am sure the major source of needed fat in the diet in other parts of the tropics. Coconut oil is very special in that it is a medium chain fatty acid (MCFA). MCFA is in mother’s breast milk and has a profound effect on the immune system. The other food that features greatly in the diet of Sierra Leoneans, is rice, but most of the rice consumed in this country is imported processed white rice void of nutrients. Rice when harvested is naturally brown and has to be processed to become white. During the processing, it is stripped of all vital nutrients, and left with nothing but carbohydrate. One of the nutrients in rice is the B vitamins which plays a very prominent role in the metabolism of carbohydrates. When this essential vitamin is removed, the body loses the ability to effectively break down the consumed carbohydrate. This is only one example not to mention the other nutrients that are stripped off the rice.

      Nature in her wisdom puts adequate amounts of certain substances in her products to ensure that the product fulfils its specific purpose and that the customer derives the desired benefits. For this to happen, the product must be used as nature specifies, and that is in a lot of cases unprocessed and wholesome. Nature is not concerned about profit margins; neither does she aim to satisfy board members and shareholders.

      It is my innate desire to get people to improve their health and maintain good health by turning to nature and taking an active part in their wellness. This could prove to be very inexpensive and result in longevity.

      Acknowledgements

      I would first of all like to thank God for bringing me through this path in life and for giving me the grace to keep on going even when things seem to be going bad. I would also like to thank Him for my parents who gave birth to me in Sierra Leone. To my mother who brought me up to believe in God and taught me all the values that are very dear to me. I know that she would have been very proud of me if she were still alive.

      I also thank God for bringing into my life a wonderful inspiration who instructed me to write a book within two minutes of listening to me talk about what I do. Less than twenty four hours after I met her, I started writing this book. Thank you Dr Jasmine Renner.

      Thanks also to my wife Dr Gladys Palmer, who read through all the script and made corrections where needed.

      Dedications

      I dedicate this book to my first grandson Rio Ledley Allen-Campbell who was born on 11 May 2012. I hope this will serve as an inspiration to him as he walks through his path.