Coconut oil makes everything better - your skin, hair, coffee, food, test scores, bank account. Okay, okay, maybe not the last two; but this extremely versatile product certainly changed the way Bernadette Favis eats and lives for the better.
Why not the coconut?
Former Queenslander and now-Sydneysider Ms Favis used to work as a corporate lawyer, and admits that the long hours at work made her heed to the call of convenient and unhealthy food. She was tired and overweight, and needed a change.
"One of the things that I [found while researching weight loss tips] was that the cooking oil you use makes a big difference in terms of your metabolism and the nutritional profile of your food," she shares.
Wanting to lose weight and adapt a healthier lifestyle, Ms Favis looked into changing the oil she used when cooking.
Through her research, she discovered that the healthiest oil to cook with is coconut oil because it contains medium chain triglycerides, making it "a good, healthy fat for your body. It helps in increasing your metabolism. It also has a high smoke point, so when you cook with it, its nutritional profile doesn’t change because it can tolerate heat."
After discovering these facts about coconut oil, she found that the oil in Australia didn't quite measure up to the kind she remembered from her grandmother's cooking.
"I'm from Baguio, and growing up, my grandmother would use coconut oil for her hair, her skin [and of course,] for cooking. She was a great cook. She would cook Maja Blanca, and fried rice with coconut oil instead of butter or other oils. She also used it to fry tilapia and milkfish," she recalls.
"My grandmother would use coconut oil for her hair, her skin [and of course,] for cooking." Source: Bernadette Favis
Cocolife to the fullest
Ms Favis missed the clean, nutty flavour of the coconut oil from back home, so she decided to bring the Philippine-made product to Australia under her own health food company, .
She knew little about the food industry, but being a corporate lawyer allowed her to easily fly through negotiations, contracts, trademarks and other legalities. What she found difficult to meet were the stringent food compliance requirements in Australia. She managed to overcome these challenges though, with Cocolife winning the prestigious Australian Certified Organic award two years ago.
Staying true to their mission to 'Inspire Goodness', Cocolife offers quality organic products to the Australian market, provides jobs to farmers in the Philippines and gives one percent of the revenue for each sold product to preserve the planet.
Amongst Cocolife's products are its organic virgin coconut oil for cooking; a 100% pure fractionated coconut oil which can be used as a massage oil or moisturiser; a coconut oil spray and; an omega-rich, cold-pressed avocado oil spray which will be part of the Woolworths inventory beginning this month.
Cocolife aims to 'Inspire Goodness'. Source: Bernadette Favis
When pressed for her favourite product, Ms Favis laughs, saying, "That’s a hard question. It’s like having to choose which one of your kids is your favourite."
While choosing a favourite is a painful exercise for Ms Favis, she does share that there is one daily ritual that she relishes. She blends Cocolife's MCT Keto Tonic and grass-fed butter with her morning coffee. This hipster-sounding elixir gives her more energy because it allows the caffeine to be "released in my body at a balanced pace throughout the day".
The MCT Keto Tonic, which has found a loyal following amongst her clients, is part of Cocolife's Luke Hines range of products.
Ms Favis adds the MCT Keto Tonic to her morning coffee. Source: Bernadette Favis
Aside from being one of Australia's most renowned clean-living experts as well as Angelina Jolie's personal trainer, Luke Hines is a co-owner of Cocolife.
"We call our partnership a match made in nutritional heaven," Ms Favis shares of her business partnership and friendship with Mr Hines.
While Ms Favis is reveling in nutritional heaven, she does share that the key to a healthier lifestyle has nothing to do with dieting or basing your expectations on what others have achieved. She says that what worked for her was changing her lifestyle, managing her expectations and creating a change that was simple and sustainable.
Ms Favis and Luke Hines, a match made in nutritional heaven. Source: Bernadette Favis
"Keep it simple, get cooking and enjoy the process," she shares.
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