i’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts. deedly dee. here they are a-standin’ in a row…remember that song zazu sang in the lion king? also, how good was that movie?

y’all these days i’m kookoo for coconuts. since incorporating the oil pulling phenomenon into my morning routine (six days strong), it seems like without even trying, coconuts have made a larger and larger presence in my life. which is weird because growing up, i was always anti-team coconut. mostly for the fact that the taste was eerily reminiscent of hawaiin tropics spf 30 (not that i’ve ever actually sampled sunscreen myself). but adopting a paleo-ish lifestyle changed things and i have since fostered a relatively healthy relationship with the tropical fruit. turns out it’s a delicious topping for acai bowls, frozen faux-gurt, and oatmeal. its oil is great for high-heat cooking (the spray variety from tj’s is a game changer), its milk makes a great alternative for the lactose averse, and coconut water, albeit more of an acquired taste, is a great way to replenish your potassium supply after a tough workout (or if you’ve just lost electrolytes by sweating them out in 90+ degree weather).

and then recently, and what will most likely be to my downfall, i discovered the wonders of coconut butter. oh-em-gee. am i ever happy that the artisana brand sells single-serving packages of this white gold at whole foods. otherwise a can of that crack butter would last about as long as a jar of almond butter in my house. seriously.

and my obsession with coconut doesn’t stop at its internal consumption. i’m now a big fan of employing its wonders to enhance the outside of my body as well. most recently, to these flowing locks of mine. which were, let’s be honest, looking a little limp. so perusing the shampoo aisle at my local walmart, i was immediately taken by the organix brand. mostly for its unique and adorably-shaped packaging. i’m basically every marketing department’s target group. i scoured through the many “flavors,” -moroccan argan creme? acai berry avocado? cherry blossom ginseng? each one offered a different answer to their customer’s troubled tresses. who cares if they worked, how GOOD would my hair smell if i used some of these? but then i remembered why i was there in the first place and got my head back into the game.

i finally landed on the coconut milk shampoo and conditioner duo. with promises of “strength and elasticity”, “hydration and balance” awaiting my limp locks, i figured i’d continue on my coconut craze and picked up a bottle of both. after using the products in the shower the following evening, i noticed a huge difference when i went to blow-dry. holy volume, batman. no joke, my hair was so thick and va-va-voomy, i had a difficult time getting a brush through it. i think that might have been the work of the whipped egg white proteins but let’s pretend it was the coconut milk just for the sake of this post.

image via: organix hair.

you know, i feel like coconut is a bit like cilantro, sushi, and green juice -either you LOVE it or you absolutely abhor it and gag at the thought. i’ve yet to meet a person who is simply “meh” about a pina colada. but maybe i haven’t interviewed enough people. anywho, i would have never guessed that i’d be finding myself kookoo for anything other than coco puffs (just kidding, i never liked cocoa puffs, i’m a cap’n crunch girl myself), but i’m a coconut convert, y’all. oil, butter, milk, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shredded, flaked, whatever. i’m even looking into getting one of those coconut bras just to prove my new-found devotion for the island fruit. just kidding. unless you’re having a luau-themed birthday party this summer, then at least i’ll have some place to wear it to.

but i digress.

anyway, i thought it was enough to be crazy for kale and bananas for brussels sprouts. but apparently now i’m also kookoo for coconuts.

and probably just a little kookoo in general.

top image via iherb