Coconut is recognised as nature’s wonders for hundreds of years. Coconut palm has been life sustaining for a number of years since it not only provides nutrition & hydration but also oil for cosmetics & cooking & raw material for cooking. In today’s contemporary world, coconut is used & consumed in many forms be it- milk, flour, cooking oil, meat & water, each one offering distinctive benefits. Let us discuss how each of these coconut form is beneficial for our health.
- Coconut flour: Coconut flour is an awesome addition to baked goods. Including this in your diet offers multitude of benefits- it gives natural sweet flavor, it is gluten free, low in carbs & is good for a healthy heart. It provides 5 grams fibre per 2 tablespoon serving & theremore is really important for heart health, gut health, preventing inflammation & regulating blood sugar level. Including Coconut flour in your diet can help you enjoy your favorite delicacies without negatively impacting your health. It is a perfect substitution in cookies, muffins & pancakes.
- Coconut milk: A lot of us use coconut oil for cooking! How many of us use coconut milk for cooking. This is made from flesh of coconut, cooked in water & then pulverized & strained. The product so obtained is left for some time so that cream separates from milk. However, it is important to note that coconut oil & milk is not good for the heart since 90% of fat found in coconut oil is saturated fat. Before you consider not consuming coconut milk due to its negative association with cholesterol level, it is important to note coconut milk increases LDL cholesterol level to a lesser extent when compared with animal fat- cream & butter. If you follow a healthy diet, it is better to have coconut milk/cream in moderation rather than consuming margarine, butter or other traditional high saturated & trans fat creams
- Coconut water: Coconut water is considered as a natural sports drink since it contains all ingredients which any sports drink available in the market may offer- little sugar, a lot of potassium, small amount of sodium, magnesium, calcium & B vitamins. Although there has been a lot of hype when it comes to hydration coconut water offers, coconut offer does not offer hydration more than water. An athlete may find coconut water soothing & convenient given that it is low in calorie, taste & replaces some of water & electrolyte loss during the workout, he is likely to get the same result from water & some snacks. It is important to note here that coconut water contains five times more potassium than sodium & therefore falls short of providing sufficient hydration since when we sweat we lose a lot of sodium than potassium. Besides, coconut water is low in carbs & hence cannot fuel long workouts. Folks who workout for more than 75 to 90 minutes daily would be required to mix it with water, salt & in fact some carb source such as sugar or honey.
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