In celebration of our center’s international presence we are going to start posting articles from members of our community from around the globe. This article and recipe about the benefits of coconuts comes from our first CHI Foreign Correspondant, former CHI Intern Burt Serfaty. Burt interned at the center last summer and has a new raw juice business in the Toronto area. Click HERE to visit Burt’s website.
We thank Burt very sincerely for the following contribution to our blog:
Go Coco Nuts!
Coconut Milk, a refreshing creamy drink made from the water and
flesh of young Thai coconuts. But is coconut milk really bad for you? All the
hype out there makes me believe I will gain a ton of weight drinking coconut
milk. People will tell you the type of fat in coconuts is an inherently “bad fat.”
But oh how mistaken they are!
The fat found in coconuts is over 50 percent composed of a type of fat
known as lauric acid, a saturated fat found in mother’s milk. Because it is
one of the demonized saturated fatty acids, many have assumed it is
dangerous as it causes heart disease. Top fat researcher and author of the
book Know Your Fats, Mary G. Enig, PhD, claims that this fat should be
considered one of the essential fatty acids along with Omege 3 and 6. She
says that lauric acid enhances the immune system and protects against
viruses, yeasts, parasites and other pathogens in the gut. Coconut milk is
high in saturated fat (87% fats, 10% carbs, 3% proteins), but it is much
healthier than other saturated fat products. This milk is made up of short-
chain and medium-chain fatty acids that the body quickly turns into energy
instead of storing as fat. Therefore, although it is high in saturated fat,
coconut can aid in loosing weight!
So go ahead treat yourself to the creamy goodness of Coconut Milk!
- 1 Young Thai Coconut, flesh and water – scrape out flesh and put in blender
with the coconut water, (strain the water) - 8 ounces hot water below 110 degrees – add hot water
- Sweeten with 3-4 Dates or your choice of natural sweetener
- Optional ingredients- 1 Tbls Raw Cocoa powder, 1 cup almond milk, ¼ Tsp
Vanilla or a ripe banana. - Blend together for at least five minutes, the longer the blend and with the
addition of hot water the coconut oils will be better released.