Coconut Water - The Fluid of Life

Young Coconuts in Panang, Malaysia

During the mid 1990’s I traveled quite extensively throughout Southeast Asia.  One of my fondest memories is of enjoying the juice of a fresh young coconut while relaxing in a hammock on a beach, or while wandering the busy streets in places such as Bangkok, Penang, or Singapore.  You could even buy ready-to-drink coconuts from the young children who would enthusiastically run alongside our train as we pulled into each new station. Coconut in its various forms is a regular part of life in Southeast Asia, and it’s not hard to figure out why … it’s really hot, and frankly, you sweat pretty much all the time.  Coconut water or juice, which are really the same thing, are the perfect choice to refresh and rehydrate at any time. It is sweet, naturally sugar and gluten free, and extremely plentiful in this part of the world. I really missed it for a period of time, but not for long. Coconut water is once again a regular part of my life thanks to the recent interest in its health benefits as well as increased availability as a packaged ready-to-drink product.

So why is everyone talking about coconut water anyway?

Young Thai Coconuts

Because coconut water offers the body so much natural goodness and sustenance, and is truly is one of the most amazing substances given to us by Mother Nature.  The coconut palm is often referred to as The Tree of Life and has been a major source of nourishment to populations around the world for generations. Coconut water is the fluid obtained from a young unripe coconut at about five to seven months, specifically for drinking. These are the white or green pointy-topped coconuts you may have noticed showing up recently in the produce section of your local market. If allowed to ripen and mature, the fluid becomes part of the white flesh, also known as coconut meat, and eventually grows into the brown hairy variety we typically think of as a coconut. A little known and pretty amazing fact is that coconut water, often called The Fluid of Life, has an electrolyte profile somewhat similar to human blood plasma, and for that reason, was commonly used as a lifesaving replacement for IV solution that was often in short supply during World War II as well as in Viet Nam . Pretty amazing, huh?

The shining star of coconut water’s profile is definitely potassium, weighing in with almost twice as much per serving as the amount in one banana. It’s low in sodium and sugar but rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, as well as both vitamins C and B.  Many are calling coconut water “nature’s sports drink” these days, but in a recent article in Mother Jones, Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at UC Davis, offers a caution.  She states that “coconut water isn’t ideal for prolonged bouts of physical activity”, explaining that “when you sweat, you lose a lot more sodium than potassium”. 

The health benefits attributed to coconut water are many, but the most notable and undeniable is its ability to rehydrate, making it perfect after light exercise or for anyone with intestinal disturbances, especially children and elderly patients. It is also said to be effective in the prevention and treatment of urinary infections and kidney stones, acts as an anti-viral and anti-parasitic, improves bowel function and is a diuretic, to name a few benefits. For a more in-depth look at coconut water’s properties, click here.

But is it really that good?

Opening A Young Coconut

Yep. Coconut water is so good, and there are a number of ways you can purchase and enjoy this life-giving juice. Young Thai coconuts are increasingly available, and not as hard to open as you might think. This link will show you exactly how to do it, and before you know it, you won’t be giving it a second thought. This video is very well done, however I would like to suggest leaving the plastic on the lower portion of the coconut while cutting as many of the coconuts available for purchase today are chemically treated to prevent browning. The research I have done indicates that these chemicals do not penetrate the outer husk reaching the water and meat inside, but may leave a residue on the cutting surface that is probably best to avoid.

Too much trouble, you say? There are quite a few coconut water products on the market today, the three major players being O.N.E, which is distributed by PepsiCo in California and Florida; Zico, which is owned by Coca Cola; and Vita Coco, which is the only major producer which has remained independent. The lunchboxbunch.com recently performed a blind taste test comparing eight different brands as well the real thing, and posted their results on their web site.  Definitely worth checking out, keeping in mind that as with many things, taste is subjective, and coconut water is no exception!

So other than drinking it straight out of the package (nature’s or otherwise), what else can you do with coconut water?

I drink it almost every day in my morning green smoothie. It’s taken me awhile to come up with what I think is the perfect combination, but here it is for you to try and enjoy:

        Dawn’s Green Coconut Water Smoothie

        ½ cup coconut water

        ½ cup rice, almond, hemp or coconut milk

        ¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries

        1/2 cup finely chopped kale

        1 tablespoon of chia or hemp seeds

        1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (I use brown rice or hemp)

        1 dropper full of liquid Stevia 

 

        Throw it all in a blender or magic bullet and you’re good to go …. the

        amounts are approximate (who wants to measure 1^st thing in the

        morning?). Add or delete items until it works for you.

Some other fun ideas include:

·        Use instead of water when cooking rice or grains

·        Add it to soups and sauces

·        Use in salad dressing

·        Use it in cocktails or mocktails

·        Use it instead of water when making sorbet

·        Mix it with fruit juice and make an ice pop

We’d love to hear your ideas … post one in our comments and I’ll send you an easy recipe for making coconut yoghurt at home!

 

Until next weeks post from Deb ... enjoy and keep Love'n Every Bite!


Dawn

 All Photos by Dawn Adams